OUR AMERICAN LETTER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10619, 14 March 1896, Page 6

OUR AMERICAN LETTER

(Fjeom Oem Own Corbesfondent.)

Sas Francisco, February 7.

THE POLIT.CAI, WOBED

has been several degrees copier than ifc vw nk this time last month. The heated dis'rbrs poured forth by ambitious politicans b;.vs given place to calm afterthoughts and iaotn-sd judgments. Ifc is generally regarded as beyond dispute that war between the United State* and England is not only improbable, bat thr.t isa possibility would bs a crime. True it is that Senator Davis—an aspirant for the Republican Presidential nomination—induced the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to adopt scd report a resolution which, not alone flatly con. tradictsd Sir Cleveland's message to Congress and Secretary Oiney's letter to Amkigsador Bayard, bat was virtually a declaration of war against ar>y and evsry European Power which migh^ seek to acquire by force, purchase, cession, or pledge &oy portion of territory in this hemisphere in the near or distant future.

How far the new Monroeism is being carried will be observed from a perusal of tho resnlu-. lion itself:—

"Kesolved: That the United States of America renffirm and confirm the doctrines and principles thus promulgated by. President Mouroe, and now declare that they will assert aod maintain that doctrine and those principles, ami will regard any infringement thereof, and particularly any attempt by any European Power to take or acquire any new or additional territory on the Aoaericiu continents, or any island adjacent thereto, in any cade or instance re to which the United States shall deem eueh attempt to be dangerous to their peace or safety, by or through force, pnrehase, cession, occupation, pledge, coionisfitioD, or protectorate, -whether under unfounded pretension, a« the inawfattition of an unfriendly disposition towards the United States, and thsfc ifc would, be, impoiisibla for ns to regard such interposition in any form with indifference." .

Ib was promptly pointed out that such i declaration a3 the above was a blunt repudiation of the President's assertion " that any adjustment of the boundary which Venezeula may doeoi for her advantage and made of her own free will, cannot of couTße bt objected to by the United States," but at the same time it is as well to remember that politicians do not profess to bred th«iu«elvcs to the dry and restricted application of Monroeism a? formulated by Monroe himself. Thase—and their Dame is legion—claim that, with time, the doctrine has grown ; new and ever-recurring crises in the continent's history cu.ll for a development and enlargement of the original proposition. The Monroeism brought forth by tha holy alliance is bnt the embryo, the germ, the seed, of the iator Monroeism of Senator Davia. Nor, as prisjiouslj pointed out, does the question of international law cut any serious figure. Law or no Jaw ifc is American doctrine, s.ed ss each we stand and if necessary will fight for it.

Such, briefly, is the latest passe of the policy of non-interfarenee upon the part of Eastern monarchies, or republics, with the new world. And it is difficult to ste how &Dy other policy is open to the United States. Clearly if the acquisition by force of a piece of land and tbe subsequent establishment of a monarchical form of government oe contrary and inimical to the constitution of tha United States, tben it follows that tb.B acquisition by peaceful cession or purchase or deed of gift of smy trasfc of country from one or more of the countries here by a European Power, aDd followed by a European form of government, is equally a policy fraught with danger to the rights and liberties at the United States. At all events this is a lies of reasoning followed by many, and its practical outcome ie fonod in resolutions sacli as Senator Davis has introduced in Congress with bo much approval. Of coarse, nothing will »s yet come of his action. The President is committed to a definite line of policy, and, in the event of Venezuela Belling to England the land in dispute, tbe United States could hardly, with honour, go bsok upon its Executive.

Neit in importance to the sentiments evolved by the above, the financial policy of the Administ.ratiou and the moans offered by Congress to aid tie Government were coatpiciious —not, however, by their success, bat, op to the present, by their failure. The Tariff Bill, which was to reSil the coffers of a depletpd Treasury, i« I hardly know where, bat, I bflieve, is to ba found in one of the many Senate committee rooms; whilst the Bond Bill has been converted into a Frse Silver Bill, and senators are gravely asserting the House will approve of this complete transformation of Hs own bill and that the President will not daie veto it!

Meanwhile the ofiars for the new loan of 100 OOO.OOOdoI workh of 4 per cent. United States bonds, payable in 30 je«6, hsve been received] and the country is delighted with its suecens. Thousand* of offers were sent in and 558,269,850d0l worth applied for at an avcroga of 1106877 per 100d»l bond. Presidsnt and people are alike delighted, as guch a result manifests to the outrids world that the people of this country ate detarauined to pay their debts with "honest inoiiey." CUBA IN THK SENATE. The senators of the United States in their anxiety to confer the blessings enjoyed by ns upon all the outcast waifs amoug the nations have, it is hardly needful to Bay, cast the crushing weight of their rhetoric npon poor, bloodstained, demon-haonfcsd Cuba. Tiio struggle in Cub* of a half-savage r*ee against one of the traly effete monarchies of old Europe, thongh not in itself worthy of much admiration, yet calls fer come little sympathy. The pluck »nd pertinacity displayed by these revolted islanders against the corruption of their rulers, under the moat depressing conditions and painful disadvantages, daring one year cad more, has at last converted the world to the belief that there is something that may fairly ha termed war going on in Cuba. And this being so, the insurgents, having a Government and Executive of their own, all the forms of a civilised order of things being in&ugnraisd, and those tjnalified to judge contending tobe rebel of to-day will be the hero and patriot of to-morrow, the question arises " Ought not the United States to grant to the Cuban insurgents the rights of belligerents?", Such recognition

