The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-22

| give the Car, II Is not probable tnat Prus
| STA and Austria. who shared the spoils o
the first and third partition. will look oil
inactively when the instruction begins.
In short, while the proposed attempt t.
restore Poland to her former status vii
attract a certain amount OF attention ,nt
evoke considerable sympathy. the csusc
from a practical point OF view. must b,
| numbered among the battles of freedom
which are baffied often and never won.
British Censorship of American Let
te-s.
The charge that the British authorities
in South Africa have tempered with the
opening letters of an obviously official
character. addressed to the American Con-
sui at Pretoria has been evaded and not
answered in the communication of Secre-
tary Hay transmitted to Congress yester-
day. The facts upon which the charge
rests were graphically presented in the
New York journal of even date with the
State Department explanation" That
exponent of the American independent
press published on its first page fac SMILES
of the letters which Mr.. Macrum declares
were detained and opened by the British
Government. and there is ample ocular evil
dence on the face of the presentment that
his allegation is correct. The first mutilated
communication pictured in the Journal"
is addressed under cover of the official
envelope of the Consulate of the United
States" at Cape Town. II bears .hs adj
dress: Hon. Charles f. Macrum. Consul
of the United States, Pretoria, S. A. R"
1t is sealed with the consular seal in red
wax. aid with the impress of the national
arms. On two places it bears the stamp.
Mail service suspended and over the
place of violation is a sticker with this
legend: ''v. r. Victoria Reginai; officially
sealed in the postofice at r. L. o. [code
letter.. Natal" The caEceling stamp of
the Durham postoflice shows where the
offence was committed. The foregoing de-
scription win apply to the other envelope
depicted in the Journal
1t is not enough for Secretary Hay to
say that no report of this International
affront was ever made TO the Depart
ment- He has had ample reason for be-
lieying that at least it was probably
offered. The personality OF Macrum has
nothing whatever to do with the Ease.
That person has acquired a reputation in
the minds of the American public wh1cn
it is not likely he will ever be able to
change. We may dismiss him as sn
utterly negligible quantity. But Maerum
is one thing, and the opening ana reading
Of United States governmental correspond
ence with its representatives in foreign
is quite another.
We are glad to know that Republican as
we'll as Democratic Senators and Represen
tatives are up in arms concerning this |
outrageous evidence OF British suspicion. !
bad faith. and brutal Indifference to the
comfy which ought to subsist between
civilized powers at peace with each other. /
The proposition 10 have the matter ex- I
imi1ed into by a Congressional committee /,
with full powers is a good one. British 4
suzerainty mas indeed become fact ia 1
.dyanee OF its acknowledgment BY the 1
Treaty. If the official cor
between officers and repre- /
of this Government is at the /
mercy of powerful rival. liable at any (
moment to become an open enemy. I