THE PATH OF "HOGG" DIPLOMACY.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9886, 17 November 1897, Page 2

THE PATH OF "HOGG" DIPLOMACY.

WHERE DOES IT LEAD? Lulit Sharp in the Detroit Free Frees. Secretary Sherman's brand of diplomacy is the American brand. It is tho essence of fraahness. II he have anything to nay to or of any foreign affair he says it with directness and with force. lie cannot be misunderstood. It is a char.iriterist'c brand, moreover, and bound to be popular with the great body of Americans. He sat down and penned a few vigorous sentences, in which he remarked that the British were hogs, anyway, and if they didn't keep their poachers out of the seal fisheries tha United Stat-™ would do it at the muzzle of trusty guns.— Editorial in an A.meri--xn newspaper. " For frantic I.M-ii, and foolish word, They mercy on Thy people, Lord." — Riulyard Kipling. By the gracious permission of the British empire, the United .States ato hs allowed to dock the lntMeship Indiana at Halifax, thereby enabling us l.» k«»i> our principal naval vessel in a state of K-gpeutalile repair and efficiency.— Editorlal in another American newtrpaper.

The editor of the newspaper first quoted is doubtless a gentleman in every serme of tho word, who would no more think of calling another gentleman a hog than he would attempt to llap down along the avenue to his office on tho white wings of an angol rather than take the street car. But besides being a gentleman he is also a Republican, a combination sometimes met with ; but such is the dry rot of partisanship that he actually feels called on to defend a mode of expression which in his own mind he cannot possibly approve. Thus are partisan newspaper*! busily engaged in undermining what little influence they have in the community, helplessly handing over to the independent pross that which should be their most cherished possession, .If John Sherman were to appear one day at the president's reception clad only in a long flowing night gown, there arc newspapers that would claim that there is much to be said for this style of attire, especially during hot weather, and that, at any rate, such costuming showed Mr Sherman's freedom from conventionality, and proved h'm to be a man untrammelled by tho "effete customs of Europe, which trait would commend itself to all true Americans. A good old, and still popular, editorial heading is the phrase "Whither Are VVe Drifting ?" Let us apply it to the present case and see where we are at. What is going to be the ultimate effect of what may be termed the •« hog " style of diplomacy ? It is no exaggeration to say that it tends towards international hatred, for human nature has to be constructed differently than is now the fashion, even in England, if one nation is to love another which habitually calls it a hog or a thief or a liar. Hatred, thus engendered, is not easily allayed, and so there happens along some series question that requires cool-headed discussion, and it finds neither nation cool-headed. An appeal to arms rather than to arbitration is likely to result. This was the state of things between France and Germany prior to 1870, and so the world had the astonishing spectacle of the most destructive war of modern times fought on a question which had been utterly removed from tho arena ot politics some weeks before war began. The United States has recently " tailed " i England's pony with marked success once or J twice, to the great amusement' of all onlookers. What is tailing a pony? the tininstructed reader asks. I refer him to the most recent of American books, " Wolfville," by Alfred Henry Lewis, otherwise " Dan Quin," a mighty entertaining and instructive volume to read. •

-•What's tailin' a pony? It's ridin' up

| from the r'ar an' takin' a half-hitoh on your | saddle-horn with the tail of another geut's pony, au' then spurrin'by, au' swappin' ends with the whole outfit—gent, hoss, an' all. It'B really too toomultuous for a joke, an' mobby breaks the pony's neck ; mobby the ridei's. But whether he saves his neck or no, the party whose pony is thus tailed allers emerges tharfiom dishevelled an' wrought-up, an' hotter than a wolf. So no one plays this yere joke much ; not till he's ready to get shot at."' The author then goep on to tell in humorous fashion the practical application of this unique scheme, and its effect ou the unfortunate victim. " As I explains, this yere Jaybird capers along after Todd an' reaches over an* gets a handful of tho pony's tail; an' then wroppin' it round his saddle-horn, he goes by on the jump an' spreads Todd an' his bronco permiscus about the scene. This yere Todd goes along the gras* on all fours like a jackrabbifc. Which Todd, 1 reckons, is the

hostilest gent in south-east Arizona." Can you wonder at Todd's hostility? Calm reflection would seem to find some justification for it. Thus the tail of the British lion has been twisted rouud the saddle-horn of one secretary of state after another, and the bewildered animal has been turned end-for-end with a celerity that was as disconcerting as it was undignified. People assured the lion that this was only a joke, aud at fust the animal, while not approving that particular stylo of humour, seemed to believe it; but now the brute ia beginning to growl. Hi-j present afctifcudo of mind is most admirably set forth by Todd. I *• Wo-alls pick's Todd up, an' rounds up his pony—which scrambles lo its feet, cavortin' about like its mind is overturned— an' explains to him that this yore is a joke. But he's surly an' relentless about ifc, an' it don't take no hawk to sco he don't forgive Jaybird a little bit. 'Tallin' a gent's pony," aays Todd, 'is no doubt thrilhn' for folks lookin' on, but there's nothin' of a redeemin' nature in it from the atandp'int of the party whose pony is upheaved that a-way. Not to be misondorstood at this yere crisis, I waTjitß to announce that from now for'ard life' ,w»U- have but one, purpose with mc, ; which'll be to down tho next gent, whoever tails a pony of mine. The present- incident goes as a witticism; but you can gamble the next won't be so regarded.'" As '"tailing" diplomacy undoubtedly leads to war sooner or later, it may not be out of place to inquire what the United I Sbnt-is has to gain by a war with England. "V'oiiid it ba to the advantage of the United St'iie'i* if she broke up the British Empire Professor Thomas Davidsou, who is some■A'i'JiU outspokenly anti-English, says in the July Forum, regarding the downfall of the British Empire : '•

*' Though this is a consummation devoutly wished by most other nations and by tho world in general, hardly any greater calamity could Befall the world and the cause of human civilization. For, with all her faults and errors, all her superciliousness and rapaoity, she is to-day tho chief bulwark of freedom and civilization iv Europe; the champion of liberty of thought, sppech, action and intercourse ; the representative of healthy, vigorous, clean human life."

