The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-06-04

"A oroNlng sentiment
WASHINGTON, June A. Special lit Is
impossible TO describe the state of public
opinion here on the Cuban question with
out reference 90 the rapid growth of the
sentiment in favor of annexation. In pre-.
vious dispatches | have reflected the opin
ions of prominent public men that annex
alton is likely TO be the outcome of an
( effort on the part of President Mckinley
I 10 interfere in Cubas behalf This idea
appears TO be rapidly spreading | have
! good reason TO believe that the annexation
/ idea is strongly intrenched in the minds
/ of the president and his advisers. A desire
/ for annexation is not what leads the presi-
/ dent 20 take up the cause of Cuba An
I nexation is the incident, not the purpose
of the movement that is likely 90 be insti.
tuted during the next month or two.
The presidents attitude has been de-
scribed to me by men who are i'm his conf.
dence 1t is very simple. Mr.. Mckinley
/ believes Spanish government in Cuba is q
failure; that it has been tried for long
time and found wanting; that there is no
I hope in it for the future; that if the pres
ent rebellion be suppressed there will
quickly arise another one; that it is ut
terly impossible for Spain to so rule Cuba
as to promote peace security, progress
the Advancement OF commerce and civilza-
tion in the island Furthermore, if the
present war, or semblance of war, be per.
mitted 10 go on much longer there will be
very little of Cuba left.
Reports of ConsuIs.
All this constitutes ample justification
for Intervention by the United States gov
eminent. But there are other reasons why
there should he intervention. The reports
of our consuls on file in the state depart
ment, which the president has been care
fully studying show that the war which
the Spanish are now carrying on in Cuba
is not a civilized. Christian warfare. 1t
is not military war at all. but a war up
on women and children. Innocent, peace
full people are driven from their homes,
penned up within the military lines and
subjected TO the horrors of starvation and
contagion.
Still another good ground for American
intervention under international law prec-
edent is found in the direct interest of the
United States-not only is our commerce
being destroyed, but the property of our
citizens to the value of many millions is
being destroyed. Claims against Spain
are well nigh worthless. Many millions of
department, are now pending. Spain is
bankrupt A quarter or even half cen
fury may pass before any of them are paid.
A member of the cabinet was kind
enough to call my attention to that nat
ural law which drives weak and poorly
organized states to the strong states for
protection. If Cuba cannot get progress
under SPAIN said this gentleman, 'she
has right TO get it where she can. 1t is
a natural, an inalienable right. The
cabinet minister then said this natural
law had never been more felicitousy stat
ed than by the late 5. 5. Cox, who in 1853
in speech i'm congress made an argument
which reads almost like prophecy as to the
conditions now prevailing
The Law of Nations.
"There IS law in history" said Mr..
Cox, (which is as ineXorable as fate. The
stronger races extend their power by alb
sorbing the weaker nations America is
not exempt from the operations of this
law Not more surely will northern Africa
become French, western and northern
Asia become Russian and southern and
central Asia become English than this
continent become American. The law
which commands this is higher than con
gressional enactment If we do not work
with it, it will work in spite of us This
law may be expressed thus: The weaker
and disorganized nations must be absorbed
by the strong and organized nations. Ma
tionalties of inferior grade must surrender
to those of superior civilization and polity.
This law drives the disorganized states
to the stronger for protection, happiness
and Advancement Whether the United
States goes and takes them, or they come
nely 70, INn talyn lAx,
must whirl in, throw off their nebulous
and uncertain form, and become crystal
lized into the higher forms of civilization.
THE largest expression of this law of
annexation is No nation has the right to
hold soil, virgin and rich, yet unproduc-
ing; no nation has a right to hold great
isthmian highways or strong defenses, on
this continent without the desire, will or
power to use them. They ought and must
inure to the Advancement of our com
merce. They must become confiscate TO
the DEGREES of Providence.
Failure of Spanish Rule.
Mr.. Cox then proceeded to discuss in
his mastery way the question of the an
nexation of Cuba TO the United States.
He made the statement that 'if the Thir-
ty fourth congress had aided President
Pierce in the Black Warrior matter, we
should now have Cuban representatives
on this floor I" Mr.. Cox's argument in
favor of the annexation of Cuba, made
nearly 40 years ago, is applicable to the
present day. He spoke of the failure of
SPANS rule, her neglect to develop the
island, her retarding influence upon civili-
zation, her pride which stood in the way
of an honorable sale of the island, and the
duty of the United States to be an instru-
ment of natural law, not an obstacle In
its way.
The Cuban negotiations which Presi-
dent Mckinley is about to enter upon will
present several phases as he goes from
step to step, but in the end it is believed
by many public men that Cuba will be-
cov,,p an ,parican colopy