The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-05-29
WILL SLAV OR SAXON RULE
STRUGGLE OF THE FUTURE IS
BETWEEN THESE RACES

" L
BETWEEN THESE RACES
Spanish War the Cause of Re-
markable Change of Opinion In
America Towards England-TaIk
of an Anglo-SaxOn Alliance Now
sentative Men I'm Congress.
Washington Bureau st. Paul Globe, !
Coycoxan Building.
Special to The st. Paul Globe.
WASHINGTON, May 2S.-Has a
change Of public opinion ever been
more rapid than that which the last
few weeks have witnessed in our feel
ings toward England? In congressional
Washington the right about face, for
ward march order which the Spanish
war has apparently called, is so sud
den as to be almost bewildering.
Before the war we looked down with
contempt upon the whole outside world,
and upon England in particular, be-
cause that was the part of the outside
world we saw the most, and hence she
came to typify all that we thought was
objectionable in the outer darkness.
Congress has always felt that Amer
lea could single-handed, lick" all the
ing the ordinary precautions, or of
developing any friendship among ma
lions. We could go ahead and do every
thing as we pleased, and in the end all
would be we'll.
But brush at arms with a weak,
seventh-rate monarchy, worn out by
colonial rebellions and paralyzed by
domestic discord, is teaching us that We
are not SO mighty as we had supposed,
and that foreign complications might
be at least imagined which would prove
decidedly distressing. Not since 1888
have we fought in earnest European
power. Hence, the pr sent war is SEEM
ingly one of discovery; and we are
coming to realize that among these
outside nations there is choice. Some
we can be friends with, and the war
is showing us the basis Of these prefer
ences. If Washington sentiment means
anything today, 1t is that America is
coming into it's own in the world S rela-
tionship. Before the war we were suffi-
cient unto ourselves. This, at least,
in debates running through years, has
seemed to be the opinion of congress.
SENTIMENT GROWING.
Persons who have long looked for
ward to a closer sympathy between the
two great nations, which hold in their
60 1or cho Of fbn g
human liberty, are dazed by the ripen-
ing, as it were in a night, of strong
political sentiment in the same direc-
ton. So rapid has been this ripening
that the real friends of the idea are
apprehensive that it may not last. Ma
tons, like men, are towards in the
dark, even shadow so light as a
Spanish war may make timid our pro-
fessional braggarts, and when that
alarm passes old conditions may re-
turn.
However that may be, today the
heart of Washington is warm toward
England. Our statesmen seem to realize
that in the inevitable world-contest be-
tween the Saxon and the Slav, we be-
long with the Saxon, and that there is
patriotism of race as well as of coun-
try, which in the long run America
cannot forget. But this is a great
change-a momentous awakening III
| Washington opinion. For years the
fixed epithet by which England has
been known in the senate is "our ira
ditional foe" Only last year a New
England congressman remarked that
the best thing that could happen would
be for some great nation to flick" Eng
land, and he hoped that Russia would
do it, He also predicted that England's
downfall was only a question of time,
and short time at that. During the
Venezuela excitement, it seemed as if
the approval which the Cleveland pol
Icy found here was due not as much
to any regard for territorial interests
Of the South American republic, or any
enthusiasm for the new Monroeism, but
rather to a desire to chit England a.
crack" and so get even for past
offenses.
l remember treasury clerk who de-
clared with ponderous emphasis that
he hoped we should go to war with
England (and, of course, we should
whip herr because English people who
visited Washington and went about the
department were very disagreeable, and
made sighting references to Washing
ton and the things they saw here. An
English editor had been overheard to
say that the only things the London
papers ever printed from this country
were lynchings and silver bills, and a
race guilty Of such ISLANDERS the treas
ury clerk wanted to see moved down
in battle.
IT ENGLAND OFFENDED
the North during our Civil war, she
certainly failed to win over the South
Daniel and Morgan and Mills have out
ranked in Jingoes- of the North in de-
nouncing her, and the last-named Of
these senators even expressed his dis
satisfaction with the settlement of the
Venezuela question by arbitration, de-
claring that we should not. arbitrate it,
but rather decide the true line, and put
in an American army to hold it. How
universally England was disliked in
this capital year ago and apparently
among all classes of people representing
all sections, was shown by the defeat
of the arbitration treaty, even after
it had been so cut down by amend
ments as to be almost meaningless.
1t is too much to suppose that the
sympathy of England for the United
States in this Spanish war accounts
for all the apparent change Of Wash
ington sentiment And yet we hear
nothing now Of the "traditional-foe"
business. and ON every side there is a
tendency to applaud England and to
rejoice in her record Of success What
ever else this war may accomplish for
good or evil. it has certainly awaken
ed the American people to the notion
q thara q 70 Of or