The record-union., 1896-02-10

I
out of fear of punishment; and still an
other is the submission of issues to ar
bitration because of the ridiculous SEN
! timent that whatever the judgment of
the arbitrators it is more desirable than
armed resistance to the demand of
another Power, and must be accepted
out of hand, no matter what it is, as the
ultima thule of human justice.
The truth is that there can be fixed
no standard that will make the judg-
ment of permanent committee of arbi-
tration absolutely just. Justice, by
whatsoever body administered, must be
based upon reason, and be the outcome
| of exact adjudication Of apparently
conflicting rights. A permanent board
of arbitration would simply substitute
for the judgment of the people of a ma
said, therefore, that it would be of neces-
sity right and the nation of people
against whom it's decision might be
cast would be wrong.
While nations always will be free to
arbitrate in specific cases upon the
basis of the circumstances attaching to
each, and as their sense of right and
good policy may dictate in each case,
it is simply an absurdity to claim that
it is possible to agree in advance that
any and all issues that may arise be-
fxvoop +Ja TJpitod Cfo+aS opd Graot Brit
ain shall be submitted to a permanent
committee of arbitration, and that this
nation shall abide thereby. But if it is
insisted, as it is in some quarters, that
| this permanent committee of arbitra-
tion is not to have jurisdiction save
when both parties agree to submit an
issue to it, then there is no need for any
such permanent body, since, as already
stated. there is not and never can be
any obstacle to the submission of any
given issue to arbitration when both
parties are agreed to that means Of set
! tlement
a permanent committee really propose
that all issues shall go to this interna-
tional committee as a matter of course.
In so contending they are fatty saying
alliance with England that will be all
to her advantage. We want no such
alliance with any nation on earth. We
need above all things else to stiffen and
,aoio+oi,, o,,r ,5;n1o,,oo +;o ;pda,,aodanoa
which the proposed arbitration commit
tee would practically destroy. The weak
timber in our national structure to-day
is that of diplomacy. We have had no
diplomatic schooling worth the name,
but we are taking lessons now with ra-
pidity and of highest value, and we
need more of them
IF we are to be a nation commanding
respect abroad, and with ability to pro-
tect our citizens in all quarters Of
the globe, and enforce recognition for
American rights wherever involved, we
must maintain our diplomatic inde-
pendence, train men specifically as dip
lomats and steer clear of any alliance
that will commit the settlement of issues
in which we may become involved to
those who are strangers to them, save
only in those cases where diplomatic
wisdom and wise judgment dictates
that an issue may be thus disposed Of
If we suppose such a permanent COM
mittee to be erected to have cognizance
s11. ,@,~rx
might be interested, we would have
England deciding for herself, as most
probably we should for ourselves, what
questions concerned the other party to
the alliance. Thus in the Venezuelan
matter England would, as her present
attitude indicates, take the position
that we were not concerned in that
matter, that we had no interest in the
bitrate, and she would therefore refuse
submission.
The American people want no such
alliance with England as is proposed
we repeat; they wish no annexation by
indirection to the domain of Great Brit
ain. When they are ready to become a
part Of the British Empire they will
prefer the more direct route of petition
or submission to the arbitrament of
arms. Reserving the right to say for
themselves when and under what condi-
tions any issue may be arbitrated they
will reserve to themselves also the right
to wage war for any position taken or
principle enunciated.
We are to be a nation in our own right
or none We do not want to be a part
of any other nation, nor do we wish
any other nation to be q part Of this.
We will prosper most, rise to most ma
jestic national proportions as an in
dependent people, maintaining our dip
lomatic independence even at the cost of
the shock of arms. The fad of submis-
sion to arbitration must not be permit
where serpents and owls and prairie
| dogs and vermin abide in common fear
of intruders. The millennial era of
peace and good will to all men will not
the sooner draw near by reason OF
yielding the right to do justice to other
tribunals than those of the American
conscience. That can be trusted to
patriotically rise equal to every emer-
gency and with capacity to deal with
every contingency. 1t is neither SO
craven nor so weak that it needs in ad-
vance to provide that it shall never be
put to the test of prowess in maintain
! -.