Page:The Presidents of the United States, 1789-1914, v. III.djvu/340

288 LIVES OF THE PRESIDENTS do with strengthening this feeling, and although the secretary s position in this matter was gener ally sustained by constitutional lawyers it doubtless had its effect in still further estranging many sena tors from the administration. Another difference of opinion of the same kind occurred in the case of certain extradition treaties negotiated by Secretary Olney with the Argentine Republic and the Orange Free State. In these treaties, by the president s desire, as was understood, a clause was incorpo rated providing for the surrender of American citi zens to the authorities of a foreign country pro vided such citizens have been guilty of crime within the jurisdiction of the country that demands their return. This was intended to prevent this country from becoming an asylum for European criminals, who had been granted naturalization papers here and who should attempt to make their naturaliza tion protect them from the consequences of their past criminal acts. But this plan has never been adopted by any other country, and the attempt to cause the United States to initiate it was not in ac cordance with public opinion. On January 28, 1897, the senate ratified both treaties, but with amendments conferring discretionary power on the surrendering government in the matter of giving up its own citizens. As the time for the meeting of the national dem ocratic convention of 1896 drew nigh it became ap-