The Irish standard., 1898-11-12
FORMER TERRITORY CLOSE BY
So Says Nv. M. c." in Columns
of the Irish World.
HOSTILE POLICY OF ENGLAND.
All Anglomen in Favor of Seizing
Spain's Possessions.

When congress reassemhles there is
one matter that most urgently demands
its attention-the increase of the mer-
camille marine. We do not need war
vessels half so badly as vessels for our
carrying trade. Since the civil war the
United States have advanced so as to be
almost self-sufficient and independent of
foreigners. We raise our own food
stuffs and have plenty to spare. We
shall soon grow our coffee and sugar on
American territory. We make our own
tin plates our own cutlery, our ceramic
ware, our glass; and our iron and steel
production takes the first place In the
world. Silk, woolens, carpets, cloth,
and all great staples of consumption
are made in America. But. in one in
stance, we are behind. We have so few
ships that our carrying trade is in the
hands of foreigners almost entirely.
This fatal defect goes far to deprive us
OF the advantage that our huge export
trade should give. The balance of
trade in our favor should bring large
shipments of gold back to these shores;
but we are losing this advantage
through the cost of freights. We pay
tribute to England especially to an enor-
nous amount every year for carrying
our goods across sea. The Mckinley
tariff and all the other devices to bring
prosperity must prove nugatory so long
Jol 80
money is allowed to continue. 1t is a
matter for the highest craftsmanship of
the land to consider. There is nothing
contentious about it. 1t is not party
question. All parties are patriotic and
this is subject for united, patriotic re-
form, says w. NJ. c. in the Irish World.
When we go into the causes Of this
unfortunate condition we find them,
first, in the hostile and thievish policy
OF England, which, by means of the Ala
bama business, swept the seas of Amer
lean shipping. Can we ever forgive this
national wrong and outrage? Are we
even now trying to forget England's
perfidious enmity? And is it possible,
with this object lesson daily and hourly
before us, to talk of an alliance, or even
of friendship, with the nation that rob-
bed us boldly in the sixties, and is rob-
ping us ever since, of the freights that
should be carried in American bottoms
Tor the benefit of American purses? It
is said that the Englishman's conscience
is III his breeches pocket. 1t would be
strange if the appeal to the pocket has
no significance for shrewd men Of busi-
ness in America. Every time a dollar
is paid for freightage on an English
vessel the American is reminded of his
cowardice and his shame. Why SO?
Because when the civil war ended the
resentment of the Alabama work rank
led deeply in every American breast.
and nothing would have been so popr-
lar as a war with England, to punish
her for her vile policy. At that time
there were million and half Of train
ed and seasoned soldiers available for
q war, with plenty of all kinds Of war;
like supplies, and with a bounding de-
sire to unite the blue and the gray in y
common attack on the common enemy
At that time, too, America possessed
the only iron-clad fleet in the world
and our Farragut would have made as
short work of the largest navy that
england could send to attack us as
Dewey made of the Spaniards in Manila
pay. IN one week Canada would have
been conquered and securely held. and
all Englands efforts to recover the Do
minion would be perfectly futile. If this
reunion of North and South had rhen
taken place-in 1S66-the shameful
chapter Of carpet-bagging and recon-
structlon would never have been writ
ten. The rancor and jealousy of the
rival sections Of the great renuh,ic
would nave been appeased; Canada
would have become prosperous and con-
tented. The menace to American peace
that is now growing so ominous on onr
northern border, through military reor-
ganization, through fortresses, through
warshlps on the lakes, and through
obstrnctions to our free passage from
Duluth to the sea, would altogether
have been avoided. Our fishermen
would not have been mistreated, our
seals would not have been stolen and
destroyed, our Alaskan territory would
not have been invaded by English tax
collectors, and the last foothold of a
foreigner on this American continent
would have been taken away, redressing
q century Of wrongs and vipd;o,i;,,r a..
doctrine of Monroe.
What an American government, at
this favorable opportunity, shrunI II,