The record-union., 1898-03-30
Spain and America.

Eds. Record Union: Your editorial
in Sundays issue, "a Critical Time,
was truthful, patriotic and grand, ana
the sentiments therein contained Will
find a ready response in the soul OF
every true American who reads 1t. IN
one respect the disaster to the Name
is a more serious affair than injuries
to a merchant ship or a private clt-
zen would be- A vessel of the United
States navy actually represents the
Government itself, consequently the
blowing up of the Maine was an overt
attack on the United States Govern
ment. and as far as it went was an at
tempt to destroy that Power, and the
acutal commencement of hostilities on
the part of those who committed the
deed as really as if it had been sunk
by a shot from their forts or men-of-
war. It is an offense so serious against
the Republic that it should not be con-
doned as injuries to any private vessel
or citizen could have been. The Pres
ident, Cabinet and members OF CON
gress should bear this in mind and
govern themselves in accordance there
with. It was a loW-down, treacherous
plot to murder unoffending men whom
they were too cowardly to meet in
possible future battle; on par with the
starvation, outrage and assassination
of women and children and non-com-
batants generally; a blot on modern
civilization, and characteristic OF ma
tion which has been the cradle and
support of the barbarous Inquisition;
people whose inherited avaricious
greed, treachery and cruelty has i'm
PEELED them to adopt no higher code OF
morals and justice than that of might
is right" and have robbed and lived off
the industry of a long suffering people
ever since Columbus discovered the
West India Islands; have encouraged
and transmitted those traits down to
the present generation, which now, in
turn. seeks to force or starve into con-
tinued subsection the victims over
whom Spaniards have no moral right
to rule, and thereby have gained for
themselves an unenviable reputation
as far as civilization extends.
Notwithstanding that there are
doubtless found in Spain, as well as in
all other countries, some very humane
and honorable men, yet from boyhood
the name Spaniard has ever been as
berry, treachery and cruelty. If the
good will of Spain was ever worth any
thing to US, the time is now past when
it is worthy of any serious considera-
ton. The reputation of nations as
we'll as individuals speaks for them.
Had such an explosion taken place IN
a British harbor an investigation would
scarcely have been needed except per-
haps to prove beyond doubt whether
it was caused by mere accident or
through negligence of the officers; but,
in the recent instance, investigation
was needed for information and under
standing to set us right with the world
at large rather than for ourselves;
while to anyone who thinks deep below
the surface the seeming long delay OF
investigation by the naval board would
seem intentional and excusable as a
business policy to prepare our naval
and coast defenses.
While it often requires more true
courage to patiently submit temporar-
lily to wrong for the accomplishment of
a great purpose as a final result than
to fight it out then and there, yet most
of us believe that had prompt and Wig
orous action been taken one year or
more ago by saying to Spain, thus
far and no farther; and had she dis
obeyed. taken possession of the island,
as our naval officers would have liked
TO. and could then have easily done
possession being nine points of the
law"-there would have been no third
Power interference, the Maine would
have been still afioat, and hundreds of
thousands of unfortunate victims now
dead would not have been mercilessly
robbed of their God-given right to live.
A conscienceless, unprincipled bully is
a natural coward when brought face
to face with the calm, enduring cour-
age of a man of principle who he
knows to be in the right; but let him
see his opponent finch or hesitate, and
/ he is quick to avail himself of the ad-
vantage of it. So it is with nations.
/ Spain has taken advantage of our de-
lay. and meantime has been prepar-
ne for the worst, and now defies US.
But it is useless to now talk of what
might have been; we only live and act
within the ever-eternal now-not in
yesterday nor tomorrow. If our pa
fTient waiting through a desire for peace
and non-intervention has cost US mill
ions of dollars to police our coast in
order to prevent filibustering, damage
to the interests of commerce, the loss