The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-04-04

| would have starved to death. At our re-
quest Spain has already withdrawn the
Weyler order and permitted the reconcen-
trados to return to their homes, appro-
priated 100000 for their relief and
granted lis permission to continue the
distribution of food upon the island.
With these facts staring him in the face,
can any Senator or Representative advo-
cate Var as a measure calculated to
promote the interests of humanity in
Cuba even, to say nothing Of the United
States?
The Ghird ground for declaring war is
that the people of Cuba want to be free,
and that we ought to help to set
them free. 1t is far from certain that
the first assumption is in accordance with
the fact. Some Of the residents OF Cuba
undoubtedly want to be free, tut that the
majority of them do is far from proved
The autonomist governments govern
ment by the way which our moral intiu.
ence helped to set up-alleges that the
majority of the Cuban people do not want
co cut loose entirely from Spain. That
may not be true, but this claim is as we'll
supported by evidence as the one that
we arc asked to declare war upon. If it
Is true, then iE assisting the insurgents
we shall be assisting to thrust upon the
Cuban people form of government that
the majority do not want, in other words
we shall ba undertaking to dictate to
people how they shall be governed, and
that would be bold and indefensible
aggression. But suppose the majority OF
them do want to cut loose entirely from
Spain, is it our duty to assist them to
the extenJ of making war upon herr
There is very grave doubt if the COM
plete indie pendence of Cuba would be so
conducive to the welfare of the people
as some other arrangement that
might be made which would not entirely
extinguish Spanish dominion over the
island. 1t is by no means certain there.
fore that in assisting the Cubans to COM
plete independence we shall be really
doing the best thing possible for them.
In all probability without firing shot
we can compel Spain to grant the island
as free government as Canada enjoys,
to give the CubaDs Immediately practical
ly complete control of their own local
affairs, retaining for herself a sovereignty
that shall be little more than nominal.
Sagasta has apparently yielded to every
demand that we have made upon him ex-
cept that of acknowledging the alb
solute independence of Cuba, and by con-
tinuing our negotiations we can perhaps
get for the Cubans all the substantial ad-
vantages that would accure to them from
complete independence. Shall we then
in the face of the uncertainty as to the
result of complete freedom, and in the
face Of the substantial certainty that
very large measure of independence can
be obtained for the island without firing
a shot plunge into q contest with Spain
that will cost us millions of treasure and
thousands of lives of our own citizens? ID
it our duty to do it? Is it not our duty not
to do it? With the Spanish government
conceding so much already, and ready to
concede more. can we justify ourselves
before the nations of the earth in letting
loose the dogs Of war to accomplish the
absolute independence of Cuba?
Before Congress plunges into war it is to
be hoped that it will answer this question
in the affirmative so clearly that the intelli-
gence of the country will have no misgiv-
ings as to the wisdom and Righteousness
of its action.