The herald., 1896-12-11

This condition must cease. The Spanish.
tablish peace, and the insurgents have
failed to reach their Independence.
This war OF determination must stop.
This congress of the United States has
already recognised by solemn resolu-
tion the belligerent rights of Cuba, but
so long as 1t has not received the exec
utive approval 1t has no force. And IL
It had, it Is conceded that some other
course must be taken. The question to
be determined Is not fully clear. except
that the war must cease"
Mr.. Collum then spoke Of the progress
of the Spanish American republics In
South America. Then returning to Gu
ba he said: The government OF Cuba
by Spain - merely q tyranny, the gov
ernment being but u machine by which
the profits of the resident sugar grower
goes to I'LL the pockets OF the Spaniards
1000 miles away. A government which
years ago suffered dismemberment by
the severance of it's South American ter
ritories, which has been humiliated by
their success as independent countries,
finds its last claim to a profitable de-
tendency now threatened. The people
Of Cuba, who have borne oppression and
misgovernment for many generations,
have invited their oppressors to maj
determination. and have hidden them
of desOlation.
"Right or wrong. the struggle con-
tfnues and If we can judge by the his
tory of the men of both armies, it viii
continue until the last dollar is scent.
the last plantation is ruined and the
last machete has fallen from the hands
OF the last man The fighters there on
either side neither give nor ask for quar-
ter The war between Chile and Peru.
where hospital and ambulance service
were not needed after battle. will have
its counterpart in some extent in the
battlefields of Cuba. The successful
army will not be burdened with wound
ed enemies when few hours of throat
cutting will make ali as quiet as the
grave.
1T is on one hand a war to win, and
on the other a fight to the death. The
best blood of Andalusia, that winch rs
left of it, is not deemed too sacred TO
be sacrificed, if need be, in the contest
with the patriots, the mixed races who
are risking their all for the liberty OF
Cuba.
"Cuba today is lost to Spain. The pub
lie proclamation of Spanish defeat may
not have been officially and definitely
announced. but IN truth and in fact the
submission of Cuba will never again be
yielded as of old. The tribute OF va, Voo,-
900 to $40. 900 will never again replen-
ish the treasury of Spain.
"The contest of 1866 may sadly Grip
ple Cuba. but 1t will ruin Spain. re-
neat that Cuba is already lost to spain.
7 Were the trouble to stop now, the in
/. come to Spain, with the enormous eac-
tions she has always levled upon Cupa,
would be lost for some years. MANY
thousands of young men, OF the mower
of Spanish manhood, have been sacri-
feed to maintain the power OF a dynasty:
MANY thousand honest, sincere loyal
BOYS have left their homes In Spain
never to return. Many a mother weeps
unavaiIing tears for the lad who left
her side year ago and who now sleeps
in the fever swamps OF Cuba.
"The American people are coming to
the consideration of the Cuban situation
as they already have in certain other
cases. as a great political question:
continental question, If you please. AND
being a political continental question
it will be decided ultimately by the
continent whose interests are most
clearly involved. Geographically consld-
cred, Cuba cannot belong to Spain. She
is IN American waters, and pOlltlcally
js entitled to statehood on the continent
Of American parties.
HAS the United States no interest in
our own trade and commerce with an
island from which we receive fully 80
per cent of her vast sugar product, and
much the larger part of all her other
productions? The interests of the United
States, counting all things passing be-
tween the countries, reaches perhaps
500, 900, 900 annually, and already this
The Cuban exports of sugar alone have
fallen during the current year from over
4 million tons to less than a hundred
thousand tons. The tobacco trade is
dead. Neither will it revive until the
war stops and the Spaniards get out of
l~n& fe hn v11xy
trade problem
Has Spain any sympathy for or
friendship with this country? Americans
have been imprisoned and punished in
Cuba for even expressing sorrow for the
poor young medical students who We're
cruelty shot and murdered in Havana a
few years ago. There is not a family of
any standing in Cuba which has not lost
one or more boys by arbitrary arrests
and sunrise murder by armed troops.
who marched their victim to the place or
blood and shot them In the back. In the
present war, which has lasted about
twenty-one months. Spain has wasted
over a hundred millions and has put into
the field 200, 900 men and boys.
II have before intimated, and / be-
lieve it to be the duty of the United
States to use it's power as nation to de-
clare and to maintain a prerogative of
right, belonging generally to republic
anism and specifically to this republic.
that no charnel house of ruin shall be
continued in the West Indian waters,
whose waves break at our very front
gate, any longer than the time it shall
require to break it up and if the duty of
suppressing this damning blot and eras-
ing it forever from sight shall fall alone
upon the United States. so be it,
THE effort cannot fail. We shall not
wage any warfare for the acquisition of
territory for ourselves. We shall not
claim Cuba as a reward for saving her
from the slaughter, but we will not see
that fair island turned again to the mer-
cies Of wild beasts and vultures of war.
whose only stimulus is gain. Cuba libre
free Cuba-is the reward, and what q
glorious reward will that be-
Every citizen of the United States
will feel that his birthright as an Amer
lean freeman will mean something A
settlement must be made. The account
has been open and running long enough
yes, far too long. To this settlement
we may properly invite the cooperation
Of all the republics of the American con-
tfnent. But the end of the devastation
must be determined. The United States
must furnish the occasion if it does not
otherwise arise.
IF other means fail. we may consider
the propriety of a fair purchase o
Cuba. That method has had it's share OF
consideration under previous admins
trations. 1t is not that we want the ter
rtOry, but we mean that the trouble
shall meet that just settlement and con.
clusion. Let the end come and com,
quickly. Let the bloodshed cease and ie
freedom and humanity be glOrified 'rh,