The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-10-27
sOME:sENsIBLE TALK ABOUT vENE-
ZlyElA

I'm the contention now going on be-
| tween England and Venezuela touching
| the disputed territory and later causes
| OF controversy growing out of the NJ
| treatment of English subjects by the
| vcnezuclans. Great Britain Is einphat-
| ically In The right. have lived down
| there for twenty years. and am thorough
| ly informed on Nthese matters. j haFo
| no axe TO grind. and am free from any
bias But | know that the EngliShmen
are dead right. and my conviction Is
| that so far from interfering with them.
| this Government ought to hold up their
hands.
In the first place, wish you wouiu
say in the Post that / am not here, as
| some or the New York papers have
| stated, by the request OF Secretary Oh
ney. The Secretary has not sent for
me. | have been spending the summer
| in Norway and Swedeh. and for years
| IL has been my habit 10 go 10 Europe
| in summer. AS soon as 1 get back 10
| GEORGETOWN, which | left on the ZIth OF
| last June. | expect TO resign my ONCE,
wind up my business affairs, and go
| back to my old home In Springfield
J Mass, and pass the rest OF my days.
| So much for myself.
Now, the Nenczuelans are like small
| boy that tries to taunt a larger one,
him a. thrashins. If they had done
half as much to US. in the way OF IN
suit and annoyance, as they have 10
England, we would have trOunced thcm
without mercy long ere this.
There is d dispute about territory
between the two countries. The cOun-
try in question was for over a century
considered as of no account. According
to SchomDurgk's map, tho Oldest oxiant'
q copy OF which ] have at home. the
limits OF British Guiana extend good
Ieany hundred miles north = wnat Ing
land now claims-in fact. they would
reach almost 10 the OrinocO. Up TO few
years ago. when gold was discovered In
this no mans land the Venezuelan Gov
eminent cared nothing about the strip,
for IL was nothing but a stretch OF barren
mud-flats sickly and unpronuctlVe.
When, In 1873. prospectors took out
good bit of gold and the news got
abroad that this no mans land would
prove a second California, all OF sud
den the Nenezuelans awoke 10 the i'm
portance OF the region. and forthwith as
serted that it was theirs. think that
Brazil has just as good grounds 10 claim
II, for its boundary lines come up quite
close TO the district In dispute, and II
has Just as good right 10 assert owner
ship as Venezuela.
AS a matter OF fact, all the substan-
tial evidence Of ownership is with the
English. Schomburgks map, the very
highest authority, shows that clearly.
"Of course, any piece Of land that turns
out 100000 Of gold yearly is worth light
ing over, and the Venezuelans set up
great howl over British aggression. They
came TO an agreement. however, with
the English, by which one party was TO
have possession of the country on one
side OF the Uruan river, and the other
10 dominate the bank opposite. squad
OF half-clothed soldiery, under a fussy
Venezuelan general, was sent out TO
stand guard over the territory. In their
zeal, they arrested two American miners,
and crossing over the river. they demol-
ished the British station. arrested the
Inspector and several of his men, tram
pied the English flag in the dust. and
treated their prisoners. including the
Americans, with such incignity and bar
barism, that one of the latter, a man
named Stevens, died.
IF anything has been done by our
Government TO investigate this treatment
Of an American citizen l haven't heard
Of II. It occurs 10 me that we might
well ascertain the facts in regard to
Stevens fate before condemning John
Bull for his desire to protect his own
people. / see no cause for our inter
ference in this matter. It may be that
England will agree 20 arbitrate, but If
she does, I should be greatly surprised
Under similar conditions the United
States would scorn the idea of arbitra-
tion.
"As far as the Monroe doctrine is con-
cerned, IL rests more on sentiment
than anything else. AS applied TO those
petty little South American and Central
American governments, IT has precious
little virtue They are eternally in
turmoil: their institutions, In the very
nature OF things, can't have any sta
biity and the Monroe doctrine, il con-
stantly invoked. would bring us moth
ing but trouble and vexation.
There is no probability Of war over
this affair, for England will do only
what is right and only wants fair treat
ment. In the twenty years | have
lived there no serious trouble has ever
occurred and none VIII now. But the
Venezuelans have no legitimate claim on
the good offices OF this country. and they
should be brought TO book at once for
the murder of an unofrending citizen OF
this country
This gentleman is an American. and
he has long been the American repre-
sentative upon the scene OF the disturb
ance in South America. There is no
reason, therefore. TO suppose that he
states the case otherwise than fairly.
But The Times is perfectly Indifferent
TO the merits of the quarrel between
Venezuela and Great Britain. The
Times insists that we have nothing TO
do with it. 1t is an affair between
Great Britain and Venezuela. and they
are to settle IL TO their own liking, and
with which this country has no more
TO do than il has with the impending
sy 'updPr pug BIssna u9sMl9q ISIIenb
DR.. Spaight well says, what is called
tho Monroe doctrine is nothing but a
sentiment. II is no part of the law Of
this country. 1t has never been adopted
by Congress. which is our sole law-mak-
ing power, and we have respect enough
for the common sense of Congress TO
believe that it will never be adopted as
the law OF this country.
At the very moment Or. Spaight was
delivering this sensible talk, that blather-
skito Bob lngersoll, was making a speech
in Bloomington, Ill, In which he said
he wanted this Government 10 annex
Canada, Hawaii, and Cuba. That is the
sort of foolish talk. or foolish men, that
10 az tina hark NJ THE dap,apI baf