Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-11-02
sartoris Calls Down Canada.

sartoris Calls Down Canada.
AS the world we'll knows. Canada is
feeling none too good natured anyway,
these days, as a result Of the decision
of the matter of legal boundary dispute.
and its condition OF mind is not i'm
proved by a letter which has just ap-
peared In the Toronto World. over the
signature OF Capt. Algernon Sartoris, a
grandson Of the late President Grant.
who happens to be in Canada. AL
though the captains father was an
Englishman. he himself appears to be
an American OF the most partisan and
strenuous sort. The young man served
on the staff of General Fitzhurgh Lee
in the war with Spain, but Is not now
in the army. The letter which has
made the touchy and exasperated
Canadians more angry than ever Is as
follows:
To the Editor of the Toronto World:
Sir:-From an American point OF
view, your structures on the Alaskan
dispute are amusing-or would be-f
not pathetic. The plain, unadulterated
truth remains that the States had the
best of the case, and Lord Alverstone
was man enough to admit it.
For the rest you offer but bubbles.
The absurdity-and say it on the hon.
or of an ex-American officer-of calling
the honorable Secretary Of War in the
American Presidents Cabinet a lingo
and a politician is as absurd as it is un-
Just. Mr. Root is and always will be
jurist Of repute. He is about to resign
his office and therefore has no personal
gain to influence him in the matter,
believe he was chosen largely for his
well-known judicial qualities to the
very important post of trust he now
holds.
The army as majority regret that
he leaves it, as the people as a whole
do. He is the most advanced War
Minister we ever had, but he is also a
lawyer and gentleman. and, I think.
comes within the category of "jurist
of repute," and of very great repute.
The other two / do not know so well,
but certainly Mr.. Turner had the repu-
tation. Mr.. Lodge, 1t may be admitted,
was a partisan. though of good legal at
tainments and high character.
After all we feel that the United
States was foolish to arbitrate so clear
a case, and We doubt If Canada fulfilled
the requirements when she appointed
her commission. We doubt-and their
very ungracious attitude confirms the
doubt-that absolutely impartial jurists
were appointed by the Dominion.
AS a matter of fact, Canada lives as
a colonial power simply through the
sufferance Of the American Republic,
which could at any time take the coun-
try and, in the opinion of the under
signed, was very foolish not to do so
long ago.
ALGERNON SARTORIS.
Captain Sartoris' defence Of Secretary
Root is a credit to the young man, for
Of course the Canadian attacks upon
him were utterly without justification.
but what makes Canada particularly
raw is the last paragraph of the letter.
The statement there made may be all
true enough. but it doesn't help the
present relations any to state it so
plainly.
1t lisa matter of history that President
Grant thoroughly believed that Canada
would in time become a part of this
country. One time. Senator Sumner of
Massachusetts,, when chairman Of the
foreign relations committee of the Sen
ate. suggested to him that Great
Britain be ordered to remove her flag
from American continent, just as it had
been done in the case of France when
it sought a foothold in Mexico. Presi-
dent Grant agreed with him in the
main, but replied such an order would
mean war and l want peace" Captain
Sartoris in an interview, in relation to
his letter stands sQuarely by what he
wrote, and says he has nothing to re-
tract or to apologize for. OF course, as
an officer of the army he could not have
written such a letter. but as a private
citizen he has a right to his opinion.
After all it Is only the opinion of one
enthusiastic and patriotic young
America, and should not be taken too
seriously by our over-excitable neigh
bors to the northward,
The extension of the block signal sys-