The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-22
THE GoUNTRY,S ANCHOR.
Vast Responsibility Imposed by Con-
gress Upon the President

TO the Editor of the indianapolis Journal
II is well that the President has given the
country some pause tc consider the step
which Congress seems TO have forced upon
it. Without debate III the House and with
speeches in the Senate that Inundated the
Nation more than foreign foe could have
dore, resolutions were finally passed, insult
ing to the President as well as to Spain,
farcicai In their contradictions, but all too
tragic in their desperate purpose to force
the administration to go to war at once
upon an unjustihahle pretext. If the Presi-
dents counsel hal been followed we should
have appeared to the world as insisting
only upon the restoration Of peace in Cuba
upon such terms as would secure stable and
just government to its people. But, as il
afraid that this justifiable interference
might be successful without recourse to
war, Congress insisted upon a demand of
Cuban independence, knowing that no Span
ish government could survive such conces-
son ard that the Cubans were VIGOROUSLY
incapable of stable self-government. In
other words Congress has deliberately sac
rifced the strong position before the world
assumed by the President. He urged that
war be made only the last resource for OBJ
tanning permanent peace Congress has
shown feverish anxiety to force immediate
fighting, regardless of consequences to their
own country or to Cuba. AS Senator Fora
kcr, the most dangerous demagogue OF them
all, said, he wanted to hear the guns. In
the high court of the worlds public opinion.
Congress has recklessly exposed this Nation
to the needless indictment of having aggres-
sively provoked war, when it might have
been avoided Spain had practically yielded
or professed willingness to yield every con-
cession demanded by the, President Not
only were we allowed to relieve the starving
reconcentrados. but Spain appropriated $780,
O0J for that purpose. Again, at our sugges-
ton. an armistice was proclaimed to afford
better oppor4 unity for a peaceful settlement
of differences, to which end Spain promised
to grant to Cuba as full measure of home
rule as Great Britain has granted to her
most favored colonies. We. cannot deny the
charge of Senior Sagasta. that we have re-
PEELED all these concessions in the interest OF
peace with insulting demands that his gov
ernment could only answer by war. The
humiliatipg truth is that United States SEN
ators have not been ashamed to howl for
blood as remorselessly as Roman Dlobs OF
TWO thousand years ago. There might have
been a better excuse for this If they had
believed that Cuban independence would af-
ford the only guaranty or permanent peace
and a sufficient assurance of stable, enlight-
ened government. But as the Journal has
very ably pointed out. our troubles may on
~ have begun, when. we have driven the
Spaniards out of the island. If the Cubans
could have been induced to accept Spanish
autonomy, three nations would have been
spared the horrors and waste Of war. The
$500 .00o.00o we are preparing to borrow. II
the Populist senators will permit us, could
surely have been more wisely appropriated
than in killing off Spaniards and inviting
the ravages of yellow fever for all the DIFF
ference there is likely to be between Cuban
independence and Cuban home rule.
The American people are not deceived:
but frothy popularism has been allowed
to usurp the province of legislation and
even trench upon executive prerogative. We
cannot too heartily applaud what we know
Of the Presidents course. He has richly
deseaed the confidence of those who have
hopes for some glimpse of rational states
manship I'm spite of the bowling storm of
lingo patriotism and yellow journalism
thro sgh which we have been passing. Even
though Indianapolis ministers talk compa-
Gently of the coInpensations of war, and
impertinently style. this "a holy war we
may still trust that the President will do
all that Congress has left him power to do
in the interest of humanity and civilization.
Indiana has besides the unique distinction
of having the only representative in the
lower house who pleaded to be heard in the
interest of peace. Mr.. Johnson was ignomn-
iously hOwled down. but his State had new
er more reason to honor him.
j. O. DONNEI.L.
Kingston, Ind, April 81.