Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-01-23
BRITISH FEELING ON THE CRISIS,
London Economist Jan. 4la,

| London Economist, dan. 4lh.
Tho calmpess With which the British
public received the message of the
American President, their reluctance
TO 9rswer IL by a simple defiance, and
their general refusal to believe it seri-
GUS, have been SO misinterpreted on the
continent that 1t is worth while to OK
plain their attitude ut some length.
They had at least three reasons for re-
naming quiet, one OF which was their
own profound innocence of intention,
bad or good. Most wars have been
preceded by certain amount OF bick-
ering, or, ut least, Of hostility of feel
Ing; but In this case the British peo-
pie were unaware even OF reason for
dispute. They had no more idea of
attacking, threatening, or even annoy
ipg the United States than OF doing
the same things to China or Sweden.
Probably not 10 men in the kingdom
outside the Foreign Office and the
foreign division OF one or two journals,
were aware that there was any ques-
tlon open between the two countries.
10 the majority of Englishmen Venez-
ueia was only u word which they vaguely
recalled as having seen upon map,
and the allegation that they were OPP
| pressing Venezuela. or wanted some-
thing from Venezuela, came on them
with shock Of surprise. They wanted
nothing and feared nothing in that
part OF South America, and Mr.. ClevO-
lands indignation seemed TO them 30
amazing that they interpreted il at first
as unreal, simulated. mere election
man@uyre. Even whom they perceived
Its seriousness they we're too surprised
| FOR apd aynanEnI b.,
annoyance on the other side of the
water disappear on little reflection,
and thereceptIon OF disclaimer of any
intentional offence. Thoy felt like
persons whose words have been misin-
terpreted, and could not, for very con.
sternation at the accidental offence
given, feel the indignation which. ac.
cording to continental critics, it would
have been honorable to display. "What
an unfortunate mistake for President
Cleveland to have made, T" nearly sum-
med up their thoughts, and they waited,
FULLY anticipating some later explana-
tion. Innocence Of this kind is 30 sell
dom real especially on the continent,
that we can fully allow for the incred-
| ulity Of lookers-on, but in this instance
II actually existed. Having no purpose
In their minds, whether honest or
| treaeherous, grasping or benevolent,
Englishmen were puzzled to find a
malignant purpose attributed to them,
and at first could hardly believe in
the seriousness OF the monaco addressed
| to them. III serious, they must accept
| it like any other unexpected and un-
accountable misfortune, but they could
| hardly believe it, and distrusted the
| guides who assured them that the mis-
fortune had most certainly arrived. II
| the Times had announced that France
| intended the invasion of Great Britain,
or Russia of India, they would have
accepted the statement at once, but
that America in certain contingencies
meant war seemed incredible. Why
| should America mean war?
| u. The very tradition of hostility
between the United States and Great
Britain had died away here. Nobody
affects to regret tho independence of
America, nobody remembers the last
war, nobody ever thinks about Cana
| dian frontiers. The only feeling enter
tanned is one Of friendship, cool in
some sections OF society, warm in
others, but everywhere existing, ana SO
completely recognized, that in common
parlance everybody draws distinction
between foreigners and Americans. To
all continentals, and we fear TO some
Americans, it seems little ridiculous,
or conventional, 10 say so, but 1t is
! literally true that tho sense Of kinship
with Americans never wholly quits
English minds, that they dislike the
idea of a quarrel as something unnat
ural, and that the notion OF having AS
matter of duty to shell an American
/ pifu ms lrnu tbnV, t,natfiualxt frkp
English are supposed on the continent
to be brutal people, and doubtless
there is a sense in which the charge
has foundation; but they are not
! brutal about Americans, but have a
| genuine and hearty dislike to any dis
pute with them other than competi-
tion in prosperity, or in social expert
menls, or in good works, They watch
| all their kinsfolb do with permanent
interest, sometimes appreciative, some
4 times 5cornful, but always keen and
active. They are always conscious, like
members Of the Rame family, of GER
tain rivalry, and always doubtful when
| surpassed in anything whether to he
annoyed or full of hearty congratula-
tions. This is the real reason of that
habit of giving advice which Ameri.
cans think so patrunizing, and which
| is no more really patronizing than tho
| shouts Of the spectators in Il cricket
field TO throw the ball up. " The shout
is half Of warming, hulf Of pleasurable
excitement. The immense wealth of
tho Union, the way it seems TO got
through crushing diiiicultins, tho sort
OF boyish confidence with which it
meets every unpleasant incident, exGitcs
nothing but pleasure here, pleasure
often, no doubt, expressed little too
much In the tone OF the man who has
passed through everything when speak
ing to a junior. To men in whom this
frame of mind had been ingrained by
40 years of quiet intercourse, tho fact
of sudden rupture, not preceded us far
as the general public knew by any warn.
ings, seemed somehow munstrous, as
monstrous as blow from n kinsman
delivered across dining table. What in
| the world could be the excuse for an
almost fratricidal struggle? II war
should arise the statement will not be
believed, but not one Englishman in a
hundred read Mr.. Ceyelands message
without a sort of gasp, as il he had Il
dim perception OF some horror.
(3. J And then came in the English
mans grand source of coolness, his
common sense and knowledge Of affairs,
Nations cannot fight except for some
thing, and what havo Americans and
Englishmen to fight forY Venezuela?
Our kinsfolk are welcome to all the
Venezuelas there are. There is prob
ably no subject in the world uuon
which ignorance is in this country al
once so dense and so cheerful as span
ish America. The man in the street
knows nothing about it, not even its
| J;uiginno npJ 10 pnptn,tal ,..A A..