Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1896-12-09

a war which it's advocates confidently
prophesy could be neither large in it's
proportions nor doubtful in it's issue.
The correctness of this forecast need be
| neither affirmed nor denied. The United
! States has, nevertheless a character to
maintain as g. nation which plainly die
tates that right and not might should be
the rule Of it's conduct. Further, though
! the United States is not a nation to which
peace is a necessity, it is in truth the
most pacific of powers and desires nothing
so much as to live in amity with all the
world. It's own ample and diversified do
! mains satisfy all possible longings for ter
ritory, preclude all dreams Of conquest
and prevent any casting of covetous eyes
upon neighboring regions, however, at
tractive. That our conduct towards Spain
and her dominiOns constituted no exception
to the national disposition is made mani
fest by the course Of our government, not
only thus far during the present insurrec-
ton, but during the ten years that followed
the uprising at Yara in 1868.
We Owe n Debt to Spain.
No other great power it may safely be
said, under circumstances of similar per-
plexty, would have manifested the same
restraint and the same patient endurance.
1t may also be said that this persistent
attitude of the United States towards
Spain in connection with Cuba unquestion-
ably evinces no slight respect and regard
for Spain on the part Of the American peo-
pie. They in truth do not forget her
connection with the discovery Of the West
ern hemisphere nor do they underestimate
the great qualities of the Spanish people,
nor fail to fully recognize their splendid
patriotism and their chivalrous devotion
to the national honor. They view with
wonder and admiration the cheerfulness
and resolution with which vast bodies Of
men are sent across thousands of miles of
| oy,1 Io104 Tod
that the costly possession of the Gem of
the Antilles may still hold it's place in
the Spanish crown. And if neither the
government nor the people Of the United
States have shut their eyes to the course
Of events in Cuba or have failed to realize
the existence of conceded grievances which
have led to the present revolt from the
authority of Spain. grievances recognized
by the queen regent and by the cortes,
voiced by the most patriotic and enlight-
ened Of Spanish statesmen without regard
to party and demonstrated by reforms pro-
posed by the executive and approved by
the legislative branch of the Spanish gov
eminent it is in the assumed temper and
disposition of the Spanish government to
remedy these grievances, fortified by lnd1-
cations of influential public opinion in
Spain that this government has hoped to
discover the most promising and effective
means OF composing the present strife with
achievement Of all the reasonable objects
of the instruction, it would seem that
if Spain should offer to Cuba genuine
autonomy-a measure of home rule, which,
while preserving the sovereignty Of Spain,
would satisfy all rational requirements of
her Spanish subjects-there should be no
just reason why the pacifcation Of the
island might not be effected on that basis.
Autonomy the True Policy.
Such a result would appear to be in the
true interest of all concerned 1t would
at once stop the conflict which is now
consuming the resources of the island and
making it worthless for whichever party
may ultimately prevail. 1t would keep
intact the possessions of Spain without
touching her honor, which will be con-
suited rather than impugned by the ade
quate redress of admitted grievances. 1t
would put on firm basis the prosperity of
the island and the fortunes Of its in
habitants within their own control, with
out severing the natural and ancient ties
which bind them to the mother county,
and would yet enable them to test their
capacity for self-government under the
most favorable conditions.
1t has been objected the one side that
Spain should not promise autonomy until
her insurgent subjects lay down their
arms; on the other side, that promised
autonomy, however liberal, would be in
sufficient because without assurance of the
promise being fulfilled.
But the reasonableness of a requirement
by Spain of unconditional surrender
the part of the insurgent Cubans before
their autonomy is conceded is not alto
gether apparent. 1t ignores important
features Of the situation-the stability OF
two years duration has given to the in
surrection the feasibility of it's indefinite
prclongation in the nature Of things, and,
/ bow NV CT
and imminent ruin of the island unless the
present strife is speedily composed, and
above all, the rank abuses which all par
ties in Spain, all branches in her govern
ments and all her leading public men con-
cede to exist and profess a desire to re-
move.
Facing such circumstances, to withhold
the proffer of needed reforms until the
parties demanding them put themselves at
mercy by throwing down their arms has
the appearance of neglecting the gravest
perils and inviting suspicion as to the
sincerity of any professed willingness to
grant reforms. The objection on behalf of
the insurgents Chat promised reforms can
not be relied upcn) must of course be con-
sidered, though we have no right to as
sumo and no reason for assuming that
anything Spain undertakes to do for the
relief of Cuba will not be done according
! to beth the spirit and the letter of the I'M
dertaking.
Nevertheless, realizing that suspicious
and precautions on the part Of the weaker
of two combatants are always natural and
not always unjustifable (the United States
being sincerely DESTROYS in the interest of
! both as we'll as on it's own account that
the Cuban problem should be solved with
the least possible delay, it was intimated
by this government to the government of
Spain some months ago that, if a salts
factory meas sure Of home rule were ten
dered the Cuban insurgents and would be
accepted by them upon a guaranty of it's
execution, the United States would en-
deavor to find a way not Objectionable to
Spain for furnishing such guaranty.
While no definite response to this init
nation has yet been received from the
Spanish government it is believed to be not
altogether unwelcome. while as already
suggested, no reason is perceived why it
should not be approved by the insurgents.
Neither party can fail to see the i'm
portance of early action and both must
realize that to prolong the present state
of things for even short period will add
enoromusly to the time and labor and ex-
n hiring about the in