The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-10
A LESSON IN HISTORY.
Judge Parker's Idea That This Republic
Beca me World Power Century Ago.

Beca me World Power Century Ago.
! To THE EDITOR OF The SUN-Str: Judge
] Parker's statement in his speech OF accept
| ance that "our country became worio
| Power over a century ago" Is OF interest 70
| all stude..ts Of history. One naturally In.
| quires just when did this important event
| occur? Was II as early as 1893. when France
| and Great Britain committed such extensive
depredations on our commerce that American
! merchants, alarmed, began to Withdraw
! from the ocean, so that to restore conhdenee
IT., the State Department was forced TO issue its
circular Of Aug. 81, 1898. assuring traders tna1
due attention will be paid to any injuries
they may suffer on the high seas or In foreign
countries contrary to the laws OF nations or
to existing treaties? This circular was Ioi-
lowed by fresh series Of captures by both
nations. acts" described by Senator Prem
tiss in the United States Senate. Jan. Is.
1895, as being characterized by an enormity
of violence and injustice Of which there Is
scarcely parallel In history"
Against these acts our country. impoteht
without navy. vainly protested They
were never denied by France, and repair alton
was not made until the Treaty OF 1900, al
though until that time the outrages grew
more and more frequent, and the Unlteu
States, by series OF abortive missions. made
fruitless endeavors to obtain satisfaction
Was our entrance into the select circle or
world Powers prior to September, 1913. wheh
our Government made q treaty with the Al
gerian Government Ia nest Of pirates and
blackmailersJ to secure the release OF some
captive Americans and relief from piracy
against our ships at an expense OF about
81 ,OOO.0 600, including presents, gratuities ana
brides to Algerian officials ("Annals OF
Congress" Fourth Congress, second session,
223sJ?
Was it during the score OF years succeeding.
H.. hiph,t md hat tran
world Power paid an annual triute to this
cohort OF robbers OF s2l 800. and other Incl
sne Of Of drs 81 h
amount OF which, as JeGerson's secretary OF
state wrote in lsos' mo estimate can be
We must certainly have occupied an eI-
allied position when two years later We ,, op.
% tSas Wah spod an When IN
1900 the Dey of Algiers insisted on the voyage
Of an American frigate-the George Wash
his own presents and tribute to the Porte.
whose vassal he was. This was done. and our
man war became an errand boy from a
pirate 70 his master and suzerain the I'm
Did our promotion occur in 1901. when the
cannon. all 24-pounders. and 10000 stands Of
arms from the United States OF America. with
the warning that peace depended upon COM
Or was it between 1901 and 1905. when our
Government was repeatedly and openly, in
plundered. our flagstaff shot down. our cit-
zens carried captive2
Or later. in June. 1908. less than century ny,
ago. when treaty was made with Tripoli by
which we paid SOC. 900 as ransom for Ameri.
can citizens then In captivity. and it was not
till 1915. mid the thunder Of Decatur's guns.
ceased payment to Algiers OF the despicable
tribute money or blaslkmaiI which payment
the page Of history is scanned. for is II not the
fact that during these years We we're justly
eot trSutary IN SHAME and a to
these marauders and malefactors OF the
Mediterranean to the vass9ls OF the Turk
As a close scholar and careful student
OF history. Judge Parker is of course. ia;
mliar with the series OF aggressions and
injuries upon American commerce and the
color Of right, at the hands of Great Britain;
year after b which NJ ae
as with the series OF military defeats we sus,
tanned in that war. and with the loss and
b Buildings and their Priceless records, and also
with the Treaty of Client, which left unset
tied the main questions at issue. and which
was so thoroughly tired Of the contest that it
was ready for peace at almost any price.
dition Of s our affairs at ths close Of The var.
and . St esa bd4y yhsT. sssaSsa 2 .s S1
arly eye Of our late Chief Judge, The naval
victories which illumine the darkness Of
to regard American ships Of war t"Winsor's
History" Vol. VII. p. 1891
Yet. according to Judge Parker, our au-
thoritative position In the family Of power
full States had been established a decade
earlier 1t would be interesting TO learn
when and how this was demonstrated: to be
advised of what doings, what charms. what
combinations and what mighty magic" our
Government possessed in its youth SO potent
as to persuade our calmly judicial and dis
tinguished ex-Magistrate that for lis the
laws Of nature were reversed; that in our case
our infancy needed no development. and our
childhood alone possessed the sovereignty
of maturer years.
Judge Parker may see no difference be-
tween the African Of 1901 that browbeat US
for cannon and firearms and the African OF
a century later that surrendered Perdicaris
upon our demand. others can. He may
see a similarity between Great Britains at
titude when she sneered at our .puny navy
and impressed our seamen, and her reply
to the Venezuela message Of 1897, when sup
ported as II justly was. by a united and reso-
lutte people. others can or fancy they can.
The people of this country are carefully con-
to one Of whom it will he given to make or to
aid In making history for this generation.
Careful and Just Interpretation Of past his
tory may commend to them a candidate
fully as much as just study and expouhding
Of the law and Constitution; and careless and
inaccurate statement or explanation OF their
past glories as it has been--may arouse in
therr a,strust as to fitness to be their leader
in making history Of tomorrow.
EUGENE A. ROWLAND.
NEW YORK, Sept. 0.