Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-09-22
The TREATY AND The CANAL.

Commenting both upon the proposau
abrogation OF the Clayton bulwef
Treaty aud the construction OF the
Nicaraguan Canal, the London spec
tat1r saya: :. m 4.
II lie clear, then, that commercially IL
would be good thing for US u me
canal were made, and that strAtegicaliy
1t would also be O benefit except only
10 the case of a war with the States
What we have to ask finally 10. then,
"Are the chances OF war with the
United States great enough to make us
refuse the benefits which the making
of the canal would certainly confer on
usP" For ourselves, we do not hesitate
to say that, on the whole, England
had better not worry about these pos,
sible risks, and TINT we should
abandon our veto Of the canal. We
believe that, on reflection, this is the
view thnt the British public will ulti-
mately take. But that being the case,
| let ua treat the matter IN a broad aud
atstesmanlike way. DO not let us
adopt the formula go dear " tne
official mind, and repeat: The Ameri
cans have never officially asked us; to
ahrogate the Clayton .Bulwer Treaty,
1t will be time. aud the proper time.
1 to consider the matter when they 40.
In truth, that will not be the proper
timp, for the Americans, being our
children, and inheriting to the fuii
our offensive and disagreeable ways IN
diplomacy are quite certain, when tney
ask for the abrogation OF the Clayton,
Bulwer Treaty. to do 1t In what Will
seem to us thoroughly offensive and
dipagreaahle way. Our statesmen ought
to Uonsider the matter ooolly ana
in isolation, and il they come,
as we believe they must, to
the conclusions we have, they
ought themselves to propose to the
Americans the abrogation OF the Oiay-
tom Bulwer Treaty, and the suhstitu-
tion for it OF another treaty by which
England and Americu shall mutually
bind themselves to allow no Power ex-
cept the United States of America to
make or control any canal across the
Isthmus, and to declare that II and
when the United States shall make
terms tn the ships of all nations al
peace with the Uuitod States. That
is treaty which might be the begin
, ming of distinct understanding be.
tween the United States and England.
We are not in favor OF formal ALI
Hnce, hut such a treaty Rs we have DE-
scrihed plus treaty binding bott
Powers to refer all their disputes t.
arbitration. would soon grow into az
. understanding far more secure than
hastily formed alliance. Depend upor
. it, the Clayton Bulwer Treaty Is wortt
= considering, and depend upon it also
{ the more clearly it is considered th'
q more evident it will become that th
5 sensible thing is to allow America Il
a make the canal either by the Mica
raguan Lake. or by buying out ami
g finishing the Panama Canal. Person
9 ally, We would rather ask 90 guild pr
d quo for the abrogation OF the Treaty
i for England'u friendship for Aineric
/, ia not in reality based upon mutual ad
Q vantage, hut on something far deeper
II, however, tho diplomatHta mus
!. have a quid pro quo for fear OF feelin
It that they have somehow been "done,
9 we have no doubt that the State d.
p pnrtment at Washington will be able
It afford them good official exouss 70
b allowing this abrogation Of the Treat
n of 1850. There are dozen points ]
l. regard to Canada which might be 81
against the tearing up of the Claytos
y Bulwer Treaty.