The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1896-05-01
SPIRIT OF THE PRESS.
TREASON IN THE TRANSyAAI

The Philadelphia Times says: That the
alien residents of the Transvaal who or.
ganiZed a revolution against the govern
ment of the country and arranged with DR.
Jameson to bring in a military expedition
to support their plot, were en- gagged in high
treason, is unquestionable, and the leaders
of them have pleaded guilty to that charge
They had no defense. The evidence OF
their purpose was complete. And no gov
eminent could expect to maintain itself
that would treat such plot with inditfer-
ence.
1t is reported that the five leaders who
were thus convicted by their own admis-
sion have been condemned to death. This
is the traditional penalty of high treason,
though it is not probable that it will be
enforced. Pre- sident Kruger is shrewd
statesman, and while he will take pains to
assert the power of his government he
will get all the advantages he can from the
exercise of clcmency. The sentence was
necessary to establish the magnitude of
the crime; its communication will establish
the forgiving disposition of the President
We are sorry to say that one of the con-
demned men is an American. He was par
ticularly ont of place in such an emeute
An Englishman is brought up to believe
that he is the lord of creation and has a
right to take anything he can get, at any
body's expense. An American is expected
to recognize the right of every people to
govern their own affairs without foreign
interference, and for an American to go
into distant country and attempt to over
turn its laws and institutions by force of
arms proclaims him unworthy of his ma
tionality.
No doubt the Government of the United
States will exercise its good offices in be
half of Mr.. Hammond and no doubt the
Government of the Transvaal will be
pleased to give weight to its representa-
tions But all this will be a matter of
courtesy, not of right. We cannot con
denim the British tilibustcrs in Africa and
excuse their American partner. He had
no business to mix with them at all
THE SILVER CRAZE IN TIE SOUTH
The Baltimore Sun says: 1t is to be
hoped that the condition Of the Southern
democracy is not quite as bad as repre-
scnted. For some time past it has been
plain that the silver craze was making
such strides in the South that unless its
progress could be halted the democratic
party would be doomed to disaster There
is time vet for the sober second thought
of the South to assert itself Unless it
does there is not the faintest prospect of
a democratic victory this year, nor posi-
bly, for many years to come, as the ma iOr-
ity of the people of the United States will
not give their support to a political or
ganiZation that champions so vicious a
theory of finance as the independent free
coinage of silver by this government 1t
is to be hoped that the South will take
counsel of those who are best able to adj
Il
November may involve the control Of State
administrations at ~ remote day by Il
coalition OF populists and republicans.
STATUS OF TIE VENEZUELAN DISPUTE
The Philadelphia Ledger says: Proba-
bly, nobody who has been watching the
progress of events had any idea that the
Venezuela dispute had been settled, for
nothing has been published on which such
a supposition could be based The popu-
lar excitement over it in this country and
England has subsidized, but that excitement
had as little to do with the settlement
of the question as it had with the merits
of the case. While the people were talk
ing war and the newspapers were chroni-
cling successive Outbursts of feeling. the
diplomats were discussing, investigating
suggesting and parleying, but they were
not making those important concessions
one side or the other which were necessary
in order to smooth away the difficulty.
Both the United States and England are
awaiting the report of the Venezuela Com
but, in the meantime, Lord Sails
bury has submitted a proposition which
Cleverlv cvades the Monroe doctrine, and
Mr.. Olney has made Il counter proposition
looking to the settlement of all disputes
by international arbitration. Neither
proposition has been accepted, and here
the matter rests; So that Mr. Smallcv was
technically right in saying that the dispute
is no nearer settlement than it ever was.
Nevertheless, the war spirit has cooled
down; both countries are anxious for
peace, and for these reasons only the pros
pcct of their reaching a peaceful agree
ment, though by no means assured is bet
ter now than it was few months AFRO