The age-herald., 1898-04-02

ever disposition the Spanish had to stay upon the order Of their going.
 Spain, however, had other pressing in. terests in this hemisphere. For ten years her Spanish American colonies had been rebelling, and within a twelvemonth from the time Spain evacuated the Florfdas the United States recognized as free and in- dependent nations Mexico and four South American colonies. The world was apout to hear 0 new American doctrine which we over here call the Monroe doctrine. In recounting our relations with Spain this affair would need but little notice were 1t not for the extraordinary parallel which the present offers to the past. Then, as now, Spain sought allies among the Euro- pean powers; then, as now England show ed that she wanted to be our friend; then, as now, 1t was on commercial reasons, ana not for pure friendship, that England sided with us.
 Since the period of Monroes doctrine, the differences we have had with Spain have been over Cuba We used to be ex- ercsed because there were rumors that Cuba was about to be bought or acquired by other foreign nations. Commerciai reasons for active sympathy are seinsn enough, but the United States, pe1ore the war of the revolution, coveted Cuba pureiy as an addition to the slave states. Cal nole disturbance Jackson was sent into hood that Cuba would change ownersnip in Europe he would resort to the hazard of war with all its calamities. when France tried to buy Cuba in le25, Ciay, then secretary of state, said: we coulo not consent to the occupation of the island bv any power other than Spain, under any contingency whatever" But there were .other reasons besides the Monroe doctrine why we wanted Spain to retain controi ol Cuba. even to the exclusion or the lnoe- pendence of Cuba-for 1t was Cupa an nexed and not Cuba independent. of which we dreamed. Cuba independent, or beiong- ing to almost any other European nation, would abolish slavery, and that was wha' the south did not want.
 About the same time we annexed Ieaas we wanted Cuba and offered 6paln s!V',- O00 GOO. but Spain replied that "soener than see the island transferred to any other power, she would prefer that it should De sunk in the ocean.'
 Before the three filibustering expeditions of Lopez, from 1848 to 1851, there had been over half dozen abortive revolutions III 'C,uba. The attempt of Lopez Is remem- bered chiefly for the cold-blooded execu- ton of Crittenden and fifty fellow-Ken- tuckians who formed part of Lopez's par ty. Crittenden had sent flag of truce to the Spaniards, and had been assured that they would receive honorable treatment as prisoners of war if they surrendered.
 Accordingly they surrendered, and the next morning, August 16, 1851, in spite or the Spaniards' promises, they were all ied out and shot, ten at a time. They hneit with backs to the executioners according to orders, all but Crittenden, who drew himself up to his full height, facing the soldiers, and said proudly, "A Kentuckian never turns his back upon his foe, ana ne kneels only to his God
 Meanwhile our consul general at Havana, Owens had neglected his duty, and had not attempted to secure for the Ameri- cans a fair trial He was removed by
 
 The only indemnity which was paid in this affair was paid by us to Spain. ln- dignation meetings were held all over the south, and at New Orleans the house or the Spanish consul was attacked ana some damage done for which the United States quickly acknowledged it's naplity ana promptly paid the price.
 Two years after the Lopez affair the United States made another effort to buy Cuba, but the Spanish minister repiied' "To part with Cuba would be to part with the national honor"
 1t was only the year after this, in 1S54, that Spain seized the Black Warrior, schooner which she was sure was carry ing a filibustering expedition to Cuba The crew was imprisoned and afterward It was found that Spain's suspicious were groundiess Then 1t was spain's turn to pay an indemnity to the United States.
 The civil war put an end to American attempts to add to slave territory by the liberation of Cuba. Spain had complained persistently of our neglect of the obl1ga- tions of neutrality both in respect to Cupa and to the Central and South American countries, which, years before, had been in revolt. It would be expected, then, that Spain, being such a stickler for neutrality, would try to show the United States what true neutrality was. Yet Spain aided In all ways possible to her enemies, the south, which for years had been trying to detach Cuba and add it to their political power Blockade runners without number were fitted out from Havana, and the Span- ish authorities gave them every help they could and hindered the union men-of-war to an equal extent. Spain did not love the south, but she hated the whole United States and was anxious to do everything that would contribute to the downfall of the Yankee nation
 Within three years from the time that our rebellion closed another revolt began in Cuba, and this one lasted ten years, until 1878.
 The outbreak of it gave Spain the chance