CONGRESS. (THE VENEZUELAN BOUNDARY CONTROVERSY.) 



1G5 



even to-day is less than $200.000.000 a year. Your 

 annual expenditures require $500,000,000 a year to- 

 day without any war. 



" Before we adjourn for the holidays we ought to 

 submit an amendment to the Constitution giving 

 Congress the power to levy and collect taxes on 

 both real and personal estate all over the country 

 in accordance with its value and not in proportion 

 to population. The American people will never 

 submit to a tax of that kind, unjust, wicked, nefa- 

 rious, as it is. if a large amount is drawn from their 

 pockets in such an unequal proportion, but the 

 American people will submit to any taxation that 

 is just and fair when it is levied for the purpose of 

 vindicating the honor, the safety, and the good 

 name of the republic. They will be lavish in both 

 money and blood. 



The Legislatures of a number of States will be 

 in session in a few days. We. without distinction 

 of party, in both branches of Congress, ought by a 

 unanimous vote to submit to the Legislatures an 

 amendment to the Constitution giving to the Na- 

 tional Government the power to reach the pockets 

 of all the $70,000,000,000 of wealth in this country, 

 so as to enable the Government to carry on the war 

 which it may wage, and to carry it on in accordance 

 with the interests and the honor of the American 

 people." 



Senator Lodge withdrew the amendment he of- 

 fered the day before, and spoke in favor of the sub- 

 stitute of the committee. 



Mr. Stewart, of Nevada, spoke in favor of the bill 

 as it came from the House. He said : 



" He [the President] has put himself in the 

 breach, and declared for the American doctrine of 

 self-defense and noninterference of any European 

 power with the governments or territories of any 

 c-juntry in all the Americas he has put himself 

 squarely there. Give him the money, and let him 

 make the investigation. 



" I do not believe there is danger of war. I do 

 not believe Great Britain will insist upon an unjust 

 demand against Venezuela when she knows that it 

 involves war with the United States. 



When the people of the United States are called 

 upon to defend the principles which they cherish as 

 most sacred, and to defend their rights against any 

 country, and particularly against" Great Britain, 

 there will be no lack of money. Seventy million 

 people can furnish all the money necessary to vin- 

 dicate their honor. There can be nothing more in- 

 jurious to the American people than to submit to 

 the arrogance of Great Britain. It breeds toady- 

 ism : it breeds dependence: it destroys American 

 manhood ; it destroys the pride of being an Ameri- 

 can citizen. 



" War under any cinnimstances is to be avoided 

 if possible. War is a great calamity, but it is noth- 

 ing to the sacrifice of honor. There are other 

 things worse than war. We have had twenty-five 

 years of abundant harvests and profound peace, 

 and there is more suffering to-day in the country 

 than ever before in its history. I am not sure 

 but the people of this country would welcome the 

 change, if it was from peace to war. in view of the 

 general distress which prevails." 



Senator White, of California, concurred in all 

 that had been said as to the necessity of enforcing 

 the Monroe doctrine, but did not see any r> 

 for great excitement or cause to expect war. He 

 was in favor of a full examination into the matter, 

 and thought the President should be allowed to se- 

 lect his own commission. He said : 



" The only question, as 1 understand it. before 

 the Senate is whether we will concur in enacting a 

 statute giving to the President the means to enable 

 him to carrv out the laudable desire which he ex- 



presses, and which we all wish may eventuate in a 

 final clear and convincing report and recommenda- 

 tion. So far as the means of accomplishing this 

 end are concerned, if I had my way about it I 

 would rather appropriate $100.01*0 for the purpose 

 of enabling the President to take such action in 

 this matter as may comport with his views of his 

 executive duty. I would rather omit the word 

 'commission' from the bill, and merely give the 

 President the money to enable him to obtain the 

 essential facts, by commission or otherwise, and 

 report the same to Congress, and. failing in this, I 

 prefer the House bill without amendment." 



He cited the resolution in regard to Hawaii 

 adopted by the Senate at the last session of the 

 late Congress as expressing the principle in refer- 

 ence to aggressions by foreign powers. 



Senator Mitchell, of Oregon, asked whether, in 

 case that Venezuela should from any cause consent 

 to transfer a portion of the territory in question 

 to Great Britain by treaty stipulation, the United 

 States could, in the opinion of the Senator from 

 California, consent and still be held as uphold- 

 ing the Monroe doctrine. Mr. White declined to 

 make any statement as to the proper course of 

 the country in a contingency which had not yet 

 arisen. 



Senator Mitchell, of Oregon, said he would an- 

 swer his own question by saying that the United 

 States could not consent to such a settlement and 

 at the same time vindicate the Monroe doctrine, 

 because, as he believed, the true construction of 

 the doctrine is that no European power shall, with- 

 out our consent, be permitted, either by force or by 

 treaty stipulation, to acquire one foot" of soil they 

 do not now own or control on this hemisphere. 



,ator Caffery, of Louisiana, concurred in Sena- 

 tor Sherman's opinion in favor of a conservative 

 and temperate course of action. He said, in part : 



' Let us give a breathing time. The people of 

 the United States are excited. I do not feel that I 

 am saying too much in saying that the members 

 of Congress are excited on this question. All the 

 facts surrounding it. every circumstance connected 

 with it, ought to be diligently inquired into and 

 temperately considered before we launch upon this 

 tremendous scheme of battle. 



Senators say that there is no danger of war. I 

 do not share with them in that opinion. I hope 

 they are correct : I pray that they are correct. 

 Feeling the deep responsibility entailed upon me 

 as a member of this Senate and a part of the war- 

 making power of this Government, while I do not 

 take counsel of any fear in my breast, it behooves 

 me to take counsel of my prudence : and in taking 

 counsel of that prudence. I consider it wise and 

 proper and just that the bill which has passed the 

 House of Representatives be amended as suggested 

 by the Senator from Ohio. 1 ' 



Senator Chandler, of New Hampshire, was in 

 favor of the bill as it came from the House. He 

 was willing to leave the selection of commissioners 

 to the President. In the course of his speech he 

 said: 



"The President of the United States in this 

 emergency lias risen above party. He has shown 

 himself to be patriotic and wholly American. In- 

 spired by the spirit of Massachusetts, which now 

 pervades and prevails in the State Department, he 

 has taken American ground, from which the United 

 States will never recede. I am in favor of meeting 

 the President upon that ground. Is there a Demo- 

 crat here who is in favor of doing any more than 

 ought to be done, hoping thereby to promote the 

 interests of his party i I do not believe there is. 

 Is there a Republican here in favor of doing less 

 than ought to be done, thinking thereby to promote 



