Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-04-29
A1b&am1Iris 6aHftte.
FRlDaY EvGNfEG. April %, l~s8.
A JUST WAR

IN the Editor of The Alexandria Gazette:
Knowing how valuable is space in
your paper 1 ask, nevertheless, that
you will publish these suggestion which
now seems timely.
The war for the freedom of Cuba
wssed by the United States agains'
Spain is just war. Spain claims the
right 10 rule Cuba, an island three
thousand miles away from Spain and
only ninety miles from the United
S ates. The light of sovereignty ell
uring to civilized State discov' ring al
unknown barbarous country is admit
ted. a, d Spain obtained this right
four hundred years age; but the
right 10 govern is conditioned upon the
ability to govern wisely, justly and for
the benefit of the governed and Spali
hss not been able for at least half 6
century past to govern Cuba wisely,
iustl, or beuefcialiy. Her former con-
tinental possessions in America she bias
not been able to govern and has long
relirquished her sovereignty over them.
Spaulsh rule in Cuba has been, IN the
Language of our own declaration,
marked by every act tnat may detnt
q tyrant.n At last Weyler has sur
passed Sheridan in that vindiciveness
which made commander, whose OWL
methods OF var were the best illustra-
ions of his d,hriJior, declare tina
"War is He'll" Can it be doubted tha
Spain mss lost the right 10 ask the al
legiance OF Cuba? In this the United
States is concerned only as lone toucr
of nature makes the whole world kin
Our right and our commensurate
duty in the premises comes from the
fact that Spain has proved that she Ii
not only incapable Of governing Cuba
but OF keeping the peace of nations IL
the harbor oyer which she exercises
the jurisdiction of an undisputed sovel-
Equity. There, in the perce of God
and the trust not only in Spanish COED
faith but in Spanish power, the ship OF
war Maine carried in peace the American
flag and the sovereignty OF the Amer
can people. In that harbor Of Hav .ps
the Maine was extra terrltoria'. II
walls which shut in this American ter
ritory were not only the beliefin the
good faith, but belief in the power of
friendly nation-a wall impalpable tt
the eye, but strong as adamant when
men are true If Spain is able to mali
tain her sovereignty in Havana harbol
she must be able to secure safety 10 ,
ship which rides in Spanish waters,
careless of her own protection because
Spain claims The right and the duty as
q host 10 his own house to guard her
If Spain cannot do this she has no SOW
ereignty; for sovereignty is the syno
MIN of power. 1t matters not who
blew up the Maine. Spain is respons.-
BILE. We believe God created men, not
devils, and we cannot believe that
Spain authorized the awful deed Of the
18th of February. The fact that
claiming sovereignty she was IN
able 10 prevent it shows that
her claim 10 sovereignty is false
The Sovereign that cannot pro-
tect is no sovereign and the right OF the
United States to enter into Cuba, clean
before, became upon the n assacre OF
the men of the Maine. o call of Provi
dence on us to free Cuba.
War is not hell Said James NJ. Ma
son, of Virginia, in the Senate of the
United States many years ago, "WaI
is the exercise of the public force OF
one nation against the public force OF
another nation; private individuals
have nothing to do with it." We will
conduct war as George Washington OF
as Robert Z. Lee would have conduct
ed it, as war not of the devil and his
angels, but of the Great Jahovah, tie
God of battles.
To conquer we must for our cause it is just;
And let this be our motto, in God in our trus.
And when the war is over we shall
rear in Havana harbor above the
wreck of the Maine, as we built the
Rip-Rsps in Chesapeake bay, monu-
ment of American granite cut from
hundred free hills, giant pile upon
which we will inscribe -
FREE CUBA.
AMERICAS OCEAN MONUMENT