The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-08-27
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Dlsauieting News.

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and were preparing for an attack upor
the allies in Pekln. II it should prove
that the allied forces were besleged In
Pekln, 1t would account for the lack OF
advIces from General Chafree. While
the. news OF n possible rear attack upon
the comparatively small force OF the al.
lies was not received with surprise. II
generally wns not regarded as serious
us the foreign forces are believed to bt
abundantly able to take, care OF them.
selves against any force OF Chinese
likely to be sent against them.
In the absence OF official Information
from China or from United! States OF.
iflcers there. interest to-day centered Ir
the diplomatic phases Of the existing
trouble. The rumor'of a declaration Of
war by Russia. It is expected, ma,
have grown out iot the operations Of
the troops OF the ezar In the protection
of the southeastern frontier OF his EN-.
plre: or II may have arisen from The
reported statement, OF the commnndel
OF the Russian forces at Pekin thai
his government was at war with Chine
and. therefore, he must prohibit com
municatIon with the Chinese. Neither
the operations of Russia on her from.
tier nor the prohibition by a Russian
general Of communication with the Chi.
nese would constitute, 1t is said, q dec.
laratlon OF war by Russia. No general
by mere dictum, could declare war
Even his statement that his. govern,
ment had declared war would not makt
1t SO.
No Declaration Of War.
A declaration OF war. It is pointed
out by the best authorities, Is a per.
fectly distinct and obvious proceeding
In this country, a declaration OF wal
may be made only by Congress.
Only once in the present century hn.
such declaration been made. namel!
in 1872, against Great Britain. Wa
may exist actually between the United
States and another country as was tht
case between this country and Mexico
without action by Congress. The Mex,
lean war mad progressed fourteen
months before action was taken b.
Congress. Troops Of the United State!
had invaded Mexico and several I'm
portant battles bad been fought befor,
Congress, to 4nsure the legality OF tht
contest and to protect the rights OF tn,
United States, ms probable conqueror
declared that a state had existed from
a date fourteen months prior to the &c,
ton OF Congress-. Congress did not de
clare war against Spain. 1t declared
simply that a state OF war; existed from
a specified time.
: AnanE European nations. the methat
OF procedure is simple, but quite, q!
obvious. War Is declared by them b,
edict or proclamation. 1t may be {
declaration OF war or 1t may be the Of
fclal recognition that state ofwur ex'
lists.
Published to the World.
In either event the news OF such nc
tion would be published to the worlt
Immediately Diplomatic representa-,
tives of the power making the dcclar.
alton would be notified Instantly, in or,
der that they might communicate thu
Information to the governments of III,
countries to which they were accredlt
ed. The Information, too. would bt
conveyed at once to the nation agalns
which the declaration was made. II
turn, this nation would notify its dip.
lomatlc Representatives abroad thai
they might govern themselves accord.
ingly. Within three hours after thu
official declaration Of Congress that tht
United States was at war with tht
kingdom OF Spain the Spanish govern
ment had on the wires nm identic mott
to all governments TO which It had nc
credited representatives, notifying then
of the existence OF state OF war be.
tween Spain and the United States.
The understanding among Washing
ton officials OF Russia's action is thai
the empire has declared the three pro
vInccs on its southeastern frontier In c
state of Siege. This is altogether dif'
ferent from declaration OF war. I
corresponds to a declaration OF martha
law by Great Britain and to a suspen.
sion OF the right OF habeas corpus Of
the United States. 1t is super sess
ion OF civil by military authority. II
has no effect upon such treaties MS ma,
be In force between the two countrle.
whereas, n declaration OF war or a dec
laration that n state OF war exists
would tear up all treaties
Russia Has Two Objects.
II is pointed out further. that Russia
has two objects in her present opera.
tions In ChIna-the rescue and protec.
tion OF the foreign legationcrs and the
protection OF her menaced frontier. The
avowcd object of the other powers /.
simply the rescue and protection OF The
fesationers and other foreign subjects
In carrying out her second object
Russia has seized New Chwang. Thi,
was done to obtain n base, of operations
from which the frontier could easily be
reached, precisely us Taku was seized
as a base OF operations BY the niles lr
their operations against PekIn.
Whether. in the event of q declnra.
ton OF war by one or more OF tho pow.
crs against China, an Invitation would
be extended to the Tnitcd States to rc-
tire from China, as Unlimited In The
dispatch from Che Foo Is open tc
doubt; and II is decidedly problemstic.