The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-12-24
THE OTHER SIDE.


 The Presidents late message upon Venezuelan matters did not unbalance our own judgment. nor disturb our sen- timents, which are bent towards Anglo. Saxon afillation the world around, To our minds the message will have had but one good effect, that of urging us to instant and more thorough prepara- tion for war, but in other directions than fraternal ones.
 The message came out of clear sky, and was not the echo of any wide spread public demand, or fully grown sentiment of patriotism, or obvious ne cessity. The matter at issue as be- tween England and Venezuela is of four generations standing; it has roots that run way back to 174S There are two sides to the case between the parties of the first part, Venezuela and Great Britain, and we were at best the mere spectator, as to @ controversy over boundary line, which depends upon rights that actually antedate our own GNlSlSllCe dS d lldllOI.
 Under the circumstances we could but deem its sudden injection into the are na of international diplomacy, capari- soned in such warlike phraseology, as absolutely unwarranted, and so we still regard it.:
 Now
 Because: It Is neither self-evident nor attempted to be made out that the Mon roe doctrine at all covers the case. In- deed all the weight of argument is upon the other side, though toy a strange fa- tality, not one paper in thousand has presented both sides to it's readers. God forgive us.
 Because: Extension of that doctrine as to the necessity of arbitration by virtue of its menace to our peace and safety (which is absurd upon its face), and that no European power can be all lowed to act as arbitrator (although one of the parties is centered in the east ern hemisphere is so novel as to prej- udice at the very start our own chance at even diplomatic victory in the premises, to say nothing of other situa- tions that may yet arrive.
 Because: England herself is as much party to the Monroe doctrine, proper 1y understood, as we are. The sug- gestor of it, in fact, and is as fully in- terested in it's integrity.
 Because: There seems to be good ev- idence that the very crisis as between England and Venezuela arose out of the Venezuelan arrest of a Brito-Uruan chief of the police, for actually defend ing citizens of the United States who had trespassed over the disputed bor- der into so-called Venezuelan domains.
 Because: By a serious resolution of congress, passed in 1895, and in view of just such contingency, we were ex- pressly and nationally warned against the hasty championship of any South American republic found in controver- sy with a foreign power, unless justified at the time by the circumstances, and we do not yet, as a people, understand all the circumstances upon which the English contention is founded.
 Because: According to the conserva- tive definition of all those statesman who were familiar withthe Monroe doc Urine in its day of promulgation, we are not yet established in an undoubt- ed right. either morally or politically, to interfere in the mere matter of Q boundary rectification.
 Because: The boundary in question is in no way contiguous to our own or even remotely related thereto. It is mere question of fact between the two contestants themselves and one that must ultimately stand or fall upon its own merits, war or no war
 Because: We are not in a position to defend that boundary line upon the spot, but only indirectly to hamper England in it's rectification, forgetful of the fact that action and reaction are equal, contrary and simultaneous.
 Because: The arbitrary tone of the message is too much of sight unseen" guarantee to Venezuela, and is as like 1y as not to involve us as parties in a de facto war brought about by some further overt and irresponsible act by Venezuela herself. We have put our eggs upon very dangerous shelf.
 Because: Whether the last contin- gency arises or not, this message places us lon uecord' in new light, not con- templated in the original doctrine. h. deed, expressly opposed to it Benton ana CdIlOuIlJ, ttlltL iS lUc ClldlllplOil VI every other South American republic, as against any European power, what soever right or wrong
 Because: The message was calculat- ed, as it has resulted, to deal a most disastrous blow to our already precari- ous financial credit, both, at home and abroad; to cause our wealth to shrink with astonishment; our gold to go abroad, as from an arterial wound re- opened; our stocks and commercial pa per to come home to roost as birds of il1-omen; our exports to be in danger of losing their best markets; our i'm ports to be cut of, and our best blood to Joe spiIt-all this without any ade- quate cause, and without any previous and due resolution upon our part as a people to make the sacrifice.
 Because: It is a boomerang, and must have been hurled. without knowl- edge of it's re-actiye character, as the event has already shown. and there fore it is a blunder, which We cannot disavow too soon, for the people are not in it,
 Because: It is an effect an unpre- meditated challenge without consent to