The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-02-21
The Maine In CHURCH.
Soul Stirring Sermon by Rev. 7. A. Nc.
Curdy In Central Church.

Rov. T. A. McCurdy or the Central
PresDyterlan church, handled the Span.
iards last evening without gloves. The
congregation was large and the patriot.
ism OF DR.. McCurdy's remarks almost
caused an outburst of applause in the
church. In part he said: Tho struggle oi
Cuba for independence enters history as
singularly remarkable In many of its in.
cidents Its boldness, discrimination. per.
slstence and coo.-headednOss for so long n
Time against an empire, Il large and we'll.
equipped army mastering five to ono,
under experienced generals, ever wincing
under defeat, never hilarous over victory,
are facts more interesting than fiction.
1t Is questionable whether the Cubans
In tn 'ir present struggle ever suffered de.
feat, and lis certain they never risked a
pitched battle i'll the open; and yet from
mountain businesses, gorges, ravines and
passes, they have baf1ied, annoyed, evaded,
and many times drove back tho Spanish
forces, and have compelled them to adopt
modes OF warfare condemned by all civil
lized nations, though much in keeping
with Spanish instincts. II 2J per cent. of
the published accounts Of Spanish atrocity
is true, the warfare of Spain against tho
struggling Cubans will go into history
unsurpassed for cruelty and blood-thirst-
ing butchery.
Spail's mode of warfare has attracted
the world and has intensified the sympa-
thy of this country for Cuba We natur-
ally sympathize with the oppressed and
down trodden.
The war of Spain against Cuba has sore-
~ tried American patience: but we have
borne with commercial loss, with intrigue,
with injury to American citizens through
all these years without giving Spain any
just ground of complaint. We have even
done police duty In her interests by pur-
suing, arresting, and if convicted by legal
process. by furnishing fllbusters. Madrid
and Havana have not beon sparinR in Ian
guage, In vituperation aud insult; men in
nigh position have been unsparing In con-
demnation of the United States for not do
Ing what was the plain duty of Spain to
10 Tor herself; and yet we have remained
neutral and have suffered because of our
neutrality.
1t stlrs blood, and makes the pulls, beat
quicker under rising temperature. We
are still shocked, appalled, by it in the loss
OF life, and In the suspicious it awakens.
but out OF 1t have come already some com.
pensations. Look at the calmness of the
government at the willingness of the peo-
pie, TO await on authoritative statements
OF tho cause, at the tigh oning of the ma.
tional bond between North and South as
widoned by the willingness of North and
south TO Join in men and Ia measures to
redress the Injury and loss. should it prove
non accidental.
In no government on earth could such |
au incident have evoked such calm ness, |
such level'headelness, and such willing |
ness to await certain knowledge of the |
cause under such trying circumstances, |
should foul play become apparent, |
God grant that the issues 1t will certainly |
present. may be adjusted without blood |
and death, but with honor to the Amerl.
can government, and becoming dignity
to the American people.
The deLome incident brought to the sur.
lace from ofilcia! quarters, If not In an
official way, Spain's real attitude toward
the United States. A similar incident be-
tween any two European powers would, |
Delleve, have looSed armies and deluged |
the battlefield with blood.
with that Incident still fresh there
comes the appalling disaster of the Maine
The condition of the public mind, the
lack of confidence in Spains civilization,
the repeated Insulting attitude of the
spanish populace. tho persistent butcher
Ing policy of the Weyler regime, the chag-
rim OF Spain over what Is inevitably her
lost cause, constrained the consensus of
public opinion in the United Estates that
the Maine was subjected to foul play. A
government that is responsible for wilful
Dutchery and starvation of thousands of
helpless and defenceless men, women and
children, is capable Of being responsible :
Tor anything that Is atroclous. The Cuban /
struggle has developed this strange fact |
VIZ: that Spain. in modes of warfare, is I
IN outlaw among civilized nations