would place the " rebels " on a sure foundation. They could purchase arms and ammimirion from this country upon tho same footing bs Spain; there wonld be no distinction between | the two cooteatanta, and the EnropeaD Power would have the satisfaction of learning fchst not all ths world Tegwici the islanders as msre pluuderers and brafcss to be shot without Boetey. ■therefore, Ul3 Senate h»s received from its Foreign Relations Committee a resolution! put in the form of a request to the President, that he request Spnin, in a frieDdly spirit, to " accord to the armies with which it is engaged in war the rights of belligerents, as the ume are recognised under the Law of Nations." And j judging from the press and the run of pnblia opinion it would appear that the President is more than likely ta tefce (some definite action within a brief period upon a question of v much moment to the Cuban people. AITKBICAHS IN THE TRANSVAAL. ■ The strange bitterness against the English 1 chronic among the politicians and mawae here found vent in tha fierce demrMiatioiui of. British policy in regard to the Transvaal. Senator after fn.rte.tor aud representative after representative appe*red too eager to poise before the public as the author of some more or less fiercely-worded ifjpolntion denunciatory of British greed and Jsriti*h aggression. 'How hot the feeliDjj ia was made manifest when bo Its j a person tfesn. Senator Morgan, lute Ch*n-m*u of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, ratrottocsd a ranolotion to the effect that Congress cable its congrainlatiom to President K?nger, of tbe Transvaal, for the noble way in which ho hid vindicate! ttw right of self-goverumsut against monarchical aggression and plunder—with much more of the same kind. Of course it is evident th&t nothing but a desire to float England could have been tfee reason for orach a resolution. Senator Morgan ongfct to have known, and wonld bave koown had he curbed the hot haste and fiery speed ■of his impetuous tongup, thai; far 'from Jameson's raid endangering eelf-government, or Republican io«tita&»ss, the saceess of 2500 B«wj over 809 lioif-feved adreritnrers went a much longer way towards such dissater. Nor, could men—at least, some men—forbear to, smile when the grandest and greetest nation on earth, at that mi.Hcejit particularly eßgaged in twisting tbs lioc's tail, had through Its ambassador to appeal t.4 (*e Engliah Government to pretect American citarens who had fallen into the horny hand of that oligarchic chief, Krugor. Of course the cheerful Msurancs that every protection wouM be, and hag been, given was not the least gslisag drop in the newspaper patriot's cup, but bn had-spite of oH bis wry faces—to diiak it v?. Itere was no hslp foi it: t&e brato Joba Ball was rtmnjnjj everything his own way again.

Detailed mformaitoo, however, from some o£ the imprisoned Ameusfjss ha* conclusively shown that the men whom Krojrer arrested wore merely esercieii>g the veriest commonplaces of British or Aoserican eitizeoship. They were met together to discuss grievances and demand reforms of tie—to njj—bws(> elementary kind. One of these, wiring direct from Pretoria, nniier d»te January 31, says— "Up to 1564 tie Transvaal waa a purely pastoral coontrj and the government of tha country w»s carries on to meet tbeir requirements. There were bo miaee, no cities, no indnsteies, few schools, little ajrieaßore; nothing but cattle rearing.

"There was, and in now, no fixed Constitution, for a mere resolution cottid suspend, vary, or annul ttffl whole basis of government and citizenship, and a voich in affair* could then ba obtained after five years' residence.

"In 1885 the goidSalda started, aod since that time mines b«ve besn opened, ei&iei bare sprang up, vast industries Lace been established and thousands of skilled men have poured into the country.. The new popnlr.tion is now more than doable the number o£ pastoral Boers. " The Dowcomer has no voice in the affairs, no say in taxation nor in legislation. The newcomer is indirectly tweed heavily, while tha Boers —who have ali the aay—are hardly taxed at all. The towns bava no representation. "Over 10,000 English-speaking people have to send their children to Dutch schools if they want Government assistance. Food stuffj are heavily taxed. Consequently wages are enormous. Bnt the wage-earners derive no Dene St. " Millions of money have been invested, and American citizens have an enormous (take in tte country.

" Americans mb the most prominent among the leading miniug men; still, the Boers refuse them the smallest cay in the country, just as might the founders of tha American Union have denied citizenship to all who came after them ■

" Since 1888 the legislation has been most reactionary. The five years' residence for citizenship has been extended to 15 for men who naturalise themselves after they are 30 years of age, so tbat no one can become a citizen here before he ia. 44 ynars of age. Children born here of parents not naturalised cannot become citizens. Naturalisation takes away foreigu citizenship, but confers no real benefit—onlj burdeos.

" A naturalised citizen has no vote in the Awembly which controls the purse, imposes taxation, and determines the country's policy. A naturalised subject may only vote for a subeervient body, which ndvises the Assembly." It is clear statements such as the above that make msn of the Morgan stamp vrhen they read them a'sume so many shades of visage in so many seconds of time as to qualify them for a special attraction Sn a dime museum ; but it ia none the less true that orators and statesmen (?) of the Morgan genus sre largely in the majority in this country, and they pour forth their rabid and infantile resolutions in ao active a manner that, m Premier Ribot said oa Monday last, "it is hard to estimate the practical vslae." Their value, I affirm, so far as the outside worid and actual legislation are concerned, is nil; they, are introduced solely and exclntively to create a sceae, oanse some talk, and secure a cheap advertisement for the authors. Meanwhile, so far as the Americans in the Transvaal are conerned, were it cot tfiateverybodyimowg why certain senators are doiag a lot of writing and telegraphiog, the agitation over their detention and the fond fears expressed that they will be ira}c«&ly dealt with tir<3 puerile chatter. England baa promised the sasja privileges to Americana as to Englishmen, and American* will get it. Therefore, let us have pence.