The Portland daily press., 1896-12-08

which is by no means OF a wholly sehti7
nj entail or plilanthropie character. IL
lies SO near us as to be hardly separated
from ouI territory. Our actual pecunlaTY
interest il it is second only to that OF the
people and government of Spain. 1t Is
reasonably estimated that at least from
$50, coo, eco to $50, Geo, 0O0 of American
capital are invested in plantations and i'll
railroad, mining, and other business en-
terpiises Oh the Island. The volume of
trade between the United States and
Cuba, which in 1889 amounted to about
S64, 900, 600. rose in 1893 to about $l03,-
600, 900, and i'll 1894, the year before the
present iusurractioii broke out, amounted
TO nearly 500, 000, 000 Besides this large
peouniary. stake in the fortunes of Cuba,
the United States finds itself inextrica b y
involved in the present contest in other
ways both ve4atious and costly.
Many Cubans reside In this country
and indirectly promote the insurrection
through the press, by public meetings, by
the purchase and shipment of arms, by
ihe raising of funds, and by other means
which the split OF our institutions and
the tenor of our laws do not permit to bs
made the subject of criminal prosecu-
tions. Some Of them, though Cubans aJ
heart and in all their feelings and utter
ests, have taken out papers ms natural
ized citizens of the United States, "a pro-
eeeding resorted to with view TO rossI-
BILE protection by this government, and
not unnatnrally regarded with much
indignation by the country of their
origin The insurgents are undoubtedly
encouraged and supported by the wide
sprend sympathy the people OF this coun-
try always and instinctively feel for
every struggle for better and freer gov
ernment, and which, in the case OF the
more adventurous and restless elements
of our population leads in only too many
instances to active and personal partioi-
nation In the contest. The result is that
this government is constantly called
upon TO protect American citizens, to
claim damages for injuries to persons
and property, now estimated at many
millions OF dollars, and to ask explana-
tions and apologies for the acts OF
Spanish rnoffioials whose zeal for the
repre ssion of rebellion sometimes blinds
them to the immunities belonging to the
unotfending citizens of a friendly power.
1t follows from the sa,ae causes that the
United States Is compelled to actively
police long line of seaeoast against un-
lawfu expeditions, the escape of which
the utmost vigilance will not always
suffice to prevent
These inevitable entanglements of the
United States with the rebellion in
Cuba, the large American property in
terests affected and considerations of
philanthropy aud humanity in general
have led to a vehement demand in yari-
ous quarters for some sort of positive in
tsrvention on the part of the United
States. 1t was at first proposed that
bulligerent rights should be accorded to
the innrgents, proposition no longer
urged because. .untime!y and. in practical
operation clearly, perilous and injurious
to our own interests 1t has since been
and is now sometimes contended that
the independence of the insurgents
should be recognized. But imperfect aud
restricted as the Spanish government of
the iEland may be, no other exists 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 suggestion possibly worthy ..of
consideration were there any evidence
of a desire or willingness on the part of
Spain to entertain such a proposal. 1t Is
urged, finally, that, all other methods
failing, the existing internecine strife
in Cuba should be terminated by our in
teryention, even at the cost OF war be-
tween the United States and Spain, a
war which its advocates confidently
prophecy could be neither large in it's
proportions nor doubtful in its issue.
Tbe correctness of this forecast need be
neither affirmed nor denied. The United
States has nevertheless character to
maintain as a nation, which plainly
dictates that right and not might should
be the rule of its conduct. Further,
though the United States 'is..not nation
to which peace is a necessity, it is in
truth the most pacific of powers and de-
sires nothing SO much as to live in am1ty
with all the world. Its own ample and
diversified domainsr satisfy all longing
for tsrritory, preclude all dreams of con-
quest, and prevent any casting of
covoteous eyes upon peignporlng regions.
however attractive. That our conduct
towards Spain and her dominions has
constituted no exception to this national
disposition is made manifest by the
course of our government not only thus
far during the present irsurrsotion but
during the ten years that followed sthe
rising at Yara in 1868.
No other great power, it may be safely
said. sunder circumstances of similar
perplexity, would have manifested the
same restraint and ths same epatient en-
durancs. 1t may also be said that this
psrsistent attitude OF the United States
towards Spainsin connection with Cuba,
unQuestionably evinoes no slight respect
and regard for Spain on the part Of the
American people, They in truth do not
forget her connection with the discovery
underestimate the great qualities of the
Spanish people, nor fail to fully reOoR
nize their splendid patriotism and their
chivalrous devotion to the national honor.
They view with wonder and admiration
the cheerful resolution with which vast
bodies of men are sent across thousands
of miles of ocean, and an enormous debt
accumulated, that the costly possession
of the Gem of the Antilles may still hold
its place in the Spanish crown. And yet
neither the government nor the peepls of
the United States have shut their eyes to
the course of events i'll Cuba. or have
failed to realize the existence of conceded
grievances, which have led to the present
revolt from the authority of Spain, griev-
apces recognized by sths Queen Regent
and By the Cortes, voiced By the Eost
patriotic and enlightened of Spanish
statesmen, without regard to party, and
demonstrated by reforms proposed by the
executive and approved by the legislative
branch of the Spanish governments. 1t
is in ths assumed temper and disposition
of the Spanish government to remedy
these grievances, fortified by indications
of influential public opinion in Spain,
that this government has hoped 70 dis
cover the most promising and effective
means of composing the present strife,
with honor and advantage to Spain and
,f <h