The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-14

dustries, m and shipping, great in
deed Is the advance of Russia in our times.
Life to Russia always our friend.
What We Did for the Spanish-Amer-
lean Colonies.
In the July number of the North Amert-
can Rerie1D the Mexican Minister, Senor
ROMERO, declared that the revolted Span
ish colonies on the American mainland
established their Independence without aid
from any outside source, and denied that
the United States ever endered them
material or moral assistance. This asser.
ton is denied by Hon. the II. d. MONEY,
Senator-elect from Mississippi, in the cur
rent number of the same periodical.
Before noting some Of the effective points
In Mr.. MoNEY's reply to Sehor ROMERO, we
should direct attention to the fact that the
United States were in a peculiar position
with regard to Spain throughout the strug.
gle of her American colonies for their in
dependence. During the whole OF that con-
test we were engaged in negotiations with
their mother country in which national
vital interests of our own were involved.
We have in mind, of course, the necessity
Of settling the boundary line between
the Louisiana Territory and Texas, and
also the Importance of acquiring Flor
Ida. but for which the present States
Of Alabama and Mississippi would have
had no direct outlet to the Gulf of
Mexico. Until the desired arrangements
with relation to those matters could be
brought about, it would have been q~uixotic
on the part Of an American President to
recognize the independence of Spanish
American colonies. Nevertheless, Just such
a quixotic act was ultimately performed by
President MONROE when, in 1922, after
waiting much longer than HENRY CLAY
thought he should have waited, he con.
sented to recognize the independence of
some of the Spanish-American republics.
Another thing to which neither SeGor
ROMERO nor Mr.. MONEY seems to pay suf.
fcient heed is the fact that although we
deferred the recognition of those colonies
as independent until 1892, we recognized
them as belligerents and conceded to them
all the rights of neutrals almost from the
outset of the troubles. This Is a fact
abundantly attested in our official pa
pers, and conspicuously in a message
of President MONROE, and in the in
structions given by j. Q. ADAMS, Mon
RoE's Secretary of State, to RICHARD
RUSH. United States Minister to Eng
land. Now we need not say that the
concession Of belligerent rights to the
American colonies was of the utmost mo.
ment to them, and for that reason was
made the subject of continual protest on
the part of the Madrid Government. We
Inrn - No r-t ,nnln o..
to the Cuban revolutionists, and herein
lies the capital difference between our
treatment of them and of their brethren on
the mainland of Spanish America.
From the moment that we recognized the
Spanish-American colonies as belligerents,
and observed a strict neutrality between
them and their mother country, we rem
dered them material assistance Of the very
kind for which the Cubans petitioned in
vain during the ten years war, and for
which they have as yet petitioned fruit
lessly during the present struggle. As to
our alleged withholding of moral support
from the Spanish American colonies, Mr..
NONE cites by way of answer resolutions
repeatedly passed in Congress to the effect
that the Federal Legislature would second
the Executive In any constitutional effort
he might make for the benefit of the re.
voltcd colonies. On the interest expressed
through the press and other channels of
publicity, as carly ~ the abortive ex.
petition of Miranda, it would be superlu.
Gus to dwell. The truth is that President
MONROE himself, although he gave scru.
pulous heed to the maintenance of neutral.
ity between the parties to the contest, a
neutrality which, we repeat, the Cubans
have asked for in vain, over and over
again, expressed, not only privately, but
officially, the warm interest with which
he followed the efforts of the revolutionists
to make good their independence. In these
expressions the members of his Cabinet.
and the most distinguished American
statesmen OF the epoch, VIGOROUSLY Joined.
AS to the objection offered by HENRY
CLAY, when Secretary of State In the nd.
ministration of j. Q. ADAMS, to the In.
vasion Of Cuba contemplated by the Gov.
rnmen OF Mexico and Colombia, the rca-
son for his attitude Is truthfully stated by
Mr.. MONEY, and it Is one which loudlv
us to interpose at this time in
Cuba. 1t was CLAY's business to nrotect
the material interests of his own country
Our trade with Havana was greater than
with all the other Spanish possessions
and from a desire to avert the injury or
destruction of it by an invasion, Gay
frankly said to the Ministers of Colombia
| and Mexico that the interests of the Unitad