The record-union., 1896-03-25
SELF GOVERNMENT TOR CUBA
Speech Of Mills on His Joint Resolution
the Chief Interest in the Senate.
The Texas Senator Champions the
Cause of the Cubans.
The United States Morally Bound to
Put a Stop to the CrueIties and
MiSgOvernment There, and to Aid
the Cubans in Establishing a Gov
ernment of Their Own.

the Cubans in Establishing a Gov
ernment of Their Own.
WASHINGTON March 24.-The
matter of chief interest IN the Senate
to-day was the speech of Mills of Texas
in support of his joint resolution re-
quiring the President to procure from
the Spanish Government the right of
government for Cuba, or in the
event of Spain's refusal to take mill
tary possession of the island and hold
it until the Cubans organize a Govern
ment and raise naval and military
forces for it's defense
Mills took the ground that inasmuch
as the United States would not permit
England, France or any other country
to purchase or obtain the island from
Spain, and thus to ameliorate the condi-
tion of it's inhabitants the United
States was morally bound to put stop
to the cruelties and misgovernment
there, and to aid the Cubans in estab-
fishing a Government of their own
This idea was elaborated by Mills in a
passionate speech which at times drew
applause from the galleries.
Hoar (Rep) of Massachusetts offered
a resolution, which was agreed to, re-
quiring the President to transmit to the
Senate copies of all dispatches, notes
! and kilograms in the Department of
State from November, 1875, until the
pacification of Cuba in 1878, which re-
late to mediation or intervention by the
! United States in the affairs of that
iSlo md
with foreign Governments relative to
the same.
The joint resolution introduced yes
terday by Mills Oem) of Texas look
! ing to the seizure of the island of Cuba
by the United States in case the Span
ish Government snail refuse to grant
self government to the Cubans was
taken up, and Mills addressed the Sem
ate in advocacy of it.
He would have voted, he said, for all
the resolutions offered on the subject of
Cuba, because they were steps-al-
though short steps-in the line of march
which it was the duty of the people of
the United States to take The island
of Cuba did not, Mills declared stand in
the same relation to the people of the
! United States as Hungary, Poland, Ire
| land or Armenia did. If it did, then
| the craftsmanship Of the United States
had been at fault for a hundred years.
| The United States had never asserted
that it had any rights in Ireland, Hun
gary, Poland or elsewhere in Europe.
but it had asserted It's rights in every
solitary acre of land on the Western
! Hemisphere. 1t had there the highest
right-the right of MISREPRESENTATION.
/ The Monroe doctrine, he declared, was
as old as humanity, and God Almighty
was its author. For when he made man
! he placed in him the right to preserve
his life and liberty. The fathers of the
republic had said for q hundreS wears
to Cuba, to England to France, to all
the earth: You shall 1T touch one
solitary acre of this land with your
sovereignty"
1--WE have said" Mills continued
that we will resist with all the power
Of this Government the transfer of the
island of Cuba to any European Power.
Jefferson said it. Gallatin said it. John
Quincy Adams said it. Henry CLAY
said it. Martin Van Buren, said it.
James Buchanan said it. William e.
Marcy said it. 1t has been the un-
challenged American doctrine that the
island of Cuba shall remain with Spain.
unless it come to US; that Spain shall
hold it in trust; that we shall resist it's
transfer by the whole power of the
army and navy, and there we have
had it for a hundred years.
And now I come to the point. If we
have held that position by an asser-
tion of a moral right to protect our
selves, to secure our own commerce
and trade on the ocean; if we have
said that Cuba shall not go out of the
hands of Spain, knowing that England
might say to Cuba, I will give you the
Government that / gave Canada. / will
give you a Parliament, an Executive of
your own selection. 1 will give you the
power to levy your own taxation. if
you please. 1 will give you home gov
ernment 1 will not interfere except to
protect you in case any other Power
interferes with you,' yet the United
States has stood by as a jailer and
has said, That trade shall not be made.
/ Wherever there are rights" said
Mills. there are corresponding duties,
and | say that the people of the United
States owe to that down trodden people
of Cuba to say to Spain, The hour has
1 " y
ties. We are responsible for the slavery
OF that people; we are responsible for
every drop of blood you have shed: we
ere responsible for every dollar you
| have stolen. Our conscience is involved
! in this matter. Cuba has a right to
/ appeal to us, and we intend that you
shall give her free government
Mills read a letter detailing atroci-
n hax
! General Weyler in the last Cuban war.
and he characterized him as IAN afro
eious scoundrel, who would not be in
Cuba to-day if the United States had
! drawn her sword, as it was her duty to
do, and established a Government that
would protect helpless females in their
/ homes
| Mills compared the protection which
| Spain gives to Cuba to that which the
! hawk gives to the dove, and said that
all these atrocities were committed
while the United States was acting as
jailer and guardian.
t Mills recited an incident of an Ohio
Colonel accidentally wounding the hand
of the daughter of a Confederate Off
/ Ger in an attempt to arrest the officer
| The Ohio Colonel had shown great
anxiety about the wounded hand and
had finally asked for and obtained the
hand. and around that family hearth
he said There are half a dozen noble
boys, half Yankees and half rebel. but
all Americans" (Applause)
The point of the anecdote was that
Americans on either side of the great
civil war did not shoot or ill-use women
or children