The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1897-09-16

As far as the law Of nations would permit, we certainly gave materi,r.
support to the aus of freedom in South America.
We are also charged with withholding .moral" support. The answers
to this are the repeated resolutions passed in congress to aid the executive
in any constitutional effort 10 might make for tho hanos, ot ,ho Sa
and the interest and sympathy expressed through the press and other chan.
"m. '"n'' !" i"'' II Is o"e''aoe ht only from what we can
learn from the history of those times, but from our knowledge of the Amer
lean character and temper that we should have occupied Il cddly mn
the'n attitude toward the struggling patriots of South America, and al
though President Monroe gave a most scrupulous regard to the Observance,
our treaty with Spain, and the maintenance of a friendly neutrality. vet h
privately and officially repeatedly expressed, as did his cabinet and mr.
most distinguished statesmen, his warm concern in the affairs of the revolu.
tionists. In his message to congress in 1922, President Monroe said that
the movement in the Spanish provinces attracted attention and excited
the sympathy of our teIow-citEmns from its commencement:" also that "to
other claims a just sensibiity has always been felt and frankly acknowedp.
ed, but they, in themselves, could never become an adequate cause Of r.
Mr.. Monroe vas stl further embarrassed by the civil wars and djxen.
sions that prevailed among the revolutionists themselves, and time WIS., Oh
soluteiy necessary, in some instances. to ascertain what party yase entitled
to recognition as a government.
1t may be noted that when general recognition ws accorded in 1922
but a short time had elapsed from the triumph If General San Martin at Ii.
ma IN september 1871 which was by the nHolutionists themselves, con-
sidered hefnShing stroke to Spanish authority. and as such celebrated Wit,
that Il distinguished representative of Mexico should consider the derlora
ton of the Monroe doctrine. in 1923, as of no "matera' advantage to the
new republics and much more so that it was of n value rs giving moral"
support. 1t certainly had much to do with arresting the movementd design.
elsewhere. toreduce the revolving provinces anew to subsection TO Ferdinand
Before Mr.. Monroe had declared his famous "dortrinc. )" the British mimic
ter, George Canning, had informed the French Minister at London with
great emphasis, that if the design of the Holy Alliance was persisted in.
Great Britain would acknowledge the independence of the Spanish provin.
cs Great Britain decided to weaken Spain 50 as to enjoy trade with her
colonies This mad been denied her by the humane and gentle policy of
Spain toward her American subjects, which inflicted death upon them ~
the penalty for the crime of trading with any other people than the Smn-
iauds.
The motive which influenced the executive of the United States vas
more d1slnterested, although not entirely unselfsh. The Holy Alliance had
most clearly avo"ed its belief that no reform in government could mne
through a revolt of subjects against the authority of kings. who ruled v
divine right and they had made equally clear their purpose f. sunnress anv
in derogation of that right. They had PROMPTLY acted nnon that
declaration by marching a hundred Thousand Of their troops into Snnin and
prostrating a constitutional Cortes at the feet of Ferdinand. and by sup-
pressing the liberal movement in the Piedmont. They then proposed to
continue their operations on the western hemisphere for the restoration O.
the Spanish authohy. The United States had not at that time attained a
position among nations that 50 challenged the respect of Europe as to cause
a quarrel with her to be considered a momentous matter, and they had A risk
to run 50 grave that the Spanish republicans of America should appreciate if.
Senior Romero cites the historical fact that Mr.. Clay. secretary of for
clgn affairs requested the ministers of Mexico and Colombia to suspend an
expedition which their governments were jointly fttiag out for the invasion
of Cuba with a view of wrestling that island from the Spanish Grown. The
reasons given by Mr. Clay are not accepted Is sincere by the Mexican Minis
ter, who suggests that Mr.. Clay feared that the conquest o. tho island NV
Colombia and Mexico would lead to the abolition of slavery tbereon This
is based upon the hypothesis that the administration was being con-
Quoted in the interest of slavery in the United States. This administration
had for its president John Quincy Adam. a New Highlander of very great
ability and accomplishments, hostile to the institution of slavery, and the
representative to introduce into congress al abolition petition. Our
have been accustomed to consider Henry Clay as the highest TYNE Of
frank and fearless American manhood: and will not so lightly dscredit bs
in an affair of diplomacy.
The reason mentioned a given by Henry Clay was not the only one
which he avowed; but in itself it constituted a sufficient motive for discDu.
the proposed expedition. 1t was not believed that Colombia o. Mexi.
co. separately or jointly, without nayies and without resources wo,,d no
to hold the island against the adverse contention Of either France or
Britain, About this time and a little after, it was believed that
France as preparing a great fleet and army o. invasion to capture Cuba:
at M 'fne mere was a general report that possession OF the island had
oeh accomplished by her. Great Britain had been absorbing the Spanish
"s"s""S III II west Indies, and vas exceedingly anxious to add to the
list the gem of the Antilles: SO that the apprehensions Of Mr. r,, wro
""' "9 ehtrey rehohaoe, Il warranted by the history of the times.
Mr. Clay doubted the capacity of the Cuhans. on account of their small
numbers, ana the racial diversity Of the population. tt maintain their 4
However much the question Of slavery entered into our domestic
ma foreign policy, it is not easy to understand how the possession Of Cub,
by any power likely to get it would threaten the Institution in Americ, mr.
in Cuba. Great Britain, dashed by the elouuence of Wnbcrforco r,id
or ina mahunltte1 her slaves in 1898. France followed. a slow second in
o+o, aha Mexico did not ennancipate her own. Of which she had very fpw
until several years after the events here considered
1here Is no evidence that the inhabitants of Cuba had invited, h ain.
" colombia and Mexico, nor that they desired to throw or ,e sn.,.
yoke. There was no outbreak there contemporancous with te unrisin,
II me other colonies In the hour of SPANS calamity and confusion at bono
II act' te spanish crown, i'll grateful Acknowledgement of the LOYALTY of
he Nuhans IN these years of general rebellion, designated her .,he ovor
allhlul se. The invasion was projected. a. far as % can o,r, mi,
hroush sympathy with the Cuhans, but fron a natural and nro,cr dniron,
o''hoa IN Mexico to deprive their enemy of a convenient base o, onm,.
ions against them. present and future.
II othe reason hove mentioned was a sincere desire on tho mart of
oh"eo states TO terminate the long-protracted war between S,,ino and
cofonles' which had not only exhausted all the combutapts of thoi, w.
o"'es o' ho subjected the commerce of the United State, ia tba ,ue
us pirates III conveniently sheltered themselves under the enJ,o ~ an
o'"e' VI 'e repuolc' ME- Clay was earnestly engaged in urgincR pSIa
y 'ns "oouta peace, inc there Seems to be no doubt that the notion re
IT, Gay regarded by Senior Romero as unfriendlv. was re,rv ., to $780,.
"i Sf'he 10 Mexico and the other republics. a it made sn,i,f d- tho
cccS'y {" terminating the war with the colonies areadv ,,o fu, T..
uel 10 cur cuba and Puerto Rico that remained Ito her I, vs NJ.
lay ; o'>htss also to protect the material interests Of hc ou, oo,,.uu
'''oe Win havana vas greater that with all other Snanish rossuy,o,s