The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-01-24
Tho Senate VIII Take Due Time.

We have probably heard the last OF tho
attempt TO brow beat the United States
Senate into hasty and blindfold confirma-
ton OF an arbitration treaty upon which
crafty British diplomatists and expert
officials of the British Foreign Office have
been busy for twelvemonth. The
people who in a burst Of hysterical emo
tion have been summoning individual Sem
ators to accept joyfully and without inspeo-
ton compact, which is effusively de-
scribed as message Of peace and good will
to men, ignore the constitutional duty Of
the Senate, considered as an essential part
OF the treaty making power. Their impa-
thence has had the natural effect OF provok-
ing rebuke from the men, who arc bound by
their oaths to discharge with wariness and
foresight grave deliberative function.
We are told by the advocates of incon-
siderate and immediate confirmation that,
whatever may be the faults OF the arbltra-
tion treaty, 1t is at least . step In the right
direction. We should not, they say, look a
gift horse in the mouth. To which We
answer. that 1t would have been we'll for
the Trojans, on memorable occasion, had
they looked gift horse In the belly. Who
knows how many snares and dangers may
lurk beneath the artfully concocted phrases
OF this diplomatic documentt Time Is need
ed to detect precisely what this treaty
means and the Senate would be recreant
II 1t failed to take all the time required.
II they took year. they would occupy no
more time than Lord SALISBURY has en-
ployed In formulating his proposals, or In
concealing his designs. The exhaustive in
quiry, which Is indispensable, cannot posi-
bly, be conducted in the last hours Of a
moribund Administration. Nobody. except
the few surviving friends Of Messrs. CLEvE-
LAND and OLNEY, pretends to believe that
our national interests, so far as they are
affected by the projected treaty, will suffer
particle through a postponement OF its
confirmation until the session OF the Senate
which will follow Mr.. MCKINLEY's inaugu-
ration. BY that time we are likely to know
good deal more about the true inwardness
OF the arbitration treaty than we know now.
One thing is certain: Several amendments
will have to be made before the agreement
will have any chance OF commencing itself
to the great body Of our people. Secretary
OLNEY will have no time to conduct the ne
gotiations regarding such emendations,
even II he were disposed to do SO. The
amendments, which we have In mind, would
deprive Lord SALISBURY OF what was posi-
bly, his sole inducement to sign the treaty.
For him 1t would be resounding diplomatic
triumph II, after seeming to be forced to
recognize the Monroe doctrine In the
Venezuelan affair, he should, under pos
sible construction of the subsequent arbi-
tration agreement with the United States,
make the applicability Of the Monroe doc
trine to a future boundary question a sub
ject for adjudication by tribunal on which
Englshmen should be as fully represented
IS Americans. The Monroe doctrine, as We
have often pointed out Is not alleged by us
to be principle of international law, the
validity Of which may or may not be
acknowledged by foreign jurists; 1t
is fixed national policy, settled
expediency of which we will never
suffer an international court to pass upon.
No American who accepts the Monroe doc
trine, as interpreted in the instance Of
Venezuela, can object to see inserted in the
text Of the arbitration agreement an ex-
plcit provision that the applicability OF that
doctrine to given case shall, under no cir
cumstances, fall within the cognizance Of
any tribunal created by the treaty.
There is another vital point as to which
an amendment OF the treaty is imperatively
needed. Our right to build and control the
Nicaragua Canal should be expressly ex-
cluded from the jurisdiction OF the tribunal
made mp OF three British and three Amer
lean Judges, and created for the purpose Of
adjusting territorial claims, or claims in
volving rights and interests necessary to
control the enjoyment of territory. Under
the treaty, II question be once referred
to that tribunal, a settlement OF it may
be postponed for an indefinite period for,
even should no award be made by the
arbitrators, the Question must remain in
allegiance until titne has been afforded for
an attempt at mediation on the part of one
or more friendly powers. We could not per-
NIT the construction of the Nicaragua Canal,
once begun. to DO unfortunately arrested by
such proceedings. Another feature of the