The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-04-04

don az recognislng their belligerency
that or. people have given their earnest
attention everywhere throughout the
United States. They have sent TO thla
house petitions and memorials beyond
number, coming from Legislatures
chambers OF commerce, boards OF trade
churches. societies and individual citt-
gems by tens Of thousands on the
other side individual members have re-
ceived letters from citizens deprecating
any action whatever. These letters are
almost always from those who can
themselves business men-brokera and
financial men-who are opposed 70 any
agitation or discussion OF q foreign
question and seem 10 care very llttl9
about either Cubans or Spaniards, but
chiefly about tho market.
People for II.
The unmlstallnhle voice Of the people
Of the United States, as expressed In
the enormous majority given in this
house, 29 to II, Is in favor Of recog-
mixing the belllgerency Of the cubans.
It IS against all this that all the Span
ish influences IN this country are most
strenuously exerted. It Is to this hope
OF recognition OF belligerency that all
Cubans and friends Of Cuba turn. The
reason Is plain. They know It would be
OF Importance and inestmable assist
ance to the Cuban cause. It would give
them a nag; 1t would give them a sta
tus in,the world. II they procured a ves-
sci and entered New York tomorrow
with their lone star nag, they would be
liable to be treated as pirates. The
Spanish minister would Immediately
claim that this should be done. But
with a recognized nag they could enter
as the ships from all countries DO.
They could buy munitions OF war
openly; they could buy supplies OF every
kind. Men could 90 openly, Il not armed
to Join them. They could negotiate
loanB-negotlate them as openly as the
Spaniards can now do. The Spanish
government buys munitions OF war At
Hartford and at Philadelphia, buys sup
piles, loads ships-in fact, the United
States Is to-day the base Of operations
in a furious war to crush those whe are
struggling for liberty. and our governs
ment has been busied for a year In obey
ing the lntImatlons Of the Spanish min
lister. Is this fairness2 Is this tustice2
Is this observing neutrality In this
struggle? Either in spirit or in fact are
we not efficient oppressors OF the Gu
bans?
Such has not been the policy Of our
government In earlier days. In 1915 the
Spanish minister, De 0nls. when tht
colonlsts in South America were strug-
Cling, Just as the Cubans are now, de-
manded that our ports should be closed
to the revolutlonists under the days OF
Buenos Ayres, Carthagena and the Mex
lean congress- and other places which
have, he says, "revolted against the au-
thority Of the king, my master" He
denounced them as pirates and bandits
and demanded that they should be so
treated. President Madison disregarded
his naughty demands and recognized
the belngerency Of the struggling colo
nists.
situation In Cuba.
The success OF the Cubans IS now
probable. For a year they have baffied
the armies Of Spain. In a recent state
ment by the Spanish minister, address,
ed to the people of the United States, he
said that Spain had sent 1250OO men
to Cuba. with this great army more
than forty war vessels have been CO.
operating to shut the Cubans in and
subdue them. Far from being subdued
they have fought on successfully for a
year, each month and each week press
Ing forward, bringing province after
province under their power, until their
authority has extended over 800 miles
from the eastern to the western end of
the island, and the Spanish forces are
to-day largely penned IN the cities It
is sometimes objected that we ought
not to encourage the Cubans to separ-
ate government, as they would simply
enter upon anarchy and successive rev
olutions, as so often has happened with
other Spanish-Amerlcan colonies. But,
In fact, Cuba differs from all the otherS
except Chile, in that two-thirds of It's
population are OF European origin.
Chile and Cuba are the only two spots
In Spanish-Amerlca where the Spanish
race colonlzed In the fashion In which
the Anglo=Saxons colonlzed by trans
planting their people and building up
their own race. Chile has been for fifty
years conspicuous in South America
for ability and energy. Her securities
were good in European markets forty
years ago. The other SpanisheAmeri-
can countries were in fact populations
largely Indian in blood. ruled by a
small proportion of the European race.
The million white people OF Cuba once
organized Into an independent govern
ment will soon settle into stable condi-
tlons and enter updp a career Of pros
perlty.
It is our duty to treat them to-day
with fairness, to observe neutrality
that is real. Americans who are de-
scendants of those who struggled
through a contest against tyranny like
that to-day In Cuba should not be false
10 the memory OF their fathers, nor to
the traditions and spirit OF their his-
tory. We are under no obligations TO
favor Spain and oppression, as against
Cuba and freedom. Remember how
Spain invaded and seized upon Santo
Domingo when the United States was
engaged In the war Of the rebellion.
II was disclosed in tho debates In the
spanish cortes afterward that that oc-
ctibation Of Santo Domingo was en-
tered upon expressly tn thwart the In
fluence of the United States and pres
vent our obtaining a station at Sam
ana, It was In this spirit that Spain so
early recognized the belligerency OF the
Confederates. month before blood
was shed in battle. 1t was done In CO.
operation with Louis Napoleon, who
also, pursuing the same scheme OF op-
preston, took advantage OF our troubles
10 overthrow the republic OF Mexico
and set up an empire there. We have
no debt Of gratitude and should be In
fluenced by no sentiments but those OF
Justice, and that enlightened self-in-
terest which is the true guide In the
policy Of nations.
When this vote has been given, rs It
will be, overwhelmingly by this house,
concurrinG with the senate In express.
lng the Will OF the people OF tho United
states, We cannot doubt that the exc
cutive will act aud obey the voice OF the
nation, and that we will speedily hear
that the President has recognized the
belllgerency Of the STRUGGLING Cubans.
The wannlng cause Of Spain has been
apparent from week 10 week for two