Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1898-04-17
A PROPHETIC SPEECH.
Two Years Ago Congressman
NewiandS Covered All the
Questions Under Discussion on
The Cuban Situation.

The Cuban Situation.
We publish a speech of Congressman
Newlands on the Cuban question deliv-
cred two years ago. 1t covers all the
questions 10Y under discussion and as a
matter of argument and prophecy meets
all the requirements of subsequent
events.
Mr.. Hit. I yield ten minutes to the
gentleman from Nevada-Mr. New
lands.
Mr.. Newlands. Mr.. Speaker, the Sem
ate resolutions are substantially the
same as those which were passed re-
Gently by the House, though they are
not, perhaps, couched in language so dip
lOmatic and. courteous. Two objections
are urged against these resolutions. One
is that there is not a state or public war
in Cuba. The able and convincing
speech of the chairman of the Committee
on Foreign Affairs, Mr.. Hit, has fully
established that there is a state of public
war in Cuba. Over l25,0m Spanish sol
diers have been employed for a long
period of time in attempting to suppress
ehS iSpNIAi'ii, ANU, lICt" INIiSldlldtuS lIlt
great strength employed in that effort
three fourths of the island is now in the
hands Of the insurgents.
1t is true that the insurgents have not
been able to meet the army of the OPP
pressor with the force and vigor with
which equal armies meet. They have
been obliged to resort to the tactics al
ways employed by insurgents against a
strong and despotic power. They have
been obliged to resort to guerilla warfare
the war of attack and retreat and re-
attack, as the chairman of the committee
so aptly stated yesterday. They have
been guerrillas. not handitti. hut the
Cuban insurgents have had a high and
noble ~purpOse-the liberation of their
country, and though their destruction of
property has been great, it has its iusti-
ticatiOn in the fact that only by Destroy
ing the sugar crops and thus impairing
the revenue of the Spanish Government
can its efficiency in suppressing the re-
bellion be impaired. Bat the war so con-
Quoted has been effective. An organized
government has been created which now
yields its power in three-fourths of that
island: and the captain-General of the
Spanish forces has declared that he will
at least require at least two years more
to suppress the rebellion. take it, then.
that there is existing in Cuba a condition
of affairs which justities us in asserting
that there is a state of public war and
that the insurgents are entitled to bel
ligerent rights.
The next object urged is that Spain is a
friendly nation and friendship requires
that we should not intervene in a diff
Guilty between a friendly nation and her
colonies. international law is appealed
TO. But that law is not a rule Of action
which can be enforced by any tribunal.
1t is a code of etiquette between nations.
And what does that cod of etiquette re-
quire? Why, simply that nations should
bear tOward each other the general
frlendliness and courtesy which individ-
uals in organized society entertain, but
whenever a nation, like an individual.
puts Itself in a position where it is
~chargeable with the reputation of the
obligations of honor and with acts of per-
fdy and cruelty, then the friendship
may well cease in the case of a nation.
just as in the case of an individual.
Nations are not really friendly to each
other. They are simply either at peace
or war with each other. Wal nacessar-
lily implies enmity. Peace does not
necessarily involve friendship. And |
take 1t that a great and powerful nation
like the United States, the greatest and
most powerful nation in this part OF the
world, has a certain duty to perform to
other nations, just as every Individual in
our social organization has a duty to per
form to other individuals, and this DUTY
is the higher and the stronger in proper
tion to the power and strength of the in
dlvldual or nation. / take it, then. that
Just as he powerful nations of Europe
have felt that they had the right again
and again to Interfere in the affairs of
Turkey for the purpose of securing to a
people cruelty opposed and dovntrod-
den a certain protection. n protection
which we have demanded - he aIF Of