The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-01-19

THEY SEEM BENT On WAh'
Tho Senate Committee on Foreign Re
la4ions seems determined 10 force Eng
land into a war with this country. ~
has almost unanimously resolved 10 re-
port Senator Davis resolutions on the
Monroe doctrine, which declare that no
foreign country shall acquire one foot
OF territory in either OF the Americas by
force. purchase. ccssion. occup"uoh
pledge. colonization. or protection "he'h-
err under unfounded pretensions OF rignI
under the guise OF boundary Disputes
or otherwise" The President had said
I'm his war message that il Great Br''aHi
and Venezuela settled their dinerehces
between themselves. this country would
rest content with any arrangement they
might make. and hope had been held Out
10 the world that the. two countries
were arranging for some plan Of ADJUST
ing their differences. 1t is not too much
to say that this prospect Of solution
of the troubles was hailed gratefully by
a great body Of the people. But these
Senate resolutions. II they pass both
bodies Of Congress, shut out all nope Of a
settlement Of the trouble in that way.
They are drawn with express reference
TO that phase Of the case, and they de-
clare in effect that the United States
will not permit Great Britain to adjust
her boundary with Venezuela by any ar
rangement Of that sort. If IT shall result
In giving to Great Britain territory that
the commission we have appointed de-
cides belonged before such adjustment
to Venezuela. II these resolutions are
adopted by both houses Of Congress. they
force Great Britain 10 adopt the alterna-
tive Of the arbitration which she has de-
clined OF war with this country. For
ourselves, We have no doubt she will ac-
cept the alternative of war
Ne hope there is not a corporals guard
in Virginia that viii sustain the position
taken by the Senate Committee. There
was undoubtedly a considerable body OF
men here who sustained Mr.. Cleveland
in the ground that he took, thc'.gh the
overwhelming majority OF thouehteil and
conservative men in Virginia condemned
him. But We DO not see how any rea-
sonable person can sustain Congress in
driving Great Britain TO the wall. az
these Senate resolutions 90. Our peo-
and Venezuela are able 10 adjust their
differences between Themselves. that we
shall accept that adjustment and leave
the matter where they place IT,
Nevertheless. since we find Congress so
strongly tinctured with the war spirit
there must, Of course, be "A strong senti-
ment in this country somewhere in favor
Of war with Great Britain for the sake
OF war itself. Where that sentiment
has come from, how IL has been nur-
tured and grown up, are curious questions
that would be worth the study Of a
psychologist. is it due 10 something in
the school histories that we teach in
our public schools? We suspect that it
has its origin there, and that the senti-
ment originating there. is seized and
played on by the protected manufacturing
monopolists, who are willing to see the
country plunge9 into all the horrors
and distress of a great and bloody war.
to secure TO themselves the opportunity
TO sell TO the American people at their
own prices what they manufacture.
This is a most horrible thought, but IL IS
the only reasonable explanation we can
find for what appears to US TO be crimi-
nal folly.