► The danger of the situation is enhanced by the fact that almost every American honestly believes the United States could thrash England, while almost every Englishman is as honestly convinced that America wouldn't have a ghost of a chance with Great Britain. If an impartial outsider like -myself may venture an opinion, I think that both are wrong. Ti>c chances are that the contest would be indecisive, and after fivo or six years it would end in a draw just as the war of 1812 ended, without a word in the settlement of the cause of the war. I have recently read with some care tho treaty of Ghent, which closed the last war between the two countries, and in it I can find nothing about the flag covering the merchandise, or on the right of search, two alleged causes of the war. Therefore did the war end futilely, as most wars do, and if it were not for the frightful tragedies by which all wars aro accompanied thore would be an element of opera bouff« about most contests. For instance, England fought for the right of search, let us say, and America {ought against it. Blocd and millions were squandered on the squabble. Yet less than half a century later we find the two countries reversing their positions, in the Trent affair; America exercising the right of search, and England ready to go to war because she did so. History makes very entertaining reading, aud it is strange that so little of it is done.

Now if ever there was a time when England could have been shattered it was durine the 1812 period. Her position was most extraordinary. Not only was she fighting the greatest military genius the world has ever seen, but she was also practically supporting the other nations of Europe who were bankrupted by Napoleon.

Just about the time of the close of the war with America in 1815 England paid to Rusfia over $16,000,000 ; to Prussia nearly §11,000,000; to Austria nearly $9,000,000, and to various other Powers various other sumn, the whole totalling to something like $55,000,000 to enable them to keep their

v armies in the field. This in addition to the 3 enormous expense ot keeping up her own 8 army and fleet. Certainly a wonderful thing ', for a little island to do, 50,000 square miles 1 less in area than the State of Texas. ? What did the United States pull out with, j after her two and a half years struggle with , a nation in suoh straits as Britain was then! A couple of cannon in front of the Detroit city hall are all the assets I've been able to see. i In 1807, before trouble began between-the i States and England, the trade of America > amounted to 8110,000,000 of exports and over $140,000,000 of imports, carried in \ 1,300,000 tons of American shipping. Ia , 1814 trade had fallen to something like ' $7,000,000 exports and $13,000,000 of in> i ports, while the shipping was literally wiped i off the face of the ocean. It takes a good i deal of glory to balauco r. disaster like this, and there is not even the poor consolation of knowing that the enemy suffered asaeverely. As a matter of fact, England's commerce in--1 creased during tha wholo contest. I give tho figures in all coses in round numbers, consequently less than the aotual amounts. 1 Kkolakd'* Oou-tie-icii During this War or 1818. Exports. Import*. 1807 « 15b.0*X),00(Wol. IM.OOO.WOdoI. 1812 .. . 190,000,000d01. 130,000,00M0t 1814 .. 265,000,000d01. IeS.OOO.OQOdoI You see these things are all past and for« gotten. I don't suppose anybody else but mysolf is reading history just now, because so many entertaining books are being pah. lished, and the papers are so full of in. terost, yet theae matters are worth studying. It is as well to know that the politioianu brought America to such a pass that two'thirds of her business men weut bankrupt; I that 1400 captured Amerioan ships, wert;'.'.'■! spld by auction iw prizes in London; IhiA taxes increased onorinou-jly and the govern- ; menfc had not credit enough to negotiate a j loan; that the northern states were in auoh a state of disgust at the hole in which they were placed that ia 1814 tliey came near to quitting the Union. Massachusetts and Net* Hampshire refused to send troops to ths army and openly threatened revolt if the war was not speedily brought to a close,•"-S There are two kinds of wars—a poopWa war and a politicians' war. Tho War of Xo> dependence was emphatically a people's war and was deservedly successful. The* War of 1812 was a politicians' war, as uurieoewsaM as it was disastrous. It is hard''to tell wliiqu was mo3t to blame, the pack of politicians in Washington or the pack of politicians hi i London ; anyhow, they accomplished it, aad ' the unfortunate people ot both conn tries had to stand the brunt. I regret to say that. ih, all my research I cannot find that a slngli politician had even his finger hurt. * ' A talented editorial writer mayglibly talk of the ' • muzzles of trus-ty curis," but let us not forget the poor devils wTio have to stand behind those trusty guns and in front of other muzzles, as well as the people who will have to pay for all this sport. Tlie path of ''hog diplomacy inevitably leads to war. Are the people going to alio* themselves to be hogged along that path by the politicians ? If a majority of them,wUr( for this sort of thing, then all right; there is no more to be eaid, except to give advice to get a few more battleships built as soon as Sosaible, and to provide other practicable ocks for them than the one at Halifax (rented at the rate of nearly a thousand dollars a day), for the muzzle of a jingo writer's trusty pen is but a poor defenceTa time of war. If, on the other hand, people don't wish to be hogged in that direction, then they should protest while it is yet time against "hog" diplomacy, and before ths battle cry of " Root, hog, or die," goes up.