The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-03-24
WHAT A FOREIGN JoUR>AL THINKS
nE lis.

Spcctator presents great zeal VI ma
,o- for Americans to think on. ii Is the
strongest paper we have ever seen ~
snpnort OF General Washington's advice
fo his countryfnen to avoid changing al
liances with foreign States. We nave
all we can do to attend 10 the ahaiIs Oh
our own country, and IL we ever aA""
ourselves to be dragged into contests with
foreign powers, no one can foreten where
the thing wiz end. one thing is certain,
however. that we shall soon be loaded
with a debt that win crush the lie cut
Of our people.
The Spectators article is as follows;
AMERICA AND SPAIN.
We wonder II sensible Americans who
we suppose, in the last resort rune inc
United States, as sensible Englishmeh
rule Great Britain, have any ldea OIL inc
pace at which their country Is rushing
towards a new policy. Their settled ioed
mn TO the present time has been TO aVold
mixing themselves up in European poll
tics and to conine their activity, II pos
sible. TO North America, but at all events
10 the two continents in the western
hemisphere. In theory they stli adheie
10 this idea, which they regard as Sdcieu
because IL was Washington :, but III piac-
tice they show strong, though as yet
an unacknowledged, disposition TO dt~
part from 1t. They have become ehor-
mously numerous. being the second "hlle
State. in point OF numbers, IN the wo.iu'
their wealth has, for national purposes
practically no limit and they feel la
their prosperity and their pride an I'M
pulse to activity in all directions. AS the
New York Outlook recently observed
they are faced in their own hemisphere
by States which are not their cludlS'
they have never experienced any necta-
sity for caution in foreign relations, ana
they are inclined 10 believe, not only that
their own view as to foreign affairs ls
correct but that whenever 1t - iaiiy
presented to foreign nations the latter
will agree, and chcerfully resign am pre-
tensions of their own. The only c.ldi-
ton by wnich the Americans limit this
view is apparently that the particular
cause of quarrel in each case shall have
some relation to State in America or a
ship sailing under an American nag.
They think, naturally enough, perhaps,
with their training, that this condition
limits at once the sphere OF their cnei-
gies and the number OF their foes, bul
they will speedily find themselves 1915
taken. When they threaten STATE IKE
Chile, as they did few years ago. me
affair may be sort OF duel, because no
other State has any direct interest IN II;
but when they threaten "a Eur5p,dh IA
ton they disturb arrangements OF the
most complicated kind, and rouse ap en-
mites IN quarters Of which they never
think. Europe chuckled a little wren
they threatened Great Britain tho OtLer
day. because Europe is at once out OF
temper With this country, ana conn le"t
that she can take care of hers III tut
Europe was dead against the Union al
the same, and had the struggle gone on
to the bitter end the world might nave
witnessed some very singular compiia-
tons. Napoleon III. conquered mexico
during the great American civil war, ana
because that war was raging; ana II the
Union were exhausted, or even occupied
by q great war with England, prizes
would be open for seizure In South Amer
| lea which would excite in many nations
| a fury of greed. Imagine how open the
| ear of the German Emperor would De-
under such circumstances, 10 the Sriev-
| ances. real and imaginary, Of the great
| body Of German cetters in South Brazh'
| and how the Colonial party IN 1aiis
| would lecture on the anarchy revealed py
| the method Of the recent Brazilian tnYa-
| titioned between Germany and France IT
| might not be so easy 10 turn them out
| as it was TO turn out Napoleon Ill, VINO
| left Macmillan 10 be shot without risk
| ing a battle. Similarly, in this Cuban
affair the Americans imagine they are
| only dealing with Spain, but in reality
| they are risxing an alteration in the re-
| lations of all Europe.
| We do not profess "A final opinion as 10
| the merits OF the struggle IN cuba. Inc
| history of Spain gives us a strong preJu-
| dice against her methods OF colonial gov
! eminent which are always selfish ana
sometimes cruel; but. on the other hand,
we are unable to feel attracted TO Spanish
| American independence. Those states
| might have nourished as principAiues,
as one Of them, Chile, has flonrished ui-
/ der an oligarchy, but under RepuDlcah
| institutions the mixture OF colors IN tie
| populations appears 10 produce Il ten
| dency towards anarchy which has con-
! tinued TO manifest itself Tor seventy
| years. AS regards the special case Oh
| cuba, IL is even more difficult 10 form an
oninion owing TO the excessive care with
| which the Spaniards conceal Information
! and the excessive carelessness OF the
| Cubans as 20 any relation between theif
accounts and actual occurrences. That
| the Standards have q right to put down
rebellion is clear, if only from that great
! est OF precedents, the American supJu-
cation of the South: but If, as one seiia-
TOR alleged. the officials in Cuba are
..hideously cruel" the sympathy OF amer
leans with the sufferers is as much JUS
| tilted as our own sympathy with Arme-
mans.
We do not know for ourselves Whethei
| the Spanish accounts or the American
stories are correct-though we DO know
that the rebellion of lS6S-''G was put
down with shocking cruelty-and IL j.
therefore. as impartial observers that we
noint ont to our American friends the
conseoucnces OF recent incidents. The
senate and House Of Representatives
have passed resolutions calling on the
President TO accord TO the insurgents
benigerent rights. and the Senate, besides
Announcing all Spaniards in furious IAN
euage has asked Mr.. Cleveland TO advise
Spain to grant independence TO the Is
| land What is the result? Not only does
| SDain Immediately declare her readiness
for war and call out her maritime re-
serves. but she Immediately shirts hei
Mace in Europe, and having previously
displaved a slight bias towards The
| Triple Alliance. makes overtures 70
France Of a most serious kind. If France
will lend her diplomatic" assistance u
her American dispute she Will open al
her ports TO France in the event OF war
and will help her 10 obtain all she wants
an tho Hjnterland OF Morocco. These
terms have. IL is said, been Informally ac
cepted; while it is certain that the
French Government has encouraged groa
/ ffttur ipI Al II.