The true northerner., 1895-12-27
The Venezuelan Matter.


zuelan matter, and we still commend
it. The message in reference to the
situation, however, has been fool
ishly taken up by many newspapers
as nearly equivalent to declaration
of war with England, which, happily,
is far from the truth. The message
to the American congress, while 1t
will incite war talk in the sensa-
tional American press and bitter
boasts of military and naval power in
the staid old English journals, will
receive no official recognition what
ever from the English government.
Indeed, it is not in any sense a mes
sage to the English government,
although it may serve to draw the at
tention of that government to the
determination Of the United States
TO stand firmly upon the Monroe doc
trine, as it has done in the past.
Happily, the Monroe doctrine has
not vet been violated in Venezu-
la, nor will it be until England en-
deavors to take forcible possession
of the disputed territory. In view
of the fact that the controversy be-
tween England and Venezuela is one
of 80 years. standing and has in all
those years never brought England
10 the subjugation of our little South
American neighbor by force of arms,
the NoRTHERNER does not believe
that it is at all certain that England
will resort to such means now. In
deed, as the boundary has never been
definitely determined and mutually
accepted by the two interested
powers, at least so far as is known
by other nations of the world, there
is no certainty which is correct in
the boundary controversy; England's
well known territory grabbing pro-
pensity alone throws the weight of
probability against her. In view of
the uncertainty of the situation, the
appointment of an American com
mission to investigate, as recon-
mended by the president and author
lzed by both houses of congress, is
eminently proper. While the com
mission will, of course, have no
power so far as settling the dispute is
concerned, it is only reasonable eau
tion for this country to be certain of
its ground before it gets too deep into
any international controversy.
We have before said in these col
umns, and we reiterate it now, that we
do not believe there is or ever was
anything in the Monroe doctrine
making the Uuited States the pro-
tector of every minor American
power, nor do we desire to see the
United States go to war merely as
Venezuelan ally. 1t is the acquisi-
tion of American territory by force
of arms that is inimical to American
interests, and we do not believe
England will resort to arms in the
present instance e-the value of the
territory she claims does not warrant
it. Venezuela does not want fight
with the lion, and an amicable set
tlement will probably be reached
At any rate, Uucle Sam is not
spelling for war with England or with
any one else. We are peace loving
people and will only fight when we
cannot have peace with honor. If
war is forced upon us, no nation
knows so we'll as proud England the
invincibility of American patriots.
a war between the two great
English speaking nations of the
world would be an awful calamity to
the civilized world and to the coun-
tries themselves that were engaged
in it. 1t would indeed be an anon
ally for the two nations that pride
themselves on being the leaders
in the Dineteenth century civilization
and modern progress to go to war
because of an unwillingness on the
part of either to submit their interna-
tional differences to some sort of ar
bitration, which policy perhaps more
than any other thing distinctly marks
the progress of the century in inter
national relations. These two great
nations are also the two representa-
tive christian nations of tho world