Rocky Ford enterprise., 1896-12-10

through the press, by public meetings. by
the purchase and shipment of arms. BY
the raising OF funds, and by other means,
which the spirit Of our institutions and
the tenor OF our laws do not permit to
be made the subject of criminal prosecu.
tlons. Some Of them, though Cubans at
heart and In all their feelings and In
ferests, have taken out papers as nat
| urallzed citizens OF the United States, a
proceeding restored to with view to pos
sible protection by this government and
not unnaturally regarded with much In
dlgnatlon by the country of their origin.
The insurgents are undoubtedly encour-
aged and supported by the widespread
sympathy the people OF this country al
ways and instinctively feel for every
struggle for better and freer government
and which In the case OF the more ad-
venturous and restless elements Of our
population leads only In too many In
stances to active and personal participa-
ton In the contest.
"The resul, Is that this government Is
constantly called upon to protect Amerl-
can citizens, to claim damages for In
1uries TO persons and property now estim-
ated at many millions OF dollars and
to ask explanations and apologies for the
acts of Spanish officials whose zeal for
the repression OF rebellion sometimes
blinds them to the immunities belonging
to the unoiIendlng citizen of a friendly
power. 1t follows from the same causes
that the United States Is compelled to act
lively police long line Of sea coast
against unlawful expeditions, the escape
OF which the utmost vigilance will not al
ways suffice to prevent. These newt
able entanglements OF the United States
with the rebellion In Cuba, the large
American property interests affected and
considerations Of philanthropy and hu-
mnnlty In general have led to a vehement
demand In various quarters for some sort
Of positive Intervention on the part of the
United States.
''It was at first proposed that belllger-
ent rights should be accorded the insur-
gents-a proposition no longer weighed
because untimely and in practical opera
tion clearly perllous and Injurious to our
own interests. 1t has since been and Is
now sometimes contended that the indie
pendence OF the insurgents should be
recognized. But imperfect and restricted
rs the Spanish government Of the island,
may be, no other exist there-unless the
will Of the military officer In temporary
command of a particular district can be
dignified as species Of government. 1t
is now also suggested that the United
States should buy the island-a sugges-
tion possibly worthy Of consideration II
there was any evidence Of desire or will
ingness on the part Of Spain to entertain
such a proposal. 1t Is urged, finally, that
all other methods failing, the existing
interneclne strife In Cuba should be ter
minated by our Intervention even at the
cost of war between the United States
and Spain-a war which Its advocates
confidently prophecy could be neither
large in Its proportions nor doubtful in Its
Issue.
''The correctness of this forecast need be
neither affirmed nor denied. The United
States has nevertheless a character ia
maintain as nation, which plainly die
tates that right and not might should be
| the rule of Its conduct"
The president at this point goes on al
) some length to comment upon our friend
ship for Spain and on the qualities oi
that nation.
"It would seem that IL Spain should
! offer to Cuba genuine autonomy-a meas
! ure of home rule which, while preserving
the sovereignty of Spain, would satisfy
. NIL rational requirement Of her Spanish
subjects-there should be no Just reason
why the pacification of the island nigh,
} not be effected on that basis. Such re.
!. suit would appear to be in the true inter.
, est of all concerned. 1t would at once
stop the conflict which is now consuming
the resources of the island, and making II
worthless for whichever party may ultim.
ately prevail. 1t would keep intact the
possessions of Spain without touching her
honor, which will be consulted rather than
impugned by the adequate redress of ad-
mitted grievances.
.sIt would put the prosperity of the IS
land and the fortunes of its inhabitants
within their own control, without sever
ing the natural and ancient ties which
bind them to the mother country, and
would yet enable them to test their ca
pacity for self-government under the most
favorable conditions. 1t has been object.
ed on the one side that Spain would not
promise autonomy until her insurgent
subjects lay down their arms; on the
other side the promised autonomy, how.
ever liberal. is insufficient because with.
out assurance of the promise being full.
filled.
"But the reasonableness Of the re-
quirement by Spain of the uncondi-
tional surrender on the part of the in
surgent Cubans before their auton-
omy is conceded is not altogether
apparent 1t ignores important fea.
lures of the situation-the stability
two years duration has given to the
insurrection; the feasibility of it's In.
definite prolongation in the nature of
things and as shown by past expert
ence; the utter and imminent ruin of
the island unless the present strife is
speedily composed; above all, the rank
abuses which all parties in Spain, all
branches of her government, and all
her leading public men concede to ex-
ist and profess a desire to remove.
Facing such circumstances to with
hold the proffer of needed reforms un-
til the parties demanding them to put
themselves at mercy by laying down
their arms has the appearance of ne
glecting the gravest perils and invit-
ing suspicion .as to the sincerity of
any professed willingness to grant re-
forms. The objection on behalf of
the nsurgents-that promised reforms
cannot be relied upon-must of course
be considered, though we have no
right to assume and no reason for as
suming that anything Spain under
takes to do for the relief of Cuba will
not be done according to both the spir-
1t and the letter of the undertaking.
Nevertheless, realizing that suspi-
cions and precautions on the part of
the weaker of the two combatants are
always natural and not always unjusti-
fiable-being sincerely desirous in the
; interest of both as well as on its own
account that the Cuban problem
Al