The times., 1897-12-29
WEDNESDAY. DECEMBER -. 1897.
Franc. in Cuba

A very iarc, part OF the debt which
SPAN owes, with the Cuhsn sovereignty
and revenues Bs secunty, is held IA France
Prom TINS point Of view. II is matter Tor
American thought that he French govern
ment has dispatched a commissioner to the
island t. investigate and 7eport upon the
conditions existing there.
The Importance TO us Of this action m
the part Cf our sister republic lies in the
notorious fact that. claiming to be ne
mentor and nation paramount of the
Western Hemisphere. yge have allowsd
without protest neighhoring coua ry
completely within the sphere OF our doni-
nant influence TO lie m arcilessIy and use
lessly wrecked, anc 100000 of its peace
ful inl4 4hitents starved OF butchered @li ~
in the past twelve months. Civilization
stands aghast at the sight; especially IN
view OF the knowledge that, at any tiur,
we could have stopped the devastation
and slaughter by calling Spain to a halt.
All mankind knows that a firm stand, such
as wa made by Great Britain in $40, when
the Elliott treaty. compelling he Spln-
isnds to proseoute civilized warfare. was
imposed upon them, or a threat or natia lal
Intervention, v would have rendered innDos-
s,ble the horrors Of the past year.
Every consideration OF national posti )n
and honor tefoTe the world; every American
precedent: the dictates Of international
law, and Christian, duty: and, beyond hat,
the plain spirit of the Monroe doctrine, have
made it mandatory upon us to step in and
put IN eri'l to the bideous crimes of SPAN
against humanity in our own neighhorhpo J.
That, in failing to DO SO, the preceding and
present a administrations have placed the
nation of Washington, Jefferson, nd Lin
coin in an attitude OF cowardice and an
fanny does Lot require argument. suffice
il that this is the light in which we are
regarded, and justly SO, 10y the modem
world
1t follows that, as TO the application Z
our vaunted Monroe doctrine, as applied
to Cuha, we have put ourselves out OF
court Since we decline TO exercise tlfe
rights and duties which our situation an1
the canons of international law impose
upon Us, we are not IN a position T. plead
our traditional policy as to EuDpsan
intervention il American affairs. IN tar
of any action that the oaiition OF western
Europe may seem justified In taking in
the interests of common humanity. By our
own tort, we aIe estopped from hold
The CubGn women and children shall Z c
outraged and butcheTed. and that our
own citizens shall tie macheted or tor
tured and murdered in jails-no Eur lpean
nation shah interfere TO end such reign
of fiendish terror.
Suppose that France, under the mandate
of western Europe should say to US: ''You
have abandoned your Monroe doctrine, in
that you have acknowledged a ''non-user.
in not appl wing it to he most fla grant vio-
lation of its preCepts and principles, in the
history of your foreign relationsi To save
an unhappy people from perpetua tion Of
the conditions which your alliance with
Spain's deyilish warfare a lone has rendered
possible, the French Republic will undertake
to save brave people people fighting for
liberty as once France saved your
Supposjne such a case. what in the name
Df justice or decency could we say?