St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-01-22
OF AMERICA DEPICTED ELO-
QUENTLY
IN AN ADDRESS TO LAWYERS.
SETTLE ALLINTERNATION
DISPUTES,
BUT IF A WAR is NECESSARY
There Should BE No Occasion fo1
Uneasiness Among Our
b, People.

ALBANY, N. Y, Jan. 21.-Before the
New York State Bar association this
evening, Hon. Chauncey NJ. Depew de-
livered an address, of which the fol-
lowing is a summary:
Never during the seventeen years
OF our existence hac our meeting been
held at a period so interesting and at
the same time SO fraught with dangers
Inc checks and safeguards against
revolutionary action which distinguish
the institutions of the United States
from those of all other democracies
are the fruits Of the wisdom and fore
Slght Oh great minds trained to the
law
Whlle healthful advance in civil
1zatlon and an undoubted public seNi-
hent supporting it, mark the new re-
latlons between individuals, there has
been little, if any, progress in the
Peace1ul, lawful and orderly settlement
of international disputes. involving
communities. The barbarous, murder
gus anu uncertain methods of the an
cieht ana the medieval periods still
prevail The alarms of war agitate
world. The columns of our daily pa
pefs are filled with kilograms announc-
Ing the rage Of nations and the immt-
hence or their flying at each others
tnfoats Only one power keeps the
hatlons OF Europe from instantly de-
clarinS war. The bankers and business
men nave become the arbiters between
nations. The only two nations which
may be said to be free from this thraI-
dom, because of their wealth. their
commerce and credit, are the United
States and Great Britain.
| Ihere are occasions when war is
both right and necessary, and a nation
| must embark upon it without counting
the consequences, but the issue of bat
tie is never certain, nor does the arbi-
trament of war always end in right or
| justice. 10
THE PRESENT DISPUTE
between the. English-speaking races
which is agitating the world calls for
both practical wisdom and legal ac-
umen for its solution. There is no dis
sent III this country from the Monroe
doctrine as promulgated by President
Monroe and interpreted by. Jefferson
Madison. Webster and Calhoun.
Yet, any one who studies the Mon
roe doctrine will see how in each in
dlvldual case, except where there is
fragrant violation, like the French
| invasion or Mexico, the applicable in
| depreciation of It should be the sub
Ject or Judicial determination. The
presidents message to congress pre-
sents novel view, of the principle. If
there is dispute as to a boundary
line between South American repub-
lie and European power. no matter
how insignificant the territory involved
or how distansly it affects the independ-
ence Of the country or how remotely
| 1t may interest us, we must demand
that the two governments arbitrate the
line, and if they refuse, we must find
out as best we can what the line is
and enforce it by war; If. however
pending our inquiry, the two parties
agree, we have no further rights or
| duties.
This seems to surrender the doc
trlne, II Venezuela or Brazil chooses to
sell portion of it's lands A slight
extension Of the principles compeIs us
to assume protectorate over all these
republics. Their governments are in al
|
itary dictator of the hour confiscates
property rights left except that of for
eigners. If he could rely upon the
United States to protect him, he would
treat the lives, possessions and bust
ness OF the Germans English, Italians
and French with the same impartial
appropriation as he does those of his
| countrymen. These nations would de-
mand reparation and redress. This
would involve the collection of sub
stantial damages, and we would be in
| ameaSure bound to
ASSUME THE QUARREL.
The United States is the only nation
SO situated that it can with honor and
safety move upon the pathway of
| peace for an international court of ar
oltratlon. We have no fear of the
countries to the south or the north of
US, and it is 5000 miles across the ocean
TO the neareSt7seaport of any European
power. So great has been our prosper
lty because of 1902 years of peace and
only Of war, so free have we been
from the strifes which have exhausted
the resources Iof Europe, that the tax
| ing power of1the government has not
yet touched for any purpose the real
and personal property represented in
| these seventy Thousand millions of dol
| lars OF accumulated wealth. Accord
ing to the census Of 1890 we have $780,
G00 fighting men. The experience of the
civil war has shown that from them
could be drafted, modified and in
Structed in three months 100000 of
soldiers. All the transports and navies
of the world could not land upon our
shores an army which could march 100
| miles from the Seacoast, or ever re-
turn to their ships. With all the world
IN arms against us, the vast interior
OF our continent, except in it's indus
trial ana economic phases, would know
nothing of the trouble, and never see
a foreign uniform-eXcept on a prison
er of war. Secure in our isolation, SUI
preme in our resources, unequaled in
our reserves, and free from dangerous
neighbors, we occupy among the ma
lions of the globe a position so ex-
allied and safe that to compare us with
other countries would be absurd. The
statesman or the politician who really
fears for the safety of this country is
a fool. The statesman or politician
| who does not fear because he knows
better), and who yet breaches of our
weakness and our vulnerability, is a
demagogue, and he insults the intel
Hgence of the American people, This
great reservoir of force for all pur-
poses = the American republic = this
mightiest engine of war and most be-
nefcent power for peace on the face
of the globe, can extend the right hand
of fellowship to warning brethren
across the Atlantic and promulgate
with honor arlF dignity scheme for
International information fnbgRal, and lead in the
ct is possible f6f Great Britain and
the United States, out of this present
difficulty, to e1olVH a tribunal of in
| tarna iOnal La M.