The times., 1898-09-12
MANIFEST AMERICAN POLICY
The BulwarlS Of American Freedom,
the ratriotisn, and SoIdferiy Quail
tiles of the American Citizen
Uncle Sam Has Always Found the
sword Of War Mightier Than the
Pen of DiDlomucy
written for The Times.)

sword OF war MiEhticr Than the
Pen of Diplomacy.
written for The Times)
Count Muravieffis letter will have an
important place on the pages of the
worlds history. As TO the CARRYING out
of the Cars peace note this will be
another thing. and from all appearances
Judging from the British view, the out
come will be a conference of premers
at the capital of Denmark followed by
expressions of concurrence in the Rus
sian emperor's humanitarian aims, to-
gether with reports of the resolutions to
the various governments, when the whole
matter will be shelved indefinitely That
the Car is conscientious in his desire
there is no doubt; nevertheless what Is
food for the bear Is not necessarily food
for the lion. The various wars which
England has waged in Asia and Africa
during the last fifty years show plainly
that the lion has not the same tasse
for honey that the bear has, but on the
other hand seems to find tropical food
greatly TO his liking.
AS far as the United States acceptance
EuroDes attitude. Most European ma
tions have been jealous of this Republic
since its foundation, and nave harassed
1t in every way possible The English
assumed the right to search our vessels
on the high seas, the French endeavored
to establish an empire in America These
and many other schemes were doomed to
failure The United States continued TO
grow in wealth and Importance until
it is now one of the greatest and most
| prosperous nations on the face of the
globe. We may attribute its present glory
| 10 three things; Its form of government
its natural resources. and above all the
patriotism and soldierly qualities of its
people, for the Americans have stood no
| intervention or meddling in their affairs,
the sword has always been buckled to
the side of Uncle Sam, he has used it
with will in time of war. and has had
but to draw it half way from the scab-
bord to receive an indemnity for an in
| jury or hurry the ratification of a treaty
While war has been to our advantage
| treaties have generally been to our dis
! advantage, and in cases where they have
/ been otherwise we may trace Ii solely to
/ our military strength and the fear which
Europe has of it. The Jay treaty of 1894
| was beyond all comparison the most
! odious one to the American people that
| mas ever been concluded between the
| United States and a foreign power Mr.
| Jay was sent To England to procure If
! possible the admission of American
wheat fish. and meat into the ports of
/ Great Britain on fair terms of reciprocity
| TO put an end TO the imprisonment of
/ American sailors and the lawless seizure
/ OF American cargoes, and to place the
entire commercial intercourse of the two
nations upon a just and equal footing
I His treaty secured nome of these objects
/ 1T was not in accordance with his instruc-
tions 1t obliged us to pay damages to
England instead Of compelling England to
pay damages to US. 1t left American sail
! ors the unprotected prey of English cap
| tains. 1t gave us scarcely anything that
We wanted unless it was something we
had already, and it denied us almost ey-
/ eryfhing we wanted unless it was some
thing which we could not be prevented
from taking. Never was there a treaty
so revolving to free people as this.
Thomas Jefferson thought so i'll of it
| that he said we had better have no treaty
at all than one which dishonored the in
FAINT nation. He thought we had better
even abolish the treaty making power
except to conclude a peace, than accept it.
/ 1T was fortunate" he added, that the
| first decision respecting the power of
| Congress over a treaty was to be in
case so palpably aroeious as to be prede-
termined by all America, for on the
precedent now TO be set will depend the
future construction" "
President Monroe and the whole coun-
| try of Federalists and Democrats were
extremely indignant when the king of
| Spain refused TO ratify the Florida treaty
/ of 1919. The king. ii seems, during the
negotiations had disposed of all the best
land in Florida in grants TO favored in
dividuaIs and these grants he desired
should be recognized in the treaty of ces-
sion. The American minister. of course
objected 10 purchase an estate thus in
numbered. and the king in consequence
refused to ratify. Mr. Monroe, in his
message said:
The treaty itself was formed on great con-
sideration and thorough knowledge of all the
circumstances; the subject matter of every ar
ticle having been for years under discussion and
repeated references having been made by the
minister Of Spain TO his government on the point
respecting which the greatest difference OF
opinion prevailed. 1t formed by a minister
duly authorized for the purpose, who had repre-.
sented his government in the United States and
been employed in this long -protraeted negotiI-
tion several years; and who. it IS not denied,
htpl stIiCiN NltnH Ietttf OF MS 1n-IruCtlONS
The faith OF Spain was therefore pledged undar
circumstances OF peculiar force and solemnity. for
its ratification.
1t was agreed throughout Christendom
that the King OF Spain, in refusing to
ratify, was guilty of an outrage against
the United States, and we know from un-
published letters that if Gen Jackson had
been President instead of James Monroe
he would have seized Florida The Gar
of Russia fearing a breach of the ID ace
wrote to his minister in Washington that
though he would not take it upon him.
self TO justify SPAIN" yet he charged his
minister to plead with the government at
Washington the cause of peace and con-
cord. Some uneasiness was felt says
Mr.. Lyman the author of a work on the
diplomacy of the United States. "lest the
United States should resent the delay of
Spain and take possession of florida by
force" The same respectful BILE author adds
the following remarks:
This transaction is we believe, without
precedent in the diplomacy of the United Stat 5.
The Government has refused to ratify treaties.
Other nations have exercised the SAM prIvIltgi,
but never without treason; perhaps net IN all
cases satisfactory to- the opposite party, but at
least bearing upon its face some sort OF defense
and justification
Gen. Jackson's1 controversy with the
government of Louis Philippe is another
case where threats, of war were neces-
Sary before treaty carried out. In
1881, Mr.. Rives, the American minister at
Paris, concluded treaty with France by
which the French government agreed to
pay the United States S5,0OO0o0 in COM
pensation for the unlawful seizure of
American ships before the peace of 1876
We. on our part, agreed to settle some
outstanding claims of French citizens
against the TTnithd States Cne of which