The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-11

The implied threat of war In the adj
dress delivered by Premier Salisbury at
the lord mayors banquet, while it may
not mean that actual hostilities are i'm
pending. is q serious intimation that
relations in Europe are severely strain
ed. The guiIdhaH address Of the Brit
ish premier IS an event not only for
England. but for all Europe. 1t is
carefully considered and cautiously
worded declaration of policy and is
accepted as an official statement of
the aims and intentions Of the gov
eminent. The opposing interests Of
England and France in the Hinter-
land, which have been the subject
Of bitter controversy for weeks if not
months gave to the address of the
premier a vital interest. and there was
no attempt TO evade the issue so clear
ly presented. Diplomatic in it's Ian
s~5lage, the address was none the less
q. plain statement Of England's inten-
ton to hold the disputed territory in
West Africa, even at the cost of war
Salisbury has been called the greatest
funk of Europe, but in this case his
words are bold enough to assure that
action will follow in their wake in case
of necessity.
The interest in the dispute over the
territory in West Africa is now trans
ferred to Paris. That the French are
81 of the
situation is shown by the tone of the
press comment on the Salisbury dec
laration. 1t has already been intimat-
ed in the cable dispatches that the
French must recede from their actual
position in West Africa, or fight. They
are now in much the same position
from a diplomatic standpoint. The de-
termination of the English has been
made known TO the world. For France
to allow it TO go unchallenged will be
q, virtual surrender. To meet it with
a counter declaration of similar import
viii test the diplomacy of both nations
to the utmost. Probabilities in Eurpe
are on the side of peace, but beyond
that there is no way of forecasting the
attitude which the French may as
sumo.
The contrast between the address of
Salisbury delivered one year ago and
that of the present week is striking.
Then the tone was one of peace. The
negotiation of the Anglo-American ar
bitration compact was announced for
maily for the first time, and the de-
termination Of the powers to preserve
the peace of Europe was emphasized.
Il is true that this pacific declaration
was followed by the war between Tur-
key and Greece and the stirring events
the concert of the powers and brought
Europe to the verge of the long-pre-
dicted struggle for supremacy. By the
same law Of opposites the warlike tone
Of the latest declaration may result in
profound and universal peace.
s!3t'0'7F}1YT l17FE1ATIXC JUSTICE.
A few months ago the sensibiiities of
the whole Northwest were shocked by
the brutal murder of the Spicer family.
Thomas Spicer, his wife, her mother,
Mrs. Williams and her twin children
were found murdered IN the Spicer
home near Wipona, IN North Dakota,
their remains mutilated in manner
that indicated the fendish nature of
those who committed the deed. Fol
lowing certain clues, five Indians, of
full and half blood were arrested. Two
Of them made complete confessions,
giving in detail the names of the par
ty, the motive OF the crime and the
manner of it's commission. One of the
three implicated by the confession was
put on trial and convicted on the tes-
timony Of the two who confessed.
There was no, there could hardly be,
corroborative testimony. Coudot was
convicted and sentenced by the jury to
death. An appeal was taken to the
supreme court.
That body hands down decision
that is quite as shocking as the crime.
1t reyerses the verdict because the