The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1896-12-17

EsxkEan shs psoa va wkalo6s 6sSe Tss.
6eIiSd and separated froR Spain have become
prosperous and fairly wd conditioned, Sfnde-
pendent countries, the feeble old mother Goun-
try has gradually fallen Into lower and lower
estate, depending aid almost relying
Tor existence upon the stolen gold.
levied upon T. Cuba. Puerto Rico
and the Philippine islands. Spain
continues to be what she has always been--a
r0bber nation. l speak now OF the nation and
not OF her people. Some of the best and no.
blest names Of the ages came to us from Spain
whore, unhappily. too many Of them met their
sad and melancholy fates. And to-day, Us we'll
as in recent times. thare ore many noble men
and women who owe allegiance to the Spanish
throne, who adhere to her cause. hoping and
striving to improve and make better her pres
ent and future, but who can never outlive or
wipe out the traditions which have established
her reputation and fxed her status among the
kingdoms OF the eastern hemisphere.
III we wait for precedent we shall wait for
ever. II u precedent y needed we shall make
one. We violated every precedent by the
declaration Of our own independence on July
1, i776. We had no precedent. nor did we even
ask for advice Us to the change. In 17S9, from o
confederation to o union Of states. When we
announced the Monroe doctrine in 1923, 1t was
IN defiance of precedent, and was the deter
mination Of o rule which has become u law,
and will never be gainsaid. When we an
uounced, not many months ago, that we should
intervea g In the matter OF the Venezuela.
boundary, ind see for ourselves II our rights
were 10 be clouded by foreign dictation. we
followed no precedent, but that Of good Amer
ican onmon sense. And cOmm0 sense has
won. 81 n /,
these instances only show that up to this
time no assumption Of authority in regard to
the American affairs which this government
has made has ever been successfully contested.
We have now reached the time to take
another step In advance. We have already
proclaimed that the United States will have
something to say regarding matters affecting
the American cOutincnt, and we should now
announce that the speedy termination Of
Spanish control Of the = islands ata the
gateway q Of the Mexican gulf is nee
essary alike to the welfare Of those
islands and to the people Of the
United States. The present situation can not
continue. A population Of $4,000 white Cubans
and 900 colored Cubans, aggregating 1,450.-
OC0 persons, will never yield. and ought never
to submit, 10 the bloody military rule OF 10000
Spaniards. The Spanish element which has
always controlled and dominated Cuba since
Its discovery numbers only about one-tenth of
its population, Columbus declared: ss.This ~
the most beautiful land ever beheld by human
eyes, III October. 14ss. Now, in 1895, 1t is
given over to devastation and destruction.
Within its borders rages . war which
on both sides is declared TO DO . war either
Of determination on the one hand, or
liberty and Spanish exclusion on thc. other.
This condition must cease. The Spanish, after
two years' war, have failed to establish peace.
and the insurgents have tailed 10 reach their
hoped-for Independence This Wal. Of externi-
mntipp YnN2k pknrN HMNs sEAfANNa LIMO MHs KY uHHesas