The times., 1897-07-28
Mr.. Condon's Appeal.
To the Editor OF The Times:
w. Fl. Y.

The sycophancy, or toadyism, OF certain
officials in attendance at the celebrations
in honor OF her Britannia majesty's
jubilee is already bearing fruit. When
rear admiral of the United State s
Navy becomes so enthusiastic as TO
say In England, or In any other
country, Tor that matter. that any ma
tion contemplating war had better first
consult Great Britain, it is little wonder
that, when opportunity offered. the lion
would roar in the same old nosone way
our ears have been so long accustomed to.
The Iemark, In Itself, might have passed
off as harmless compliment had 1t been
uttered by less officious lips; but, coming
as 1t did from those of a rear admiral,
who was at the time the remark was
made the Naval representative of the
United States, and occasioned by the war
like display OF Great Britain in exhibit
ing her twenty-five miles OF fleet, it car
ried with it declaration OF the infcriority
of cur Navy, as well as implying the utter
folly, not to say madness. it would be
on the part OF the United States to enter
upon a war with nation that owned
so formidable naval power
Regarding this folly, or madness, there
are those who presume to believe that
the enthusiastic rear admiral is himself
suffering from both these complaints. and
lis hallueination Is that he is the whole
nation, or, IN other words, he iInagineS
himself the barrel when he is simply the
bunghole. Delusions OF this nature fire.
quently occur in all arms of the service but
the consequences have never been so seFi-
Gus as they are today; for are we not in
formed that Il little blood-letting would
improve both our manners and cur Eng
lish Exception to both is taken In Mr.
Shermans letter to the English premier
regarding the unfair dealing OF the lat
ters government in the matter OF the seal
imbroglio The entire British press is up
III arms against its Yankee cousins be-
cause this letter was not couched In the
ridiculous. salaaming language of the paid
professional diplomat. The respectful re-
iuinder to her Britannia naJestys govern
nient and its august head, Salisbury and
other slush are omitted, but plain, vigor-
ons, and. worst of all, truthful objection
is made, in good A inerican, to their piracies
snd other dishonesties, when it is pro-
claimed, forthwith, that our Yankeet throats
are to he slit, and her maiesty's sub
jeots viii, TO man, revel in the slaugh-
ter. This kind OF argument. in the words
OF the great English diplomat and unGe-
veloped freak, Mr.. SackyiIIe West, now
Lord Somebody or another, is simply Eng
lisil .,latherskite-a language that does
| not even come up to the doubtful dignity ' OF
bulldozing-yet in London, you know, ii
| sqnelches onr republican jingoism. and we
are pictured there as covering under Brit
| ish knives and trembling in our Yankec
boots before the rear adniraIs terror
| the British fleet.
This is indeed a bad state of affairs
| and, did we not understand our clustering
| friends trifle better than does the enthusi-
astie rear admiral, We mi ght be tempted
| to take some precaution against possibh
| British invasion, but, knowing fun well
| that, in the event OF war, every vessel OF
| that fleet and few thousand more vii
| be required To protect Her Maiesty's sub
iects from starving IN the tight little isle, .
| we have nothing to fear for the conse
| quences. Anyway, I think we are pre-
| pared to give England's fleet royaI wei
| come. provided the backbone furnished ~
the rear acnlirals syeophancy viii permit
| her To try once more how it feels to bt
whipped by the biawsted Yankees.
JAMES CONDON.