Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-02-08

and justify him.
Their Contention.
This championship will be based upon the
contention o. that Mr.. Bayard as ambas-
sador to Great Britain is not answerable to
the House. and C) that censure of him at
this time will be detrimental to the inter-
ests of peace between this country and
Great Britain.
The answer offered to the first PROPOSE
ton is the inquiry: Whom does Mr.. Bay
ard in his official capacity represent at the
court of St. James? The President who
merely selected him for the place? The
Senate, acting only to confirm that seIec-
ton? Or the people of the United States,
v no at all times the government of the
United States? This question, it is thought
In turn, answers itself Mr.. Bayard in
London is as much the peoples servant,
ard is as directly answsrabe to the people
as MIR. Cleveland in the White House. No
official under this government represents
anybody but the people. So that as Mr..
Bayard IS the peoples representative the
peoples body, charged under the Consti-
tuition with speaking for them, is the one
agency entitled to act and TO initiate ac-
ton In this matter, as, indeed in all mat
ters affecting the peoples welfare. Mr..
Rayard's indiscreet fulminations in England
have injured the government of the United
States, and the government is the people.
The President and the Senate are involved
only as they are themselves servants Of the
people, and are responsible for the selection
of the offending official.
Bnyard Not Necessary to Peace.
A question is offered as answer to the
second proposition Ilso Does hope of the
maintenance of peace between this country
and Great Britain rest upon Mr.. Bayard?
How could that be? Is he not, on the other
hand, In measure answerable for the mis-
conception of this government that Lord
Salisbury seemed to have been laboring un
der at the time he framed his answer to
Mr.. Olney's Venezuelan note? Clearly his
lordship knew little, if anything, at that
time about the spirit animating the Amer!-
can people on the subject Of their national
rights and duties. Did he not smile when
he read those stiff sentences, and brand
them in his own mind as mere bluff? Had
he not heard from tho lips of the American
ambassador himself that public affairs in
this country had fallen upon low plane,
and were largely under the influence of
chafferers and schemers? 1t Is improbable
that, upon this authority, Lord Salisbury
gave less heed to Mr.. Olney than he would
have done had he met as the ambassador
Of America some such man as the Secretary
Of State? Was he reasonably to be expected
to read Alright the real SturdineSs and rugged
independence of the American people In the
trim suavity and courtier-like equipment of
Mr Bayard?
An Unfit Representative.
But regardless of this. Whatever Lord
Salisbury's mistake may have been about
them, the American people, 1t is assumed,
are not mistaken about themselves. They
know what they want, and what they are
entitled to, ard in order to secure this they
must be represented abroad by men in touch
with them. If the work in hand required
that only pacific assurances be conveyed to
the British government, Mr.. Bayard would
be .pre-eminently the man to execute it.
He is to the English the very apostle of the
soothing phrase. But in certain circum-
stances the American people would fight,
and that Mr.. Bayard would be the proper
man to make this rude announcement is in
conceiva bic. The proper man, therefore to
try and Great Britain is not the man who
would go all lengths for peace but the man
who would judiciously draw a line and
firmly stop there.
Continued Indfscretion.
Meanwhile Mr.. Bayard, 1t is observed,
continues to appear in public and bid for
English applause. Circumstances make
this almost IS much of an indiscretion as
those appearances for which he stands in
dicted. The English thus purposely play
him against his own people. Every word
he utters is accepted as dissent from the
popular sentiment of the people here. The
toasts are arranged to bring him out in
the time-light effects Of Quaker in the
commission of a ration of bloody men. He
plays the part literally to the queens taste
The queens subjects applaud him to the
echo. And Mr.. Bayerd seems to enjoy it.
He is even thought to exhibit in a more
pointed way ow than ever before the con-
tempt he feels for the sources of power and
sentiment here in his home. He abuses his
place, for except as the American ambassa-
dor he must not participate in these func-
tions, and as the American ambassador he
makes his appearances an affront to his
countrymen.