The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-06-04

VYOW would you like II. you good
people OF the United States. IL you
4 were suddenly deprived OF liberty
i'm it's largest sense. denied all partici-
patton in national affairs and held sub
ject TO the behests of foreign poten-
tate far over the sea?
The question is supertluous. of course.
for you wouldn't like II at all. and IL you
didn't raise the biggest revolution on
record and make il particularly hot for
that same potentate tradition and his
tory are in error as TO what you have
done i'm the past.
Yet that is exactly our condition down
here in st. Thomas, Santa Cruz and ST.
John, the three islands which collective
ly form what are known as the Danish
West Indies. Two hundred years ago
and more some Danish sailors came
into the Caribbean sea, discovered these
islands. temporarily vacant. promptly
annexed them to the crown of Denmark
and declared that all future settlers
should be compatriots of the immortal
Hamlet. That was all right, certainly,
for the privateers of every nation at
that time had a habit OF appropriating
everything they came across. whether
a fat old galleon sailing up from Pan
anna with loads Of silver or an island
inhabited only by aborigines.
So for some two centuries these is
lands have been the acknowledged
property of the Danes, and they have
managed them as they saw fit, sending
out a governor and soldiers To keep
them in subjection and wiring rev.
enue from them The government has
been mild and paternal i'm the main,
and really we have had nothing in par
ticular 10 complain of except our pow
erty, which has waxed more and more
oppressive az time has gone by. until
at present we are scarcely able TO exist.
The only satisfaction we get out OF IL
is that Denmark is in the same boat
with ourselves and every year expends
about $50, 900 more than she gets. This
is not the fault of the islands. but is
principally due to the fact that poor
little Denmark lies so far away. To
tell the absolute truth. she really has
no use at all for these tropical possess
sions, and only hangs on TO them be-
cause. like the man in the story who
caught a wildcat by the tail. she wants
some one TO help her let go.
She has been quite ready to let go any
time in the past so years--for a consid-
80 years ago, when to all intents and
purposes she did so and in good faith
concluded a bargain with your United
States by which. for the sum of s. $780,
O00 we were &c he transferred to you.
To be exact, the preliminary negotia-
tions for the purchase OF these islands
were entered into in 1865. and. after two
years of slow diplomacy, Mr.. Seward.
then your secretary of state, cabled to
the United States minister at Copenha-
gen, "Close with Denmark's offer; st.
John. st. Thomas, $500. 900; send treaty
ratified Immediately" denmark had
held out for s15.OOO.ooO. but finally a
compromise was effected on the sum
mentioned. with an option for Santa
Cruz at $5. 600. 600 more.
Well. the treaty was fairly and
squarely negotiated, so far as the Danes
were concerned. and sent to the United
States senate, where IL was slaughtered
by Charles Sumner. assisted by a hur-
ricane that came along just as the dis