The Wichita daily eagle., 1896-01-03
TELLS OTHER SIDE
HOW UNCLE SAM NAY BE WRONG
ABOUT THE BOUNDARY.

Man Who Knows Something About vene-
zueIa Gives Some Pointers in Regard TO
the Country and its boundaries and
Landmarks - Venezuela, it seems. is
Something of Grabber Herself and
Her Politicians are Not BIameless-
Relics Left by the Dutch Which Bear
Upon the Present Controversy.
Baltimore, Nd, Jan. 2.-The Sun
prints the following communica ton:
leSsrs. Edit0rs-Permit me, as a for
mer resident Of British Guiana, and one
who is thoroughly familiar with that
country and all the matters in dispute
between Venezuela and that colony, TO
make a few observations on the present
sioua ton. President Cleveland has made
a terrible bluTlder. l shall endeavor 10
show, first, that Venezuela has no case;
second, that the Monroe doctrine is not
dnvolved al all in the dispute between
the two countries. The boundary line
between the two countries is largely
oni7 OF historical and geographical facts.
Jtle SpanldrdS settled on the OrinOcO
about the year 1880, the Dutch at the
POmerOn in the same year. They were
dislodged from their settlement by the
Spaniard'S three years later. and their
next successful attempt at colonization
was in the fall on an island called
kyk-Over-All, near the mouth of the
EsseqU5bo river. This was the principal
seat of the government for 100 years,
until tire capital was remover 10 Sta
brock, called Georgetown, when taken
over by the British. BY the peace Of
AEniens, in 1903 Hollands possession
in what is known as the colonies Of
EssequIb0, Denerara and Berbice We're
ceded 80 Great Britain, and have ever
since been kOnwn as British Guiana.
HISTORICAL FACTS.
Venezuela, acchfeved its independence
IN 1914 and succeeded to whatever rights
Spain might have had in tile country.
As matter of fact, the Spaniards and
the Venezuelans have never at any time
made any settlement or attempted any
jurisdiction over any OF the territory
lying east of the Scllomburgk line on the
Anlacura. The Dutch laid out sugar
and coffee planta tons upon the Esse-
qu1bo from the mouth OF the Cuyuni
river around the coast of the Pomeroon,
the ma JOrGty of which plan tatfons are
in cultivation today. At no time has
Venezuela ever had any foothold there,
nor has Ehere been a settlement, or even
a clearing, east Of the Schomburgk line.
On the other hand, the writer, who
was one Cf the first white men to pen
citrate that country, fifteen years ago,
before any gold was discovered, found
a dreary, trackl6SS waste, where the
indian was monarch of all ne surveyed.
At the same time remains of Dutch
forts ara TO be seen well up the Cuyuni
river, almost as far as the Uruan, where
che difficulty of the outpoSts occurred
of Dutch abandoned estates, with large
canals, can be seen today. An this
would go 10 show that the presumption
Of evidence as afforded by previous
occUpactOn would be in favor of the
Dutch as against the Spanish claim
ant
THE BRITISH LINES.
In lS40 Great Britain sent out Sir Rob
ent SchOmburgk, a well-kn0wn geologist
Who defined the British lines. 1t is a
well-knUWn principle in international
lew that the lines of dema rca,tion be
tween cOntngUCus territories should be
defined by natural boundary lines, such
hS great rivers, estuaries or mountain
ranges 1T was affirmed by the late
Car of Russit. as arbitrator in a SIM
Tar dispute between Dutch Guiana and
French Guiana, that the larger river
"cIisa, in the absence of the clearest
evidence TO the contrary, should be the
natural boundary line The only two
rivers answering this description are
the Essequibo and OrinocO. As Spain
bad always 9leld and colonized the ba-
SIN ot the OTinDcO, and Holland in a
similar manner had held the Esseuuibo
and lis tributaries, Schomburgk fixed
upon the KIT largest river course lying
between the two. the Amacura, which
forms The base Of the Scnomburgk line
A settlement Of this matter has been
allowed ID remain in allegiance all these
territory involved was thought to be of
tetl-e or no value until the discovery Of
gold. a.pC5It ten years ago: secondly. all
the inhabited portion of British Guiana
had been cOnfn5d TO a strip Of land
along the SeacOasJ devoted exclusively |
TO sugar-planting and extending around |
inland about fifteen miles. Since eman-
cipation of slavery. in 1854. the negroes
refuse 70 work regularly, and large |
numbers of cookies from East India. |
amounting to about seven thousand |
year, have been regularly imported |
from India 20 work on the estates. This |
VAS done at a very heavy expense, and |
lhe planters, who controlled the policy |
IF .1he government, Ga man requiring 70 |
he a pCSsessor Of eighty acres of land. |
fCr-y Of which should be bona fide in 1
cultivation. to be eligible to a seat in /
the leEiSlatuTe,) naturally were averSe
10 any means being taken u develop |
D- taciliatclte access to The vast country
lying behind them. fearing that their 1
labor supply would be drawn away from |
them.
DISCOVERIES OF GOLD.
Ten years ago American ard English
proSpectorS pushed their way up these
V&rie.iS riy6CS and found gold IN large
ana paying quantities. The govern
uent was forced 10 take notice of the |
growing industry. Gold regulations
n'=re made and titleS granted under
favorable terms. and the government |
was forced. IN response 70 public opdn-
son. - assert its claim 20 and exercise
Jurisdiction over the country up to the
Scholnburgk line. Millions Of dollars
# English c5pjtal have been invested
n SuEpr plantations and mines within |
this disputed territory. Venezuela IS
mere preyenSe OF a republic: only
per cent ot Is million inhabitants are |
white men, the rest being poems. half
e-'ee1S and Indians. L is at times a
dictatorship, as under GuZnan Blancn. |
N,o after a comparatively short reign
K-as enabled 10 retire 70 Europe. where
he ngw lives. with colossal fortune
at S200Oo.o 600. The present
President Crsspo. is also a very veal
ray man. II Is q wall known fact ~
those having business relations with
Venezuela that II is impossible 70 do
any business there without arranEeing
with rhe powers that he
Tor a considerable share Of the venture
INSECURITY OF LIFE.
As an instance of the insecurity OF !
NE 0D1 property under the Venezuela
rue l would ne0cion a case of Mr.. T. |
Morris PerOt. Of hatelphia, a veal
any ma',s,er there who was president
D a sold mine in NeDezueia. which was
: 49, = : !