The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-12-15

macy or domestic history do We
see more distinctly the growing
! grandeur OF the country than in
| the negotiations with Great Britain,
beginning half a century ago. for the
! construction OF an isthmian canal con-
Meeting the two great oceans. A world
/ Of history lies between the Clayton
BuIwer treaty and that signed by John
/ Hay and Lord Pauncefote year and
| half ago. And it is this fifty years
| OF national life. more romantic and
marvellous than that OF any other peo-
| pie, which has forced the development
OF the Nicaragua canal treaty. the
most important subject of negotiation
which has ever yet figured in the dip
lomatic solution of the transportation
problem. The treaty in its present
form, or such form as will meet the
approval of the Senate. is a sure in
! dex OF the steady and rapid growth o.
the republic. and the latter on the
other hand. gives evidence of its pow
ers in the production of the treaty.
1t is essentially a treaty of abroga-
ton, and yet the Clayton-Bulwer
agreement was thought to be a great
stroke of craftsmanship on our part
In that we shared honors with Great
Britain, though it did not occur to Mr..
Clayton. who was quite an able man,
that this was the least infringement
on the Monroe doctrine. And it really
was not, for England, through the
leadership of George Canning, helped
America To make that doctrine effect
i've What is known as her freehand
policy held Europe aloof and confined
the matter of South American indie
pendence to this country and Spain
But time works wonders, and nowhere
else has it wrought such changes as
here. The United States and Great
Britain are respectively the same as
then in form and principle. but their
comparative standing is different, and
that is plainly shown in the radical
change in the character of the canal
treaty. What John NJ. Clayton thought
a diplomatic victory in 1850 John Hay
felt obligated TO set wholly aside, and
even Hays transaction was not quite
strong enough for the Senate. Or
rather it was not quite definite enough
for that body. Secretary Hay, how
ever, kept well in view the scope of
the Monroe doctrine, and at no point
did he permit an infringement on that
Nor is II conceivable that Pauncefote
ever had instructions to insist upon its
violation for that has never been a
strenuous policy of his country. So. Il
the attitude of the two governments
on this question is taken into account,
il will be readily perceived that there
was no possibility of undue concession
on the part of the American Secretary |
of State nor of undue insistence OF J
the British Minister.
Now Sir Julian has brought over an |
other treaty for the Senate's approval |
and that necessarily embodies more !
liberal concessions from the British |
cabinet than the preceding one. II IS !
clearly evident, then. that no agree !
ment for the construction of the 18TH !
milan canal will be accepted that does |
not carry with il the right of the gov !
ernment of the United States TO adj |
here strictly TO its old-time policy OF /
defending the republicanism of the I
Western hemisphere. There is, OF 4
course, no danger of its being invaded 1
by Great Britain, the eyes of whose /
statesmen are turned eastward and 4
not westward. though it might through /
an agreement with her be aSsailed by 4
some other power That is the point 1
to guard. There is no difficulty with /
England IL there had been anything /
TO far from her in the first place there
would have been no negotiations for
Nicaraguan canal. and hence no basis
for the negotiations of today. We
could not have concluded a treaty
with any other European power hold
ing England's rights. for conditions
would not have permitted the con
ceSsions that CLAYTON made to the
English representative. and We cnuld
net have negotiated on less liberal
terms. II is fortunate all round that
President Taylor's administration had
the government OF Lord John Russell
to deal with. and fortunate further
that that government opposed the
COmQluSQ MOVEMENT oA A<NA Sf~ &
against South America in SPANS be-
half and had no particular interest
in the ahrcgation of the doctrine then
made active by the United States.
Here We have the basis Of negotia-
ton, and though the Clayton-Bulwer
treaty is looked upon today as alto
gether out of the question and some
thing of an absurdity, it was both
and just in view of the
al the time OF its
signing and ratification But 1901
Isn't 1850 BY long shot. and in the
Americas experience has
been profound.
Il is this national experience that
gives rs power to compel the aoroga-
ton OF the old treaty Il isn't near
so much a matter OF diplomacy Is il
Is OF essentially absolute authority
hack OF the diplomacy. Secretary
HAY did remarkably web and proved
himself a worthy successor OF Web
sser. Everett Marcy. Seward. Fish.
Evarts and Blaine. but the govern
ment he represents. II is wen 70 re
member. clothed bis propositions
with q force that 20 Lord Pauncsfote
was convincing and irresistible The
public men OF England and the news