The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-04-06
ARBITRATION A SUCCESS
Our Treaty With Mexico in
Force Nearly Fifty Years.
PRECEDENT FOR SENATORS
Was Agreed to without Delay by
Some of the Most Distinguished OF
American Statesmen and Has
Worked satisfactorily for Half q
Century Instance of Application.

Some of the Senators argue against the
ratification of the English arbitration
treaty on the ground that IL is an expert
| ment They have eontended that While
| such treaty might be protective or good
vet no one could tell how disastrous IL
might be in the end. These Senators
appear to have forgotten that for neany
half a century there has been an arbitration
| treaty between the United States and
Mexico; that it has worked well In num-
| erous cases OF dispute between the two
| countries, and that it has at no time been
productive of disturbing questions or
| results.
The treaty referred TO is tn at OF
| Guadalupe Hidalgo, proclaimed by Presi-
| dent James *. Polk, July 4, 1S45. Article
| u OF this treaty provides for the reference
| OF all questions concerning the political
| or commercial relations Of the Two ma
| tons" to arbitr alton. During It's con
| sideration In the Senate in the first session
of the Thirtieth Congress there was much
opposition to other portions OF the treaty,
| especially its delimitations OF boundary
lines, but there was not one voice raised
against the proposed perpetual arbitTa-
ton of future disputes.
This is the more remarkable because
at the time the treaty was being dis
cussed the war between the United states
and Mexico was just terminating and An
armistice existed The bad feeling that
might naturally have existed against
Mexico found no expression against the
proposed peaceable settlement or future
differences. The Senators who took part
in the discussion Of this treaty and who
failed to see any dangers III the principle
OF arbitration included some OF tie greatest
men ia American history. They were
Senators Stephen A Douglas, OF Illinois,
John ] CTittenden, OF Kentucky, ReYer-
dy ,Iohuson, of Mary hnd' Daniel Web
steT, Of Massachusetts, Lewis Cass, OF
Michigan; jefferson Davis, OF Missis-
sippi. Thomas Ii BeutoL and David b.
Atchison. OF Missouri. John I Hale, of
New Hampshire: William L. Dayton, OF
New jersey; John A Dix and Daniel ;.
Dickinson. OF New York; William Allen and
Thomas Corwin. OF Ohio; Simon Cameron,
OF Penusylvania; John c. Calhoun, OF
South Carolina, and samuel II Houston.
of Texas.
The great statesmen Of the period
when Polk was President and James
Buchanan Secretary of State, could dis
cover no danger IN a compact for aIDi
tration, and did not cen slider IT necessary
to offer amendments iTnpairing its use
fuiness. The breyity and explicitness
Of the agreement appealed to their ideas
of pulilic service, and it attained the force
of law without needless delay. Here is
the text OF this arbitration compact:
-, a.Ftla.sg .lily nv ali rrfA-
rneIt should hereafter arise between the
governments OF the two republics,
whether with respect to the ihJerpreta-
ton OF any stipulation in this treaty, or
with respect to any other particular
concerning the political or commercial
relations OF the two nations, the said
governments, In the name or those ma
tions. do promise TO each other that they
will endeavor, in the most sincere and
earnest manner, to settle the differences
so arising, and 10 preserve the state OF
peace and friendship In which the two
countries are now placing themselves,
using for this end mutual representa-
lions and pacific negotiations
IF by these means, they should not be
enabled to come TO an agreement, a re-
sort shall not on this account be had TO
reprisals, aggression or hostility Of any
kind by the one republic against the
other, until the government OF that
which deems Itself aggrieved shall have
naturely considered, in the spirit OF
peace and good neighborship, whether it
would not be better that such differ |
ence should be settled by the arbitration |
OF = nmissioners appointed on each side |
or by that of friendly nation, and should |
such course be proposed by either party, |
it shall be acceded to by the other, unless |
deemed by it altogether Incompatible with |
the nature OF the difference, or the circum |
stances Of the case.
Tie beneficial effects OF this treaty have |
been constantly recognized by both the |
United states and Mexico For more than |
forty-eight years no objections have been |
made to its operations or suggestions OF |
fered for its abrogation or modification. |
Within the last few months case in |
dispute has arisen between the govern |
mcnts interested, and after the usual |
negotiations, the controversy was referred |
to the arbitrament of the Argentine minis
ter, at Madrid. The case was thatof Charles |
Obeila nder and Barbara Messenger, who
were arrested by Mexican officials on the
against the Mexican government was filed
because of alleged wrongful arrest, and
personal damages resulting therefrom. The
matter was taken up by the diplomatic
representatives of the two governments |
and an agreement reached TO submit the
whole subject to arbitration.
In his speech to the Mexican congress |
last Wednesday, President Diaz referred
to the settlement of this controversy by
arbitration as subject OF congratuIation
to the people of Mexico.
1t is worthy of especial notice that the
period consumed in the consideration OF ]
the treaty was brief The document was
dated ar Guadalupe fIidalgo, February 2.
1913; signed by President Polk March Is;
exchanged at Queretaro May 80, and pro-
claimed July A.