The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-20
SPAIN CANNOT COMPLAIN
DESPITE A TREATY, SHE INTER-
FERED DURING OUR CIVIL WAR.
W. l.. TayIOr's Paper on Cuba Before
the Century CIub-Omc Battle
Will Settle the War.

At the meeting of the Century Club last
night Attorney w. L. Taylor read paper
on Cuba He went into an exhaustive and
interesting discussion of the situation which
now exists on the island, and of the rela-
tons of the United States with Spain. Con-
corning the different treaties betweeh this
country and Spain, Mr.. Taylor quoted the
first article of the first treaty, as follows:
There shall be firm and inviolable peace
and sincere friendship between his Catholic
Majesty his successors and subjects, and
the United States and their citizens without
exception of persons or places
With reference to this treaty Mr.. Taylor
said:
Spain herself has construed the language
contained in the first article of our first
treaty with her. Within forty days from
the time the first gun was fired on Fort
Sumter, her parliament acknowledged the
belligerency and independence of the South
ern Confederacy. Ihereafter there We're
court, one representing the Union, the 0tner
the Confederate government Notwithstand-
ing our treaty with her she did not hesitate
to countenance, comfort aid and assist the
States in rebellion. These States We're
part of our common country, and for eighty
years had been under one flag, with one
history and one destiny. If Spain could
1ightfully interfere in our civil war Where
none were interested except ourselves, what
fairs.
Spain is three thousand miles from Cuba.
1t is in another hemisphere. With the ex-
ception of Porto Rico Cuba is the last de-
tendency owned by her in the western
world. For centuries golden stream mas
flowed between Spain and this oppressed
people, and it has always flowed toward
Spain. For centuries Spain has reaped mar
vests, the seed for which she never sowed.
She has received the rich products OF Cuba
toll for which she never paid. For CEN
turtles she has demanded and received trib-
ute to support government which to Cuba
was curse.
-'Cuba is one vast graveyard. Over the
same fields where the present revolutionists
are tramping, other patriots With the same
high purpose have tramped before ana nave
met death in every form. The blood OIL
Cubas slain has enriched the soil whose
products have filled with gold the Castilian
Golfers. The bullet, the fever, and the
plague have filled Cuba with unnumbered
dead. In the stockade, the trocha and the
fortress tens of thousands of Cuba's unof-
died I'm sight of their little fruitful farms
and fields on the hillsdes of that most fer
tile isle. The Spanish and Cuban dead nave
filled the same trench The machete, mat
useful implement of the farmer in his cane
field, becomes the weapon of butchery in
the hands of the soldier in battle. No, we
owe Spain nothing. Cuba owes Spain MOTH
ing. She owes neither tribute nor fealty.
There is law higher than the law of ma
from the devastating march OF the TURK
1t was the law that saved the Netherlands
from the understandable brutality of the
Spaniard. 1t is higher law, the law of
humanity. 1t has been written in blood
and is ineffaceable. 1t is the law that no
prince or potentate has the right by any
edct or decree to rob and ensave his own
subjects Christian civilization revolts at
the demand, and says no. Cuba at last Will
be free. Spain will yield and go. The last
Vestige of the long centuries of Spanish
misrule and cruelty in the western world
will soon be gone
IF troops are sent to Cuba, it will be a
re-, hot hot Mt fEn l= n
Havana. The few points held outside of
Havana will surrender with Havana. AT
sea the danger is far greater. After seeing,
within the past month, more than one-half
of our fighting navy, l am convinced that.
if war comes we will see the most fright
full naval battles in history. With the sin
gle exception of the Japanese-C Chinese war,
no battle has been fought with modern
armament. The loss of the Maine is but
an advance zephyr in the coming storm of
war. That we will win is but to say that
the cause of humanity must triumph