The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-06-16
CRITICISM BY BRANN's ICoNOcLAST
Hays Language Hardly That of
Diplomatic Courtesy.
SENTIMENT OF REPUBLICAN LEADERS
Slap at C. K. Davis for Refusing
Privileges Of Floor.

In an article on REJECTION of the
Boer Delegates" Brann's Iconoclast for
June says in part:
One would imagine from the manner
in which these men were received that
British guard stood at the inner door
OF the Office of the secretary of state
with fixed bayonets and threatening
brows coercing him into as contemptu-
Gus expression as possible. The inter-
view which these despairing men have
travelled thousands of miles to obtain
lasted but little more than an hour, and
the part of it occupied by John Hay
lasted less than fifteen minutes. Acting
under iron instructions from the man in
the White House, who, in turn, had been
instructed by his plutocratic and
Anglophile owners, he informed the
Beers in so many words that this gov
ernment would have nothing to do with
them and would occupy an attitude of
calm indifference while the work of
butchery and outrage went on. His
language was scarcely the language of
diplomatic courtesy. The distinct re-
fusal of Mckinley even to offer to
mediate shows the extent to which he
is under the command of men who wor-
ship England. Here is a summary of
the interview as summarized by the
Washington correspondent of Repub-
lican paper:
"We have come to the United States
seeking only peace" said Mr.. Fischer
eve do not come seeking advantage or
sharp terms. We want peace upon any
terms that will preserve our honor. We
want to stop the war, to save the lives
OF soldiers in both armies, to prevent
suffering. We come in no spirit of de-
fiance. We throw ourselves upon the
mercy of the great American republic
In some way, in any way convenient to
your government, we ask such action
as will put stop to the war. We be-
licve we have the sympathy Of your
people. We ask the sympathy and sup
port of your government. We have at
this time no definite proposals to make
We only appeal to the great republic Of
North America not to permit the two
little republics of South Africa to be
destroyed"
Secretary Hay said there were just
two ways in which the United States
could accede to the request made of it
by the commissioners from the two re-
publics. One was to offer mediation or
arbitration and to receive from Great
Britain reply which would amount to
notice that we would better mind Our
own business-an affront to the dignity
OF the United States which would be
nlerited under the circumstances and
which could not be resented. The other
way in which the United States could
help the South African republics was by
intervening, and this could have but
one meaning, and that is war between
Great Britain and the United States.
This the people of the United States do
not want and would not endure. This
the delegates from South Africa had
not asked and could not ask. The Sec
retary had, therefore, been instructed
by the president to say that there was
no way in which the United States
could give aid and succor to the Boer
nations, and that this must be the an
swer of the American government to
the general proposition which the dele
gates had made or to any special pro-
posal which they may wish to make in
future.
It will be seen that the declination OF
the instructed secretary was based upon
two assertions, neither of which is true:
(1) If we offered to mediate the offer
would be declined in a curt and pre-
sumably offensive manner by England
and our feelings would be hurt. (2) If
we intervened there would be war be-
tween this country and England, for
which the American people would not
stand 1t remains to be stated that,
some months ago, when nobody had
asked him to stick his official nose into
the affair, Mckinley did forward to
London half-hearted offer to mediate,
knowing that it would be refused. 1t
was a political trick worthy of him, it
being then his desire to persuade the
voters that he really sympathized with
the invaded republics. The tentative
offer was, of course, declined. Great