Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-04-12

marines and officers of our pavy re-
posing in the .fancied security tof a
friendly harhor, have been hurled to
death. Grief aud want are drought
to their homes and sorrow TO the ma
tfon.
The naval court of inquiry, which 1T
is needless to say, commands the un-
qualified confidence of the government
was unanimous in its conclusion that
tile destruction of the Maine was
caused by an exterior explosion, and
also by submarine mine. 1t did
not assume to place the responsibility.
That remains to be fixed. In any event
the destruction of the Maiue by what
eyer exterior cause, is patent and i'm
pressive proof of state of thirgs in
Cuba that Is intolerable. That con-
EDITION is thus shown to be such that
| the Spanish government cannot as
sure safety and security to a vessel of
j the American navy in the harbor of
Havana on mission of peace. and
rightfully reference in this connection
is made to recent diplomatic corre-
sDondence.
A dispatch from our minister to
Spain of the Goth ultimo contained
that the Spanish minister for foreign
affairs assured him positively that
Spain will do all that the highest
honor and justice require in the mat
ter of the Maine.
The reply also referred to of the 3lst
ultimo also contained and expression
of the readiness of Spain to submit to
arbitration all the differences which
can arise in this matter, which is sub
sequently explained by the note of
the Spanish minister at Washington
of the 10th inst, as follows;
"As to the question of fact which
springs from the diversified views be-
tween representatives of the Amer
ican and the Spanish boards, Spain
proposes that the fact be ascer-
tained by an impartial investigation
by experts, which decision Spain ac-
cepts in advance. To this l have
} made no reply"
President Grant, in 1876 in discuss
ing the purposes of the Cuban contest
as it then appeared, and the hopeless
and apparent indefinite prolongation
of such event, said: 81 am of the
opinion that other nations will be
,, compelled to assume the responsibility
which devolves upon them, and so SER
iously consider the only remaining
measures possible-mediatio and In.
tervention. