Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-01-01

| Gne territory IN dispute.
Venezuela accordingly gave the desired
assurance, and thus was established the
celebrated status quo Of 1850, which Ven
ezuela has always adhered to In good faith,
and which England, during the last dozen
years. has violated without scruple or
bounds.
On Sept. 10, 1881, Lord Granville, in
note to Senior Rojer, Venezuela's diplo-
matte agent In England, suggested an
agreement on boundary line to begin
on the coast 90 miles east from the mouth
Of the river Barima. The starting point
thus indicated Is we'll to the east Of the
Orinooo mouth, and, in fact, Granville e1-
plicltly stated that he had endeavored to
satisfy the reasonable pretensions and
claims Of Venezuela, giving to her the so
called Dardanelles of the Orinooo and the
complete dominion Of its mouth.
England RepudIated the Treaty.
Then followed the memorable events
leading to Guzman Blanco's mission to
England, his actual negotiation Of a
treaty embracing the arbitration principle
and the subsequent repudiation Ct that
treaty by England. In 1881 Ve1SNSela
imposed an additional duty Of 30 per SSnt
on all merchandise from the British oolos
MES. This was intended as an aggressive
movement for orippling British West In
dian trade. It had the desired effect. The
British government thereupon invited
Venezuela to send diplomatic representa-
tive of high rank to London for the pur
pose of settling all questions at Issue be-
tween the two countries, and Guzman
Blanco was dispatched accordingly. After
protracted negotiations he induced Lord
Granville, on June 1S, 1885, to approve
treaty which provided (artiole 15) that
any differences between Venezuela and
England which could not be adjusted In
ordinary ways should be settled by arbi-
tration. But on July 81 Of tie same year
Lord Salisbury, the Tories having come
into power meantime, informed General
Blanco that ito engage to refer to arbitra-
tion all disputes and controversies what
soever would be without precedent In the
treaties made by Great Britain. Questions
might arise, such as those involving the
title of the British crown to territory or
other sovereign rights, which her majesty's
government could not pledge themselves
beforehand to refer to arbitration
Therefore Lord Salisbury deliberately re-
pudiated the Granville treaty, and all SUBJ
sequenu efforts to revive 1t were unavail-
ing.
But notwithstanding this harsh action
the Liberal ministry, which soon took the
place of Salisbury's government, showed
disposition to recognize the injustice OF
British pretension to sovereignty at the
mouth Of the Orinoco. Lord Rosebery, on
July 20. 1885, wrote in a spirit Of conoilia-
tion, proposing boundary line starting
somewhere to the east Of the Orinoco
mouth, merely remarking that her majesty
attached special Importance to the posses
sion of the river Guaima, with the proviso,
however, that the river Orinooo should be
"entirely free to commerce navigation"
The foregoing detailed review Of the his.
torical aspects Of England's claim appearss
to show that Lord Salisbury's present in
sistence on the Sohomburgk line as the
boundary between British Guiana aud
Venezuela is merely the development Of
an arbitrary course determined on within
the past ten years, in contempt OF the
traditions and also the formal record made
in the 70 years from 1914 to 1885.
In justification Of England's present at
titude it is now urged that the territorial
limits have always been in debate; that
she has really claimed all the time do
minion as far west on the coast as Point
Barima; that the various Aberdeen, Gran
Vile and Rosebery compromise PROPOSE
tions were only tentative and oonciliatory
and never surrendered England's real
claim to joint ownership Of the Orinooo
mouth, which claim she has ever been
prepared to assert and establish, and that,
In view of her recognized de facto occupa-
tion for ten years of all the country east Of
the Schomburgk line, she should not be
asked to submit the proprietorship OF that
country to arbitration now.
Such is Great Britains Defense Vene-
zuela's sole reply is that this contention,
while very convenient for the interests OF
England, utterly ignores her own national
rights, which are founded on historical
truths whose great weight nobody in bis
senses can DOUBT.
Ex-Minister Scruggs' Views.
William L. Scruggs, for many years
United States minister to Brazil In late
magazine article on the subject, says:
"The real issue involved in the present
phase of the controversy between England
and Venezuela Is very simple. Briefly
stated, it is about this: Whether, under
pretexts afforded by the incidents Of
boundary dispute which she has persist
emily refused to settle upon any just or
reasonable basis, Great Britain shall be
permitted to dismember an American re-
public menace the safety of others ada
cent, and thus to Indefinitely extend her
colonial system on this continent, In open
violation of public law and in total disre-
gard Of the principles of the Monroe doc
trine.
"This language may seem little
strong, coming as 1t does from an Impair
tial source, but 1t will 10 found to be
fully justified by the fs IS and circum-
stances Of the case. 1t Is an axiom OF In
ternational ethics, sanctioned by general
usage that all boundary disputes arising
from imperfect surveys, or from adverse
constructions Of treaty provisions, or
which turn exclusively upon ascertainable
historical facts, or which involve questions
of prescriptive right, are, in the last resort,
properly referable to joint commission
or to outside friendly arbitration. The
present case falls clearly within these pro-
visions and should constitute no a1cep-
tion."
nay AS a rule those who are rich
wish to be richer. Those who are
learned wish more knowledge. Those
who are lowly in social station wish
to rise. Those who are high up wish
to soar higher. Ambition possesses