The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-02-13

The resolution reported 10y ,Hc Senate
Committee for Foreign Affairs. directing
that Spain be- requested to accord belli-
scront rights TO the iusurgent Cubans,
and looking 10 "A recognition of those
rights by the United States. seems likely
10 lead TO some queer complications.
Spain. IL is reported. will reply with
request that the United States will re-
quirc that the insurgents shall conform
90 the usagcs of civilized war. This re-
quiremcnt is natural and reasonable. be
fore any people can claim rights under
any law they must show that they
themselves respect and obey that law.
Before the cuban insurgents can claim
To be treated as civilized bsilserents
they must act as civilized hollgerents.
II has been the tradition for three genera
tions OF Americans that cuba ought TO
DC one of the United States OF North
America. President Polk specially ON
powered his Minister Plenipotentia.y and
Envoy Extraordinary to Spain in 1851
20 purchase Cuba for Slo0oO. o00-a sum
that in those days took away The breah
OF States and OF statesmen. The Govern
ment OF Queen Christina refused even
TO hear the proposition. and hence the
enterprise Of acquisition 10y peichase was
dropped.
But the purpose was deeply implanted
in the Southern heart. and hlbuster cx
petitions 10 cuba were frequently under
taken and failed. Quitman. the Governor Of
Mississippi. a soldier of reputation Of the
Mexican war, organized the greatest AMI
last one. proposed TO sail from New
Orleans, but he was arrested and tried
and his expedition broken mp and dis
pcrscd 10y Che whole power OF Buchanan's
administration. But ever since every shot
fired n cuba sounds along the Gulf
coast. Ike the picket firing giving notice
Of coming battle. and the heart of South
ern youth beats responsive to the cause
of "Cuha libre."
Eut circumstances have changed since
the times OF Polk and Saunders and Quit
man.
The fourteenth amendment has prccipi-
tated In the South problems which ii
viii take generations 10 solve and
emancipation in cuba only renders am
nexation impracticablo and undesirable.
II IS impossible TO form anything like
fair estimate of the condition of things
there. The Spaniards are said 10 have
aO.ro9 troops. regulars and volunteers. iu
the field The Insurgents spread ali over
tho island. burn cane-nelds. destroy
houses. obliteratC v.iiagcs-act as the
JacqueIio have always acted in all times
and in every country. When the igno-
rance ana vice and poverty of any Sc
ciety obtains power It's principal weapon
Is the torch-its main object the destruc-
lion o. property. So II was i'm Hayu and
san Domingo SO IL is whenever the
mob in a great city temporarily Gets the
upper hand Of the police. 1t is anarcny
Ana so 1t is now in Cuba
Ina war the weaker 20 to the wall. and
In a War OF savages. suffer most. So
there must 20 with the burnlngs in Cuba
on;rasos to women and Draining OF
babic2.
or the negro population. more than
onc-half ale native Africans. Cannbals
and sayagcs have been poured nto the
island in a constant stream To- three
centuries until ten years ago AMI war
made by them must be horrible ieyond
Imagination.
Well may Spain rotort TO the .nited
States. first make your proteges act
like civilized beings oefo,e thty can
siaim 10 be treated as sucn
AZ this present writing, 1t looks ~ II