Evening star., 1898-04-14
SPEECHES in THE SENATE
Wreck of the Maine Demands the Freedom Of
Cuba.
Mr.. Lodge Declares That is the Only
Monument Worthy to he Raised
Over the Sailors Grave.

The speeches of Mr.. Lodge of Massachu-
setts and Mr.. Lindsay of Kentucky held
the attention of the Senate yesterday af-
ternoon until o:25 O'Clock. After The Star s
report of the Senate proceedings closed MIR.
Lodge said. in support of the majority reso-
luticns of the foreign relations committee:
Il believe when We are face to face with
foreign power that there is one duty tnat
ove1rides all others, higher than politics
and higher than everything else. and that
is that the Congress and the people and the
executive of the United States should stand
absolutely together. And now, Mr.. Presi-
dent. when the President comes to Cog
gress and invokes our aid in a controversy
with foreign country and asks us 20 give
him power to intervene. I desire that that
great power Of war should be given him in
that way.
Il am against declaration of war but
l prefer giving the President the power
to intervene.
No one can be more averse to war than
i. no one can deprecate more than | any
act which will plunge the country into war;
III one year ago last January We had rec
ognized their independence they would have
established their independence themselves.
Both these propositions passed py the Sen
ate We're smothered elsewhere-a wisdom
which shall not question. 1 have also for
many years advocated a powerful Eavy
and strong coast defenses. have advo-
Gated them because l believed that i'm them
was the guarantee of peace If we had to-
day, as we ought to have twenty battle
ships and hundred torpedo boats there
never would have been Cuban question
We are not in this crisis by an accident
We have not been brought here tv chance
ana by clamorous politicians or by yellow
journals We are face to face with Spain
To-Day In the fulfillment of a great move
ment which has run through the centu
urhi Job
and the manner in which she wages II has
Maine. vi ''ie
Spain is on her death bed. buried in
uept' pieed1Eg at every vein from the reyo-
iuIions IN her colonies and her officers and
omclals rob her, dying as she is in the
eyes OF the world. We asked Gen. Lee yes
oen oenday when he was before us if the sGoU.-
wv SAID to have been Appropriated by
Spain for the relief of the recontrados
would reach them or would be spent on the
spanish soldiers, for they are starving, too,
ana MS reply was 1T will never reach
elther OF them the officials will take it all
on the way. That is what is going on in
Spain. just as ii was when Gil Bias had
MS adventures. That is why Cuba has re-
belled.
The Wreck of the Maine.
And now. in conclusion, what of the
Maine? 1 am SO merely human that that
ship Is nearer my heart than anything else.
Suppose she had gore to her death in an
English ha1bor blown up. as she was car
rying her men with her; what do you think
would have been the voice of England
the land of Nelson? l believe if it had
happened in an English port England
would have said: We regard this with hor-
ror; We believe that 1t must have been an
| accident. but it happened in our harbor.
under our flag. If you think otherwise
name the reparation that you want,
S11Ht, De-.
been the reply of England: such. l believe
would have been cur reply or that of any
of the great powers. Look now at Spain.
She has done nothing but slander the
dead officers end the living officers of the
Maine. Her ambassador to Rome said but
week ago 10 all Europe in a published
interview, that that ship went down be-
cause her captain neglected her and was
not on board.
I'VE have the evidence of Captain Sigs-
bee before our committee as to the char
acter OF examination which the SDaniards
made, trivial, slight, careless. done for a
form. tC back up a story which they had
already made up their minds to stand by
and put forth. That has been the attitude
of Spain toward an awful disaster happen
ing in her own harbor.'
Mr. Frye: "WiH the senator frou LAS
sschusetts please add right 80 mat the
death of our sailors, the Sss,ruction of our
ship. according to SCI. Lees testimony
was celebrated r..tn banquets and cham
pagne py tre Spanish officers in Cuba.
steparation for the Mnine.
Mr.. Lodge-"Mr. President. thank the
senator from Maine for recalling to me the
testimony of General Lee on that point
yesterday. They rejoiced in Havana, and
they explained the explosion by throwing it
upon our officers slandering their charac-
ter and denying their words We cannot
| take money for the dead men of the Maine.
There is only one reparatiOn. There is
only one monument to raise over tina; grave,
island. That is worthy monument,
worthy of men who died under the flag
they loved: died, in the cold language OF
| the law, in the line of duty
I'VE are told that we must not go to war
on the narrow ground of revenge. No, not
revenge; but We must have reparation for
| the Maine. We cannot, a nation, belittle
that case or refuse to demand great and
shining reparation for our dead sailors. II
we allow that to drop aside, to pass away
into endless tangle of negotiation and
law and discussion, we are lost to all sense
OF brotherhood; we are lost to all love OF
kith and kin; our uniform will no longer
be an honor and protection; 1t will be a dis
grace and danger to wear. Your men on
your ships are sullen today because they
think that the government is not bahirj
them. There are mutterfngs among the
men who wear your uniform because they
awful slaughter of their comrades. You
must maintain the honor of the uniform
and the flag under which the men died.
Surely there never was a more righteous
cause than this for any nation 10 ask for
justice.
THAT gigantic murder. the last spasm OF
a corrupt and dying society which: carried
down our ship and our men, c.ies aloud for
justice.
Il care but little what form of words we
adopt l am ready to yield my opinions to
those about me in Congress. Still more
ready am l to defer to the wishes of the
executive who stands and must stand at
our head; but 1 want now to arm that eX-
ecutive with powers which will enable him
in the good providence of Col 10 bring
peace to Cuba and exact justic. for the
Maine"
MIR. Lindsay for Recognition.
MIR. Lindsay Of Kentucky concluded the
discussion for the day with a powerful
speech. in which he advocated the recogni-