The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-12-23

duras, and the two black republics of
Spanish Santo Domingo and Hayti in
the Antilles. No serious question was
again raised with any European power
in regard to the insurrection or inde-
pendence of their American possess
sions until in 1869 rebellion broke out
in Cuba, and the insurgents. after or
ganizing a government and declaring
their independence, claimed recognition
from the United States.
The government of the United
States has always regarded Cuba as
within the sphere of it's most active
and serious interest. AS early as 1925,
when the newly recognized states of
Colombia and Mexico We're supposed
to be preparing an expedition to revo-
lutionize Cuba and Porto Rico. the
United States government interposed
its friendly offices with those govern
ments to request their forbearance.
THE actual condition of Spain
seemed to make her retention of Cuba
impossible. in which case the United
States would have been obliged, for
their own safety. to prevent the island
from falling into the hands of a strong
er power in Europe. That this emerg
ency did not occur may have been part
ly due TO the energy with which Mon
roe announced our right and our power
to prevent It, and his determination
TO use all the means within his COM
potency to guard against and fOrefend
OUR RIGHT TO INTERVENE.
This right of intervention In mat
ters relating to the external relations
of Cuba. asserted and exercised seven
ty years ago, has been asserted and
exercised at every crisis in which the
island has been involved. When the
Cuban insurgents In 1869 appealed to
the United States for recognition.
President Grant admitted the justice
of the claim and directed the la!nister
of the United States at Madrid to in
terpose our good offices with the Span
ish government in order to obtain by
a friendly arrangement the independ-
ence of the island.
THE story of that intervention Is
familiar to every member of the sem
ate, and was the basis of it's resolution
last session requesting the president
once more to interpose his friendly
offices with the Spanish government for
the recognition of the independence of
Cuba The resolution then adopted by
congress was perfectly understood to
carry with 1t all the consequences,
which necessarily would follow the re-
this point the situation needs no fur
ther comment. The action taken by
congress in the last session was taken
ON great consideration and just prin-
ciples. on right of intervention eXer-
cised seventy years ago, and after a
patient delay, uneXampled in history
The interval of nine months which
has elapsed since that action of con-
gress has proved the necessity of car
rying 1t out to completion. In the
words Of the presidents annual mes
sage: The stability two years dura-
ton has given to the insurrection: the
leaslDility OF it's indefinite prolonga-
ton in the nature of things, and as
shown by past experience; the utter
and imminent ruin of the island unless
the present strife is speedily composed
are, In our opinion, conclusive evidence
that the inability of Spain to deal sue
cessfully with the insurrection has
become manifest. and it is demonstrat
ed that her sovereignty Is extinct in
Cuba for all purposes of it's rightfu
existence.
"A hopeless struggle for its re-estab.
lishment has degenerated into a strife
whlch means nothing more than the
useless sacrifice of human life and the
utter destruction of the very subject
L.
DISAGREE WITH PRESIDENT.
Although the president appears to
nave reached a different conclusion
from ours. we believe this to be the ac-
tual situation of Cuba, and, being un-
able to see that further delay could
lead 10 any action other than that
which the president anticipated, we
agree with the conclusion of the mes
sage that. In such case, our obligations
to the sovereignty Of Spain are 'su-
perseded by higher obligations which
he can hardly hesitate to recognize and
discharge.
Following closely the action of Pres
ident Monroe in 1918. congress has al
ready declared in effect it's opinion that
there can be no rational interference
except on the basis of independence.
In 1922. as now, but with more force. it
was objected as we have shown, that