New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-22
A MATTER OF TEMPERAMENT.

General Reyes complains that the United
States would not encourage ana approve the
burking of the Hay-Herran treaty by agree
ing In advance to consider the negotiation OF
another treaty on terms more generous to
Colombia That is to say, the United States.
having made a fair Offer declined TO say, IF
you reject this I'll make you better offer!
Having after prolonged and mature consldera-
ton, resolved upon an irreducible minimum 1t
declined still further to reduce that minimum.
Having resolved upon an inextensible maximum,
it declined to extend that maximum 1t Is to
he regretted that such refusal by this country
seemed unreasonable TO General Reyes and his
countrymen. But anything else would GER
tainly have seemed equally unreasonable TO
the President and Secretary hay and their
countrymen The root Of the trouble seems to
lie in a certain incompatibility Of temperament
between Anglo-Saxon Americans and Spanish
Americans Such differences OF temperament
have been perceived before.
Thomas Pinckney met with ii in 1873. Wash
ington sent him to Madrid to negotiate for the
opening Of the Mississippi River TO American
commerce His negotiations were conducted
with Godoy. the prince OF the Peace A DIFF
ference of temperament was promptly devel-
oped Godoy said "Manana," while Pinckney
said To-day" The courteous Spaniard said,
"Afy dear friend why trouble ourselves with
these tiresome matters? Let us go to the
''bullfight. The treaty wait until to-mor-
row" The strenuous South Carolinian replied
I'VE will make that treaty to-day or l Will
take my passport" Godoy's nerves We're
probably Jared. But the treaty was made.
John Quincy Adams ran against the same
sort Of thing in 1917. The Spanish government
sent Don Luis de Onis over here TO negotiate
sta oil r1rQ-
cisely what the United States would and would
not do, his conversation being. Yea, yea" and
NAY, nay" Onis assumed that "fes'' meant
"Maybe So" and "No" meant perhaps not"
with illimitable scope for chaffering. But
Adams was as resolute as a block of Quincy
granite, and Onis was compelled TO recognize
the fact and to make the treaty. True, the
Spanish government refused to rat1fy it, and
two years later sent General Wives over TO
make new one. But what did Adams do? Re-
fused to negotiate, save on the basis OF SPANS
acceptance OF the former treaty, with heavy
penalty added for her dilatory wasting OF two
years time! And Spain yielded and accepted
those terms.
It is a pity that Colombia did not understand
that when the United States said. This Is the
best we can do" IL meant precisely what it
said. Certainly it was not the fault Of the
United States that she did not understand ii.
The matter was made clear enough by the
Washington government. 1t may be that the
Spanish-American temperament is so radically
different from ours that 1t is incapable OF appre-
ciating the direct and unequivocal speech which
our government employs Such difference or
incompatibility of temperament is awkward,
and is TO be regretted. But the United States
is not TO be blamed for IT, and there is 10
reason why the United States, any more than
Colombia, should pay the penalty fo- II