The sun., 1896-02-10

We should neht to prove the truth OF that decree
the only OF finally reaching the ionsedfor
reign OF peace"
Tho whole theory, indeed, Of Mr.. CARNE-
GIE's paper. Is that there cannot be war be-
tween the United States and Great Britain,
because the first has planted itself upon
the rock OF arbitration, and the other is
slowly but steadily moving toward it's nc
ceptance." Unlike some commentators on
public affairs in this country, he holds that
although divergent voices were at first
heard, there Is but one voice now. Public
opinion has crystallizcd into one
word: arbitration. In support of this
mode OF settlement, we now know
the nation Is unanimous" As an
illustration OF this fact, he points
out that when the English Society of Chris
tian Endeavor telegraphed to its brother
society on this side Of the water to join
it "in creating public opinion in favor
of Righteousness and pcnce," the reply that
went back was n prayer for pence and for
righteous arbitration OF all difficulties be-
tween nations" That is to say, the British
telegram had omitted the one word needful
for peace, and the American response
promptly supplied 1t. Mr.. CARNEGIE fur
ther notes that the more Americans insist
on this recourse the nearer England herself
is coming to it. Thus he observes that Sir
EDWARD CLARKE in recent speech declared
that "if England goes to war upon this
issue, she will not be in the right"
AS to the merits of the case, Mr.. CARNEGIE
holds 1t to be beyond dispute that the series
Of British entertainments upon Venezuela
constitute lone Of the most fragrant exer-
cises of brute force against weak power
which can be adduced to illustrate the pro-
pensity Of the English-speaking race to
absorb as much of tho land of the world as it
possibly can," and that it would have been
triumphant had not Uncle SAM intervened.
We do not concur with him fully in his
criticism upon Mr.. OLNEY's despatch to
Lord SALISBURY as being unduly arrogant
in its assumption of the hegemony of the
United States upon this continent. We
incline to think that many persons will
share the experience of Mr.. II. NJ. STANLEY,
who recently declared that while at first
objecting strongly to the tone of Mr..
OLNEY's despatch, he was becoming more
and more reconciled to It as all the circum-
stances became better known. When tho
request Of Congress to England
for the arbitration Of the dispute proved so
fruitless, Mr.. OLNEY and Mr.. CLEVELAND
found out that pea shooters were not of
much use against the tough hide of JOHN
BULL and so tried rifle, and he felt it.
We only hope that the confidence Of Mr..
CARNEGIE in the sure submission of Eng
land to arbitration is we'll founded. 1t is,
perhaps, not wholly promising to find the
st. Jdmes's Gazette discussing the success
Of the recent loan, on the ground that it re-
duces the prospects of peacefully solving
the Venezuelan difficulty, because I" we have |
the alternative Of submitting the whole |
claim to arbitration or mourning the hos
tility Of the United States" The fact is that |
this has been the only alternative all along;
and if the success of the loan has opened the
eyes of England a little more to that fact, it
has had good result.
Be this as it may, Mr.. CARNEGIE Is sound |
n declaring that no man in the United
States could restrain the American people
rom the "extreme consequences that ma
,ional passion is liable to bring IL any Euro
bean power undertook to extend its terri
.ory upon this continent, or to decide in
'ase Of dispute just where the boundary Of
present possessions stand. Such differences
must be arbitrated." And with great So
emnity, too, he declares that, were JOHN
BRIGHT living to-day, he would tell his
that "if they persisted in re-
Getting the American policy OF arbitration
,pon questions affecting the American con-
inent. and lighted the torch Of war upon
t, all the crimes recorded in history would
,ale before this"