The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-12-03
NOT so BELLTGHRENT.


NOT so BELLTGERENT
The friends of free Cuba in this city have
concluded to postpone, for few days at least,
the grand demonstration which was to have
come off at the Academy of Music tomorrow
evening, the cause alleged being the inability
of several distinguished Senators and Repre-
sentatives to be present at the time fixed.
The task of securing signatures to the petit
ton urging Congress to recognize the insur-
gents as belligerents has been quietly pro-
crossing, however, and it is claimed that fifty
thousand Philadelphians have affixed their
names thereto. Letters from number of
distinguished politicians endorsing the beli-
gerent movement have also been received and
given to the public among the writers being
ex-senator Wade, of Ohio, Senator Came
ron, of this State, and ''Sunset" Cox,
the bright light of the New York city
Democracy. But, unhappily, none of these
gentlemen can be present; and several others
who write in response to tho invitations OF
the committee decline to put in an appear
ance, some of them plainly taking grounds
against the movement, although nearly all are
free to express their earnest sympathies with
the Cuban cause. .-..
Senator Conkling, of New York, in his let
ter to the committee, puts the case very
clearly and sensibly. 'My sympathies," he
says, ''are very strongly with Cuba, and with
the ideas embodied in her effort to be free.
In so far as those ideas can be espoused in her
case, aOith honest regard for the requirements
Cfpu6lic laoO, trust they will be espoused in
this country by Government and people"
With this view of the case every true
American can heartily agrees but when the
friends of free Cuba urge upon Congress to
ignore the requirements of public law, and
recognize the Cuban insurgents as belliger-
ents, in defiance of our international obliga-
tions they exhibit much more concern for
the success of the Cuban patriots than for the
honor, dignity, and welfare of their own
country.
Ex-senator Wade, in his letter. takes a very
superficial view of the subject. He alleges,
what no American will dispute, that ''the
people of Cuba to-day have the same right to
govern themselves, asking no favors of Spain,
as the people of this republic have" Mr..
Wade then falls back upon history for par
allel, and says
'cThey-the people of Cuba-stand In the same re-
in the time of the Revolution and cannot this great
republic afford to be as generous to them the mon
arcby OF France was to us ~
But the champion of free Cuba ignores the
fact that at the time France extended such
material assistance to the struggling colonies
of this country she was already at war with
Great Britain, and gave us her assistance,
not because she hated kingcraft and tyranny,
and sympathized with every people who
sought the right of lf-government, but
because she saw an opportunity for disinte-
grating the territory and weakening the
power of her antagonist If the United
States were already at war with Spain, or had
q substantial grievance of her own against
that country, and were ready to go to war on
that account, it would be all very we'll to
recognize the Cuban insurgents as bellige-
rents before they have established their
right, under the international code, to such
recognition.
MIR. Wade, however, does not believe that
Spain would regard recognition as o cGsuS
6eN, but is prepared to support it, even if
Spain is determined to fight all who interfere.
The chances are that war would follow un-
timely action on the part of our Government;
augurated, it would be difficult to keep it
within narrow bounds. Besides sacrificing
our issue with Great Britain on the Alabama
claims question, we would encounter the risk
of long and destructive conflict with Euro
pean nations, and make the sad mistake of
plunging the country into war before it has
had an opportunity to recover from the de-
vastation and suffering of civil contest of
unparalleled proportions. The time for re-
cognition of the Cuban insurgents as bellige-
rents has not yet arrived Not until we can
espouse their cause with an ''honest regard
for the requirements of public law, can we
do so with safety, and without any of the
fearful risks which would be encountered at
present
| MAYOR SHuRTIEFF of Boston 10 q nannn