Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1897-02-25

deavor to become permanent monarch,
aud when his grip weakened, a rebellion
won put new woud-be monach in
power.
Aud so on-no seed-time, no harvest.
no commerce--all attention must be given
TO war
THE BETTER ELEMENT
of those i'll The rebellion has no desire
for independence. They are, first, annex
ationiIts, and failing in that, they hope
that the United States may, with view
to trade, accept a protectorate over the
island for long term of years, until, as
they say, "rhe people may learn to man.
age themselves''
But this wise class is not in the ma
jority; there are three parties-autono-
nous, independent and annexationist
The first was the most conservative, and
was opposed to the war; the second is
composed Of the widest and most UNI
tamable radicals, of all colors and from all
natiors, men who are in desperate for
tune, have nothing to lose and everyt hing
to gam; the third party consists OF bust
ness men and planters, men Of means
aud with honest, unpoitical ambitions.
They know that for this island to be of
any value to itself or to the world it needs
to be under the firm hand of the United
States, or else left under the iron shod
heel of Spain.
1t would be better for us to mind our
own business and let them attend to their
own salvation. We cannot afford to pick
up t he quarrels of all the under dogs, in
or out of our hemisphere, however just
their cause may be. Neither should we
lick every disagreeabIe and hateful boy
lSpainl we meet just because we are able
and strong. If hese rebels become free,
they will hate US more than the Spanish
do, il hat be possible, because we did not
do more for them. BY he time the Ven
ezuelan question is settled, that people
will be hard down on US because we did
not give them half of England. That
Monroe doctrine happens to apply to a
bad lot, about altogether. But our own
Creoes are getting restless, and | suppose
we really need a war of some kind
have not written treason against my
government-the government which
adore! | have only shown that Il think
the sympathy, The speech and the acts of
many of our people are i'll advised; have
arraigned official lack of duty and desire
| to condemn the er parte evidence of the
newspaper.
1t may be thought that have been in
tlucnced by late association with Spanish
people. Not 50. | have known them
long and been familiar with Cuba for a
third Of a century. Have friends on bot h
sides of the question, but rather more on
the rebel side. A very longtime friend
Is Il captain of the Spanish Volunteers
/ lie desires to march with II Spanish army
upon Washington. In borrowed Ian
guage, ADVISED him to go when the
| police are asleep, and assured him that if
the army stood upon its good behavior
| it would not be moested.
! Notwithstanding my loyalty to Spanish
rights, do not know how soon |, or my
| heirs, might, unhappiIy, have burning
| grievance against that country. | have
seen mobs Of that people, and we are all
individually hated as cordially as a Cam
eron, a Call or a Mills could be. But
among them, it is always we'll to ''keep a
stiff upper lip" and equal all Spanish
bravado.
Next week l will write again and tell of
some more amusing things, noticed along
the way-side. RICHARDSON
Cienfuegos, Cuba, Jan. is, 1897
|