New-York tribune., 1896-01-04
SEEN THROUGH BRITISH ETES
.ruE CHRONICLE" SHOWS HOW ENGLAND
NAY GRACEFULLY BACK DOWN.

rRATIoN As FIGHTING FOR PEACE
,., Ian The American correspondent
-, "The Daily Chronicle" t"leglaphs TO that paper
,odav from Washington as follows:
EN- rsnlv to the criticism that the Aberdeen
aisnatches l cablcd yesterday We're not new,
o,n only say that | did my best during the time
=. nv. disposal t. test their unpublic character.
o,1 failed t. trace them anywhere here. They
49,. unknown in detaii TO these here whose
,,ol duty il Is 10 he acquainted with the de-
it, of the DISPUTE obviously unknown 20 You
. unknown to the American correspondents
d the press But new or old does not affect
,ho,r character one jot. or the unavoidable con
,,siors from them. Regarding the criticism that
only PARTS of them We're given by me-. the docu-
,,erts before me pr0fsssed TO be complete. and
,h,ai every salient word. Of course. il Is on, OF
my mower 10 discover whether they We're COIN
,'ete The retort is almost too obvious that II
they constitute d misrepl csentatipn let the For
o,rn Om,e publish them complete. Concerning
tho charge tnat my dispatches are anti-English,
,er understand it Alright. leave my friends and
nv published books tc defend me.
- an, now able to speak with confidence con-
corning the opinion IN the highest American
quarters The only condition on which the men
whom specially desired to see would speak has
heen nv personal pledge not even by hint 10
hstrav their names: therefore, can only give you
NY word that am not eXaegerating my auihori-
ties
WHAT THE MESSAGE HAS DONE.
president Cleveland's Message to Congress
has done several things. good and evil First. il
has destroyed every cnance of saving the Ar
meniars: second ii has gi en- strong impetus
toward closer ties between Great Britain and her
colonies; third. il has en- lrmously emphasized
taa line Of cleavage always existing bat dis-
creetly ignored between East and West in me
United States The West to-day regards the
East as practically European annex. and New
York bankers as allies Of the money sharks Of
Europe Fourth, it has rendered certain the
creation Of a great American nation which the
next generation will be almost lrresistbly
tempted u use fO- aggression; NTH. ana most
inportant il has. unless foolish words or unfore-
seen events bar its natural consequence, paved
the wav for better future relations with Great
Britain because Americans. having experience OF
the consequences. will cease their ignorant a.
nunciat0ns and EnSlishrlen VIII learn 10 snow
much greater respect to American National opin-
ion knowing that force is behind ii. ana VIII
therefore refrain from provoking ii by utterances
and acts of veod contempt. Finally. the Mes
sage has rendered possible the avoidance or far
vaster danger. namely, the question OF the Mica
ragua Canal 4 man who would be very near
the heads Of The American Army in case OF war
said to me that il was blessing the Venezuelan
affair had happened. because a specihc solution
Of this will point the way to the same thing over
Nicaragua. concerning which. otherwise, the TWO
nations would certainly have fought
sCHOMBURGKs LINE NOW WORTHLESS
However. the Shomburgk line is now proved
destitute of any quality Of permanence. and it
therefore remains to consider the situation as
effected by its removal. l can affirm positively
that the American Government is above every
apvious for arbitration Whatever
have been it's actual result the intention Of Pres
iient Cleveland's message was amicable. The
close encourage of the President to-day scouts
the idea that it was not message Of peace. But
behind il has sprung Ip national sentiment,
which IL would be utter madness on the part OF
the English people TO disregard underesti-
mate
The Monroe Doctrine Is not worth discussing.
All the learned pamphlets the professors opin-
ions and the newspaper discussions OF 1t are
labor lost. The fact is that If Venezuela does
nOt come within the four corners 0f the Monroe
Doctrine. then the new doctrine, the Olney doc
trne, covers it, and American opinion oNeiwhelm-
ingy favOrs its general principles. Moreover.
America demands arbitration a sacred right.
and for this she will fight If needful. While al
lowing all due weight to the Eastern press. you
must remember the line of cleavage mentioned
above. Remember also 10 what extent the South
found support in New-York before the war Of the
rebellion.
The man who. perhaps, did more than any
other single individual TO make Lincoln Presi-
dent tells me that Lincoln said to him before
war seemed inevitable. The trouble is the peo-
ple of the South have their creed which they
hold. and we have ours, which hold Their
principles are sacred to them. as our principles
are sacred us
The same words apply TO England and
America to-day. 1 am astoundei at the depth
and character Of American feeling on this
question. Men experienced staid elderly con
servatre, many holding judicial places Of great
Ill.
missing support Of this American doctrine No
greater mistake would he possible than for
England to regard the message a mere party
manoeuvre. If this latter view gains accept
ance the consequences Of the mistake may be
awful
WHAT SALISBURY SHOULD DO.
How shall arbitra ton be reached? The best
way OF al would be for Lord Salisbury to come
10 an arrangement direct with Venezuela The
Cabinet here would much prefer this course.
understand upon high authority that the Venez-
uelan Government would express Its regret al
the Yuruan outrages, pay all the additional
indemnity demanded and request England to
resume diplomatic relations, If in return Eng
land would agree upon reference or the whole
question 10 any competent tribunal she might
select. And America would bring every pres
sure 10 bear 10 this end. if Venezuela hesitated
All American interests would cease instantly
before the fact Of arbitration before the party
owning the soil. Lord Sasburys dispatch IN
Inmates that the absence Of diplomatic relations
constitutes a bar to negotiation. The above
suggestion removes this, and AS America VIII
defend the British right 70 an apology ana
indemnity. no loss OF dignity would be involved
by accedng go
THE second method IS If Lord Salisbury VIII
say ne believes the Commission fair ana coinp
tent to consider the historical question, ana ask
II the American Government would permit MN
q name British Commissioners to join IL. without
committing himself 10 abide by the result can
assert that the Cabinet would nstsntly welcome
the proposal 1t is certain that the dual Commis-
Sion would reach some acceptable conclusion.
THE third method is. supposing the American
Commission devotes its attention first to the Ter
IT,. L. l....1x Arat Id