The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-29
HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF.


Spanish government to make large conces-
sions to the insurgents and the almost
fierce determination with which the latter
reject all overtures and declare they will
have nothing but independence If Spain
had offered two years ago what she offers
now the insurgents would have accepted
the terms gladly; if the insurgents had de-
manded two years ago what they demand
now they would have been deemed crazy.
| Yet the indications are that the present
offer of autonomy will be spurned and that
the insurgents will win. This would be
repetition of history. 1t is not more true that
1.-The blood of the martyrs is the seed of
the church" than 1t is that long-continued
oppression breeds insurrection and paves
the way for larger liberty or complete indie
| pendence. This has been the history of
| many rebellions and revolutions. 1t was
| pre-eminently true of the American revou-
| ton. George Washington is rightly called
| THE father of his country but George
| III might be called the father of American
independence. 1t was his short-sightedness.
his pigheadedness, his Bourbonism, his con-
tempt for popular rights, his insane de-
| termination to assert his authority and
make no concessions to those who owed I'M
| questioned allegiance-it was these qualities
| of George III exercised in the most Of
| fensve way during a long term of years,
| that drove the American colonists into re-
| bellon and sowed the seed and prepared
the soil for independence. Even after hos
| tilities began the rebels" could probably
| have been placated and the revolution
| averted by some retractions and conces-
| sions. Comparatively few of the leaders
thought of independence at the beginning
| of the trouble Benjamin Franklin said a
| few days before the fight at Lexington
that he had more than once Travelled almost
/ from one end of the continent to the other,
/ and kept a variety of company eating,
drinking and conversing with them freely.
| and never had heard from any person,
| drunk or sober the least expression of
| wish for a separation from the mother
country, or a hint that such a thing would
be advantageous to America" Thomas JEFF
| ferson wrote: What, eastward of New
| York, might have been the disposition to-
wards England before the commencement
of hostilities, I know not; but before that
| 1 never heard a whisper of a disposition
to separate from Great Britain; and after
that it's possibility was contemplated with
affiiction by ALL" In 1774 Washington APP
| proved the Fairfax county resolves, which
complained that "malevolent falsehoods''
were propagated by the ministry to preju-
| dice the mind of the King; particularly
that there is an intention in the colonies
| to set up for independent states" James
| Madison said ut has always been my i'm
| preston that re-establishment of the COL
onial relations to the parent country, as
| they were previous to the controversy, was
| the real object of every class of the peo-
| pie, till the despair of obtaining it," etc.
| With the people and leaders feeling that
| way wise King could easily have placated
them. All the colonists wanted at that time
| was liberal measure of autonomy and to
be judiciously let alone. But George III
had no notion of anything of that kind.
He would show the colonists that he was
King. His authority should be INDICATED
and they should be humbled. After hostil-
| tiles began he wrote to his prime minis
ter. Every means of distressing America
must meet with my concurrence" He
| strongly supported the employment of In
| dams The war called in England the
| Kings war There was no Weyler at
| hand and the ''reconcentrados" and starva-
ton policy could not be used against the
| Americans, but every means was tried to
| grind them into the dust. Every means ex-
| cept concession, and this came too late. In
| ITS, after three years of fighting and nearly
| two years after the declaration of independ-
ence. the King consented that new PROPOSE
tons should be made to the rebels These
| overtures, made through three accredited
commissioners who came to this country,
| were promptly rejected. The time was
| passed for the war to be ended by con-
| cessions. 1t was no longer home rule the
colonists wanted; they demanded independ-
ence. Three years before they would gladly
have accepted autonomy; now it was lib
erty or death.
| Put 1897 for 1776 Spain for Great Britain.
the Spanish Queen for George III, Cuba for
| the United States and Cuban Insurgents for
| American colonists and history is repeat
| ing itself. There has been the same long
| period of oppression and denial of Justice
| by Spain towards Cuba that there was by
| Great Britain towards her American colo
! MES, only longer and worse. There has been
| the same pig-headed determination to
| crush rebellion, enforce obedience and vim
| dictate the crown and the divine right of
| kings" There has been the same refusal
| to make any concessions to rebels, and the
| same determination to suppress the insur-
| rection by bribery, starvation, fire and
| sword. Now, after nearly three years of
/ fighting almost exactly the time taken by
| George ILL., the Spanish government comes
forward with overtures for peace on a basis
which would have been gladly accepted at
the beginning of the war. 1t is too late
| The answer of the Cuban insurgents is
| identically the same as was that of the
American colonists. They say to Spain.
Your concessions come toe late The time
has passed to have talked about autonomy.
home rule or reforms We will have indie
pendence or nothing" The indications are
| very strong that they will oct II apd 1,.ho,,