The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-27
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY p. 1900.
What Was the Bnrgain.

Strange as il may seem, Great Britain
appears to be more willing to make con-
cessions to the American people in the
matter of the Nicaragua Canal than
our own Government. There is excel
lent authority for the statement that
Lord Salisbury would have assented to a
proposition to fortify and defend the
waterway as an exclusively American in
stitution, and would cheerfully have exc
cuted an instrument acknowledging the
death and burial of the Clayton Bulwer
Treaty long ago, if he had been diplo-
matically urged 90 do so.
As matters look. we must acquit the
British Government of taking any active
part in securing the arrangement which
has given such offence to the people of the
United States, that it is universally de-
nounced as a public disgrace. The Mar
quis of Salisbury and Lord Pauncefote
have probably done no more than catch
the golden pippins that our State Depart
luent voluntarily shook down upon their
heads. They were willing to make a much
poorer bargain. from their own point of
view but they were not called upon to do
slider can see, the propositions. to revive
the Clayton Bulwer Treaty; to spend one
hundred and forty million dollars TO build
and equip a canal for general European
account, but principally for that of Eng
land; and to denounce and abandon the
Monroe Doctrine. came TO them like a
shower of gold from the heavens. They
would have been less than men, and much
less than Englishmen. if they had not ac-
cepted the gift of the gods without asking
questions.
The questions which Il would have been
impolite as well as indiscreet for the Brit
ish Premier and the British Ambassador
10 PROFOUND are quite proper and neces-
sary on the part of Congress and the
American press and people. They are sug-
gested by the astonishing phenomena of
the case: Our State Department makes 4
secret proposition to England TO enter into
q treaty upon terms which every supporter
Of the Administration has reason to know
would be obnoxious to public sentiment in
this country, and would be rejected by
the Senate. Before allowing that co-ordi-
nate treaty making power in our Govern
ment TO know the nature Of the Hay
Pauncefote Treaty. it seems that the State
Department aided by the British Foreign
Office (by request, asks the consent of the
various European States TO the Hay
Pauncefote terms, conditions, and provi-
sions. treating the whole matter an
accomplished fact. instead OF as a tenta-
tive proposition OF no validity in American
law pending action by the Senate. All this
being done in advance, the Senate is finally
asked to read. accept, and ratify an en-
gAgement already entered into between the
State Department and every important
rpwer Of the earth except France and the
United States. France has formally ex-
pressed her content, and that leaves only
this country TO be considered. 1t is plain
that the State Department regards the
final act by the Senate as merely a per-
functory registration of an executive order.
about which there ought not TO be any
question.
Regarding the whole queer history Of this
Hay auncefote business, analytically, it is
impossible to escape a suspicion that it is
not what it seems, that it is not the blum
dering diplomacy it looks to be. but a
shrewd design TO prevent the construction
of the Nicaragua Canal. Otherwise. why
should the Administration offer to give
away rights and privileges which Great
Britain would have been willing to see this
country exercise? Why should all Cur
commercial rivals in Europe be assured
that the United States will ask no more In
Nicaragua than permission to build at
American expense an inter-oceanic water
way without any compenssting advantage
TO America; and. for that permission will
agree to keep the canal as an open door to
the ships of our enemies in time OF war.
that they may the more easily attack both
our coasts?
The answers to these questions are not
altogether easy. but for present purposes
they may be suggested by a single political
rumor. When Mr.. Hepburn succeeded
in reporting the Hepburn Morgan bill to
the House, 1t was said that Senator Hanna
was greatly vexed, believing that friendly
legislation at this time would anger the
monopolies opposed to the canal. and
estrange them from the Republican cam
but If the Hay-Pauncefote treaty was
conceived and carried forward in all
Its details, and with the collat-
sral International engagements above
mentioned. with view to blocking the
Nicaragua Canal in this session OF Con-
gress, il was very clever bit of Hanna
diplomacy, which the Panama people must
contemplate with wonder and admiration.
Only IL may not work. Congress has
only 10 pass the Hepburn Morgan bill, and
the Senate to reject the Hay-rauncefote
Treaty. and the coast will be clear. We
are not ready to think that any foreign
power, and Great Britain least OF all, will
want to 20 TO war about the matter II
we are wrong, then it only remains to lie
said that war would be vastly preferable to
surrender of the Monroe Doctrine. and the