, 1896-01-15

~~Ol ~ II ''1 NhiAl
ton that he il resolved 10 strike a heroic at
utude to commemorate the closing DAYS of
ms fresldcntshIp 1T could not have been
pleasant To hun to consider that. after the
TAU talk that attended tito recent trouble in
Nicaragua, the British Government carried
mo effect It's disciplinary policy. taking no
notice Of the American threats. This was a
nasty humiliation, brought upon theAmericans
10y their excessive Self-conceit but ii must al
ways be associated with Mr.. Cleveland's term
OF office. To have during his ADMINISTRATION a
repetition at Caracaa of the Corinto incident.
would be unbearable, and as the close Of his
tenn OF office is near at hand, what more like.
~ to suggest itself 0s u heroic measure cal
culated to shed a ray Of glory upon his pre-
sIdentlal regime, than q challenge 10 the Mo.
t%hefIand, the blood red issues of which
would tail TO be dealt with by his successor in
once. 10 hlgh-spirited msu, rs no doubt
PRESIDENT Cleveland is. it must have been
CALLING to read the quiet but inoisive obser-
y"tlons OF a welghty and responsible news
paper like the Journal Des Debdts, which re-
minded Americans the other day that the
Monroe Doctrine could only be carried into
effect by a country that had counted the
cost of maintaining its far searching claims.
There was zeal good sense in the observation;
80 @N"70 ( IL OHlS tuC L ltblU6Ik
but Americans in general to think whether
she Doctrine was not as Lord Salisbury de-
oIares 1t to be, "obsolete,' and rendered
quite impracticable through the fundamental
changes that have taken place in the econo-
my OF the civilized world since Monroe's day.
The precious Doctrine is equally emphatic
upon the point that Old World affairs shall
have no concern for Americans, and vet we
nave to-day the great American Nation talk
ing q part IN the Armenian question, and also
IN the dispute between the two old fashioned
nations IN the far East. We must, we fear
LOOK Tor The cause of the present unprovokod
insult elsewhere than in the Monroe Doe
tmne, such a decided attitude on that point
beng as the Commercial Bulletin of New
YORK expresses it, SO unexpected as to shock
the community. The President for reasons.
personal or political or both has made a SEN
satIonal appeal to the passions of a vain, con
celted and 0yerbearing psople, whose
strength IN warfare, is believed by them
selves TO be unlimited, and in their reckless
ness they have received his Message with
acciamatlon. They have already:voted money
towards the i%nsolent proposal Of q commits
sion to interfere with q question in which
Great Britain and Venezuela are alone CON
cerned, and they are preparing to vote q
Hululeu IllIIlOn OF dollars against military
preparations. Our Government Of course
will take up the challenge, if the counsel of
the wiser section of the Americans should not
yet prevail; and not a Briton would say that
our government was in the wrong. AS We
said last week, declaration of war would EN-.
tail upon us in this colony much lose and
discomfort, but we are confident that if the
decision were left with ourselves to accept
the Am6rIrQDc incOlnnoo AZ roycy,F - H.
great overwhelming majority would be in
favour OF maintaining our national honour to
the best of our ability, no matter the result.
1t would be foolish to assume that as a n matter
OF course our country would be the victor in
the threatened duel; but, whichever way it
was decided, in all probability the result
would be some great political changes on
this continent. There might be no longer
any British Guiana. nor o Canadian Domis
Mon, but, on the other hand, there might be
q partition of the United States and several
Presidents where now there is only one.
Meantime, events follow each other so rapid
ly t these days, that our next news may be to
the effect that the Boundary question has
led up to what will surely be one of the Bit
terest wars in the history of the world. None
ever fight 80 savagely as near relations. 1t
bshoves us then to be prepared against emer-
gencies, and these preparations will require
money, which must be voted without dsmur.
For many many years We have known of wars
- - L.