The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-11-24

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freed, until only one citizen of the
United States is confined. The policy
of the President has. been mild, friend
ly, peaceable, but not weak, timid or
hating. The Spanish ministry is evil
denuy impressed by this and the motive
for its acts of leniency and justice to
the prisoners is due in part to recogni-
ton of the fairness of the Washington
government and, for the rest, to a
wholesome fear. The mistake and he
misfortune will be when the United
States goes, if it does, beyond its strong
assertion in behalf of its own citizens
and its friendly interest in justice and
humanity towards the Cubans, to al
open share in the conflict between the
island and the kingdom. That step is
one to be taken with greater caution
than controls some of the hotheads in
Congress.
THE reports cabled to this country
during the last few days that Austria
and Italy are getting FESTIVE over The
conduct of their other partners in the
triple alliance is easy to be believed.
Germany's foolish hostility to England
as voiced through her monarch, naturally
gives offense to Austrian and Italian
statesmen, and to that extent weakens
the tie between the three nations. Thus
far the net result of the Kaiser's freaks
in his efforts to isolate England has
been the creation of distrust toward
himself among his friends which may,
if his pranks are persisted in, isolate
Germany. AS nation England has,
it is true, many disagreeable traits.
Moreover, ever since Frederick the
Greats time there have been periodic
outbreaks in Prussia of hatred to Eng
land. In Emperor Williams day, how
ever, the outbreaks have been far more
frequent than they were in the past,
and often they have been entirely
causeless. Neither Austria or Italy
share in this hostility to England and
would be glad to transform their
league into quadruple alliance by the
accession of that country. This will
probably be impossible, however,
during the life of the present German
Emperor. -
THE retirement from the United
States Senate of Senator Hawley of
Connecticut removes from public life
one of its best known figures. Mr..
Hawley has been in Congress for
twenty-three years. A southerner by
birth, he was the first citizen of Con-
necticut to offer his services to the
Union when the war broke out, and
his part in the war was distinguished
one, for he rose from a captain of
militia to the rank of brigadier-general
with the brevet rank of major-general.
Connecticut was grateful to her soldiers
and on his return from the front he was
made governor of the State. If, per-
chance, there be one defect in the
Senators makeup it is his apparent in
ability to see merit in anything outside
of Republicanism. He has been des.
cribed as ga Republican of the blacklist
dye" and there is nothing to show that
he ever resented the description. On
the other hand he seems to have gloried
in it and we do not blame him if intense
craftsmanship be one of the Characters
tics of real statesmanship. Senator
Hawley presided at the Chicago con-
vention of 1868, which nominated
Grant for the first time, and it was
then, when financial heresies were
deeply rooted and both parties were on
the verge of giving away to dema-
gogues, that he lifted the convention
to pitch of patriotic integrity by de-
claring that "every bond should be as
sacred as a soldiers grave" Now is
not the time for a further review of a
career which has been signally eminent
and useful, but it can truthfully be
said that the retirement of Senator
Hawley will be deeply regretted, ire
spective of party, by all who have had
the pleasure of knowing him.