The Irish standard., 1900-12-29
sUPERsED1rG AN OLD TREATY.

SUPERSEDlNG AN OLD TREATY.
The Hay-Pauncefote treaty as
amended by the United States senate
appears to be all right on the face of
it and is satisfactory to the American
people. The Clayton-Bulwer treaty is
superseded as it ought to be, and Great
Britain will have no more control over
the inter-oceanic canal than any other
European power. The Hay-Paunccfote
treaty, as drafted by McKinley's secrc-
tary of state and the British ambassa-
dor at Washington, recognized Great
Britain as a sort of partner in the con-
struction of the project, though this
country was to expend $20O,O0O,OOO
and England not a penny.
England desired to become a great
North American power, as the London
Times admitted, and John Hay was
willing that she should crafty her am
bition to the detriment of the United
States. But he was baked in his en-
deavors by patriotic senators, and more
than that the old treaty of 1850 was
pronounced null and void and cast
aside forever.
1t is now said that England will not
accept the Hay-Pauncefote treaty in
its amended form, and that she has a
secret understanding with the two Cen
trail American states by which Eng
land can control all routes thus far
considered by the United States for
canal purposes. Be that as it may,
England had better keep hands off this
American enterprise or she may lose
what possessions she already has on
the North American continent. The
Monroe doctrine will be defended to
the death by the United States.
Some of the London papers are
grumbling over the abrogation of the
Clayton-Bulwer treaty and charge the
United States with bad faith for SUPER
seding that obsolete compact between
the two nations. England should be
the last country in the world to accuse
others of perfidy. Instances of British
bad faith are as numerous as the
leaves in Vallambrosa. The readers of
the Irish Standard who have read the
treaty of Limerick and how it was vio-
lated by England ''ere the ink where.
with twas rit was dry" will smile
sardonically when England charges the
United States with bad faith for set
ting aside the Clayton-Bulwer treaty.
They will also remember how the Act
of Union between Great Britain and
Ireland has been broken by the pre-
dominant partner. until it is no longer
considered operative by England.
Hardly had the ink had time to dry
on the yton-Bulwer treaty when the
British government gave notice that it
did not understand the treaty to apply
to British claims regarding Honduras,
though it was stipulated mat Great
Britain would assume no dominion
over any part of Central America. In
violation of the treaty there is now Il
good-sized crown colony in Honduras.
Therefore it was that in 1891 the
senate committee on foreign relations,
composed of John Sherman, William
Evarts. Geo. Il. Edmunds, John r.
Morgan and William P. Frye, reported
that the United States was under no
obligation. under the terms of the
Clayton-Bulwer treaty, to refrain from
promoting the construction of the Nj
caraguan canal.
The HayPauncefote treaty with the
Davis amendment is now on it's way
to England. Whether Salisbury and
his jingoes will accept it or not may
not he known for some time. The
British lion may growl and lash his
tail for awhile, but he will become do
cile in the end and agree to anything
rather than have trouble with the
eagle. The lion and the eagle are both
engaged in rapacious work. one in
South Africa and the other in the Phil
ippines. The lion is having the worst
clipped Neither cares for more fight
ing at present If the lion roArs. how
ever. the eagle will scream. The best
thing for the lion to do is to submit
gracefully to the eagle and keep his
| paw off this continent