Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1896-12-16

| truth, the most pacific of powers and desires
! nothing so much as to live at amity with all
the world Its own ample and diversified
| domains satisfy all possible longings for ter
!. ritory, preclude all dreams of conques and
/ prevent the casting of any covetous eyes
| upon neighboring regions, however attract
J i've. 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 Tar during the present Instruction but
| during the ten years that followed the rising
| at Yara in 1868. No other great power. il
| may safely be said, under circumstances OF
similar perpleHty, would have manifested
the same restraint and the same patient en-
durance
1t may also be said that thiJ persistent at
| t1tude of the United States towards Spain in
connection with Cuba will unuuestionably
| evince 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 of the Western hemis-
phere nor do they underestimate the great
qualities of the Spanish people, nor fail to
| fully recognize their splendid patriotism
| and their chivalrous devotion to the national
| honor They view with wonder and admira-
| tloh the cheerful resolution with which vast
DodleS OF men are sent across thousands OF
| miles of ocean and an enormous debt accum.
ulated, that the costly position of the gem Of
the Antilles may still hold its place in the
| Spanish crown. And yet neither the govern
| ment nor the people of the United States
| have shut their eyes to the course of events
| In Cuba or have failed to realize the exist
| ence OF conceded grievances which have led
| to the present revolt from the authority of
Spain grievances recognized by the Queen
| Regent and by the Cortes, voiced by the
| most patriotic and enlightened of Spanish
statesmen, without regard to party, remOn-
| strated by reforms proposed by the execu-
| tive and approved by the legislative branch
| of the Spanish government
1t is in the assumed temper and disposi-
| ton of the Spanish government to remedy
| these grievances, fortified by indie; MS OF
| influential public opinion in Spain, that this
| government has hoped to discover the most
promising and effective means of composing
| the present strife, with honor and advan-
tage to Spain and with the achievement of
| all the reasonable objects of the insurrec-
| ton
1t would seem that if Spain would offer to
| Cuba genuine autonomy measure of home
| rule which, while preserving the sover-
| 'lrn1ty OF Spain, would satisfy all rational
| require ements of her Spanish subjects there
| should be no just reason why the pacifica-
| ton of the island might not be effected on
| that basis. Such result would appear to
| be in the true interest of all concerned. 1t
| would at once stop the conflict, which is now
| consuming the resources of the island and
| making 1t worthless for whichever party
may ultimately prevail 1t would keep in
| tact the possessions of Spain without touch
| rather than impugned by the adequate re-
! dress of admitted grievances. 1t would put
, the prosperity of the island and the fortunes
| Of its inhabitants within their own control
| without severing the natural and ancien
| ties which bind them to the mother country
| and would yet enable them to test their ca
! pacity for self government under the most
| fdvord BILE conditions
| 1t has been objected on the one side that
| Spain should not promise autonomy until
| her inSnTQeOt SnhieCtS hei
| On the other side, that promised autonomy
| however liberal, is insufficient, because
without assurance of the promise being full
| filed.
| by Spain, of unconditional surrender on the
! part of the InSurgent Cubans before their
autonomy fS-eonceded is not altogether ap-
! parent. 1t Ignores important features of
| the situation-the stability two years dura
| ton has given to the inSurreCtion; the feas-
| lbll1ty of its prolongation 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;
| above all, the rank abuses which all parties
| IN Spain, all branches of her government
| and all her leading public men concede to
| exist and profess desire to remove. Facing
| such circumstances, to Withhold the proffer
! OF needed reforms until the parties demand
| Ing them put themselves at mercy by throw
| Ing down their arms, has the appearance of
| ueglecting the graveSt of perilS and inviting
| suspicion as to the sincerity of any pro-
| fessed willingness to grant reforms. The
| objection on behalf of the inSurgentS-that
! promised reform canot be relied upon-must
| of course be considered, though we have no
| right to assume, and reason for assum-
| Ing, that anything Spain undertakes to do
| for the relief OF Cuba will not be done ac-
| cording to both the spirit and the letter of
| the undertaking.
| Nevertheless, realizing that suspicious
| and precautions on the part of the weaker
of two combatants are always natural and
| not always unjustifable being sincerely de-
| slrous in the interest of both as we'll as on
| its own account, that the Cuban problem
| should be solved with the least possible de-
| lay, 1t was intimated by this government to
! the government of Spain some montns ago
| that II satisfactory measure of home rule
| were rendered the Cuban insurgents and
| would be accepted by them upon a gu4rautv
| OF its execution, the United States woUl.i en-
| deavor to find way not Objectionable to
Spain of furnishing such guaranty. while
| no definite response to this intimation has
yet been received from the Spanish govern
ment. Il is believed to be not altogetae- un-
| welcome, while, as already suggested no
reason is perceived why it should not be ap-
proved by the insurgents, neither party can
| tall to see. the Importance of early action
and both must realize that to prolong the
| present state of things for even a short
period Will add enormously to the time and
| labor and expenditure necessary to bring
| ABOUT tne lnouStrlal recuperation of the
| island 1t is, therefore, fervently hoped
on all grounds that earnest efforts for head
Ing the breach between Spain and the in
surgent Cubans, upon the lines above indi-
Gated, may be at once inaugurated and
pushed to an immediate successful issue
The friendly Offices of the United States
either in the manner above outlined or in
| any other way consistent with our constitu-
ton and laws will always be at the disposal
of either party.
Whatever circumstances may arise. our
policy and our interests would constrain US
| to object to the acquisition of the island or
an interference with its control by any other
| 1t should be added that it cannot be reason,
ably assumed that the hitherto expectant
| bttitude of the United States will be indefi-
nitely maintained.
| Wh1le we are anxious to accord all due re.
| pect to the sovereignty of SPAIN we cannot
'iew the pending conflict in all its features
and properly apprehend our inevitable rels-
| lions to it and its possible results without
| considering that by the course of events we
may be drawn into such an unusual auc un-
precedented condition as will fix d mt to
our patient waiting for Spain to end the
conflict either alone and in her own way,
or with our friendly cooperation.
When the inability CT Spain to deal sue
cessfully with the insurrection has become
manifest and it is demonstrated that her
| sovereignty is extinct in Cuba for all pur-
poses of its rightfui existence, and when a
hopeless struggle for its establishment
has degenerated into strife which mean.
oothing more than the useless sacrifice OF
human life and then utter destruction of the
very subject matter of the conflict a situa-
lOn will he presented in which our .b1;rr,