Middletown transcript., 1896-03-21
REPRESENTATIVE WILLIS AND

REPRESENTATIVE WILLIS AND
CUBA.
Hon. Jonathan s. Willis, our Rep
resentatiye in Congress, made most
patriotic speech, brief and to the point,
when the question Of the recognition
of the belligerent rights of Cuba was
before the House. 1t issaid that the
Senate has somewhat changed in the
opinion Of its members upon this ques-
tion since the vote was taken. and the
testimony of men best able to judge.
commercial men, is that the Cubans
are not capable of self government.
Whether the government they would
form could be worse than the one taey
have endured for years is question.
1t is not for this reason, however, that
the Administration and Congress hest
tate to recognize the belligerent rights
of Cuba, but that they have no desire
to give offence to a friendly power.
Mr.. Willis made strong argument
in favor Of the resolution to recognize
the belligerent rights Of Cuba. Among
other things he, said:
ssIfthe case of Cuba were transferred
from America to Europe, we should
soon see the military power of all the
leading nations of that continent drawn
up in battle line at the frontier of con-
tention. and their squadrons of gun
boats lying 1.-THE nearest oaing waiting
to be assured that no detriment came
to their trade relations nor peril threat
ened their dominion. We have as
much at stake-yea, more than Europe
could have in such contest. TO say
nothing Of the destruction of our Gu
ban commerce and the material loss in
that direction, we are imperiled by the
possible issues of the conflict unless
they be directed toward Cuban inde-
pendence. That is the only sane, as
it is the only merciful, solution OF the
problem. Spain must lose Cuba. That
is inevitable. She has already exerted
her utmost power, and exerted it in
vain. Her army drafts have reached
their possible practical limit. Her
treasury is bankrupt, and her credit
impaired almost to exhaustion. Andyet
the insurgent bands still have possession
of fiye-sixths of the island, and hang
daily on the fianks of the Spanish forces.
The best general Of the Kingdom has
given up the cause as lost and gone
home, and in his place Spain has sent
over a military m6nstrosity; half-de
mon representative of the times of Cor
tez, and Pizarro, and Torquemada,
being with devils head and atiger's
heart, that, like a sea monster struck
by the lancers, she may make her death
furry her greatest jubilee.
Spain must lose Cuba. But into
whose hands shall Cuba fall? Suppose
Spain, realizing the impossibility of
holding her, should bargain for her
transfer to some foreign power in or
der to replenish her bankrupt treasury.
The United States would no. submit
to that, and war would be the result
probably great and devastating war.
This country would be blind and mad
to permit any other foreign power to
hold the key to the trade of Central
and South America by way of the Car
ibbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico and the
Mississippi. This country would be
blind and mad to allow any great for
eign power to set up vast naval en-
porium within 200 miles OF her coast,
especially in addition to Jamaica, Ber-
muda, and Halifax. We are already
virtually shut out from the seas. The.
gates of the Pacific have been practic-
ally closed against US. With the ex-
ception of Hawaii and Samoa, there is
scarcely in that vast ocean volcanic
mound as big as kitchen garden over
which has not been raised a foreign
flag, and unless we intend to content
ourselves with our c0a5tWise trade and
Interstate commerce. unless we intend
to abandon the water and take to the |
woods, we must preserve our rights
against the encroachments of the mari |
time nations of the world.
I say, sir. there is enough in this |
Cuban problem on the plane of merely |
material rights-the filthy lucre of ma
tional interests-tO warrant our inter- |
ference. But in contention like this |
these are scarcely wor h naming. When |
weighing against human life, a hu-
man soul, all the sordid treasures of
avarice are dust of the balance. In |
the providence of God. if there is one |
thing for which the American Repub-
lie above all other things was intended,
it is to teach the world the value of a |
man. With this idea as the central |
thought, it will be possible at last to |
mitigate and eliminate the despotisms |
Of earth and lift the multitudes into |
the light of freedom.
Sir, the resolution under consider
alton is as kindly as friendship should
require, as moderate as craftsmanship
should ask. as little as truth can de.
mand, and even less than humanity
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