The San Francisco call., 1897-11-26

hanged, as our statutes are now formula ted.
In the absence of any official knowledge o1
war IN Cuba, call home our o ice of the seas,
and permit legitimate trade % run its course
This policy of doing nothing" with ouI
gunboats to trnmmel our trade viii sci Cuba
free letting loose ii would the tloodgates ol
American generosity toward the lnsurgent S.
But as tnlS plain road OF duty seems too mucn
TO expect from American executives, then bel.
lig rent rights when granted by Congress VIII
surely bring the victory TO Cuba ior when
the heart OF Christendom has prayed.
But autonomy is interpoSed to stay the hand
OF destiny. Too late-too late. Spain by per
idious diplomacy now tries 10 win the trl-
umph her sword has iailed TO gain. 1t is an
impudent attempt tO repeat history. Twenty
years ago practically this same offer OF auton-
omy was made, and, yielding 10 the tempter'
The insurgents then laid down their arms.
How bs>e.y that promise was GeUayed DV
Spain the world knows aud the present revo-
luton cert.ties THIS scheme OF lnlqulty
surely cannot succeed the second time.
Spain extends The hand OF pretended kind
ness because she is CONF elied 10 do so; and,
granting as little is possible, she will fulfill
even that, under compulslon only When TINS
compuslor is dissolved by Ctace, then Will
CONF me betrayal, and then again another
revouuon. Spain is on her KIN eS; why not
Keep her tnere, poweresS Tor future mischief
10 mankind? over the past she seeks TO spread
Il garment SpaHgied with pledges OF repent
auce; but with this she cannot give back tho
lives she has Ut edIesSly destroyed, nor blot
from memory he unutterable horrors which
j
exist i'll beneath the cloth OF tinSel. 1t
would be the most wicked chapter OF the GEN.
Jury 20 permit rehabilitation to Spain In Cuba.
The burglar Ioied in his vlllany is not the
man 10 place in charge of the bank he would
nave ruined. And the American, whether an
official or a private citizen, VINO lends his aid
10 this scheme OF Spanish perfdy, jeopardizes
his re putation as an honest man.
Autonomy IS only another name for i'm posi-
ton and fraud. SO say those who have the
best claim 10 speak for Cuban interests. The
statesmen OF Cuba repudiate it. The com
manders in the fed SAY, independence or
death" And lately the eXiles of Cuba. who
together represent more than half of the
property values OF the entire island, meT-
chants, bankers and planters. who today bear
the burdens OF the war by their cOntr buttons
TO its treasury, at 4 mass-meetng held in This
city, in very decided language declared that
n o fer from Spain will be considered short OF
absolute independence.
The threat of war is put forth at times to
cheek the generous impulses of our people.
Here the insecure craven is betrayed again
by the alb ,urdlty OF the proposition There
cannot be any war with Spain because We
grant be beligerent rights, since in all history
III tsS never been considered as casus
beli between nations. Spain granted beliig-
erent Tlgh Is TO lhe Confederate States, but our
nation did II not.treat it even as a grievance. We
are peaceful people AID q o not want war No
man who Is above the bru te in feeling does
But there are some things worse than war
and among them Is Il cOwardIy subservlency
10 such ma alOnal crimes as Spain enacts in
Cuba Blu even if cause LOT war existed Spain
cannot make war on US and Will not. Fro m
her nature she will bully. from her necess ty
she must threaten. tut strike she never will.
Her vessels must cross the ocean to as sail US.
With co ling capHclly for an ocean voyage
only, what can they DO upon arrival, but lie
as harmless hulks upon the ocean for our
capture?
spaiu cannot recoal upon our coast nor in
Cuba, nor in the vicinity. If she had the
ships 10 arouse our apprehension, which she
bring Is : q
sity o sail for a capitula tion. All this must
be known TO the authors of this clamor.
and 10 It fl sct upon 1t is to dismiss it as an un-
imp 7. ant factor in this controversy.
For tlis reason this league urges again upon
the American friends OF Cuba united and en-
erge;ic action BY voice, letters, kilograms
mass-meetings, resolutions and otherwise in
command upon Congress Tor be e.hgerent
rlgnts, the Que move when forever coniounds
the plans of Spain and opens the way TO the
freedom OF u brave people.
E1HAN ALIEN
President OF the Cuban League OF the United
States.