Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1896-01-30
CRISIS IN ENGLAND.

Lonuon limos of January i. 1t ~ from
Welsh member of parliament He is
the head of the great cotton firm of
smith, Edwards & Co, Liverpool, n frm
well and favorably known In America:
10 the Editor OF the Times:
Sir: Permit me to offer some remarks
upon the deplorabe dispute with the
United States which has suddenly burst
upon us like II bolt from the blue sky.
Ten days ago not one person in n thou
sand knew anything of the question. aud
scarcely could point out On a map where
Venezuela or British Guiana was. Nav
we have been discussing at least the
possibility Of fratricidal war which
would half ruin both countries. and could
90 no possible good 10 either. IL II not
,hc part OF wisdom, not 10 speak of Chris
uanlty, TO try and find permanent cs-
cape from this and all similar complica-
tOnsg
What Is the substance of the claim of
the United Statesy is IL not broao,y that
NO European power shall extend It's ter.
ritory IN either North or South America
or interfere with the republican form,
Of government, wherever ii IL established?
rms Monroe doctrine" was first sug-
gcstcd to the government of the United
states by our own George Canning, who
'NNtih W h'uhN VI II 10 prevent CliulN
coercing her reyolted colonies. Is there
anything in il which we need 10 contest?
Certainly not. We do not wish 10 in
crease our possessions in America, either
North or South. We have more territory
that we can well govern all over tho
world, and to 20 to war with the United
States on the ground of frontier dis.
pute with Venezuela would he almost as
absurd ms Swift's story OF I4illipnt and
the adjacent island fighting about the
proper end of nn egg 10 break No Doubt
The claim as put forward by President
cleveland seems TO III needlessly often.
siVe no wonder that the British public,
understanding little of the matter, deeply
resented II. 1t seemed TO them piece of
imperuuence 10 interfere In n frontier
dispute between two independent States
But we. are now beginning to understand
hetter the American point OF view. There
they are not like lis, almost ignorant of
the question; for months. indeed for
years past, NcncEucla has been cntrcnt.
irg that great country to save their little
State from whnt they regard as the IN
just claims of Great britain. The Amer.
lean press has been discussing tho ques-
ton az great length the past few months,
md, hearing only the case of Venezuela,
has regarded this country as entirely In
tho wrong. II has concluded that under
the name Of u boundary dispute this
country has sought TO annex lnrgs por-
ton of Venezuelan territory. In this way
II regards it as an infringement Of The
Monroe doctrine, which doctrine, though
not part OF international law, has heen
'acitly accepted by this country. What
the United States claimed, M I under
stand was that Great Britain should re-
fer the whole dispute 10 arbitration.
President Cleveland, in his message Inst
wear, referred TO this question In the
following friendly terms;
The boundary of British Guiana still
remains IN dispute between Great Brit
ain and Venezuela. Relieving It's early
settlement on some just basis alike hon
ornblc 10 both, and us II Is In the line of
our established policy to remove from
this hemisphere all causes Of differences
with powers beyond the sea, ] shall re-
new the efforts heretofore made to
bring about the restoration of diplo.
matte relations between the disputnuts
and TO induce reference TO arbitration,
II resort which Great Britain 50 con
enormously fayors In principle aud re-
spects in practice, and which Is earnestly
sought by her weaker adversary"
There In nothing In this that Is opposed
TO our national feelings. Surely II waa
n great mistake for us not to have acted
on this friendly suggestion. 7 see that
Mr., Athcrly-Joncs hn. stated that IN
1885 Lord Granville agreed to arbitrnte
on all differences between the contracting
parties. but owing to Lord Salisbury's |
accession TO power the offer was not acted
on, Docs not this point 10 some mistake |
on our part? II our osso was u good one,
why did we refuse 10 arbitrator This |
dispute has been going on for fifty years
and we have all TINT time refused arhi- |
trntion. Now our government offers 10
arbltratc on a section of the disputed !
territory, hut declines to submit the most
vital question aH for II 10 imppril the |
peace Of the world? Have we not boon |
the foremost nation 10 advocate interns-
tonpl arbitration Did we not create a |
noble precedent IN submitting the Ain |
bgma claims 10 this mode of settlement, |
aud did not this wise policy make for |
peace all the world over? Did not the |
British parliament pass unanimous |
vote for an arbitration treaty with the |
United States only two or three years
ago, and was not q memorial to this eff
feet signed by over three hundred mem
beers of parliament taken TO Washington |
by deputnton of members and most |
favorably received there? Had this |
treaty boon concluded we should not |
Surely II Is not too late 10 retrare our
steps u little and leave the whole dis
putc alike with Venezuela and the |
United States TO friendly and independent |
arbitration. There can he nothing dis
honorable in this; Il would be worthy |
Of q. nation which processes TO he gov-
erned by the ethics OF Christianity. Is
Il ret paffclapoholy tholfbt that at
Chrsstyndn fine We hear Of Dothing but |
runaofs Of war? Here, at this end of /
the pkwteenth century inter the birth
81 Chfisb when the angels sang. peace
~ earth and good will to men," the
whole shy Is oyorspread by dark storm
clouds. Tho six powers at CONSTANT
nople arc so filled with jcslousy of each
other that they practically connivc nt
the determination of the Armenian Chris
tians rather than combine in their de-
Tense. Any one can see that they are
creeping about in powder maya zine and
now, 10 hdd to the dismal outlook. we
nave the two greatest and most civilized
na tons In ths world brought TO a dead
ock out of which it is not Impossible
there may be no exit except by war.
Do people Oh either sido Of the Atlantic
realize what war between the United
States and Great Britain would meanp
was In America the year before the
.lvll war commenced, in 1850. The same
Violent language was then used by the
American press which we hear now:
but few In this country beloved that the
Americans would he 80 mad as ''to i'm
Drue their hands In each Othcr's blood"
Nevertheless the war commenced. Then
/ was freelyfprsdfcted In the North that
/ would DO over IN ninety days. hut II
y sted -four years; II cost 100000 lives
md one theussnd millions sterling, and
eft excessive bitterness bshind II. Are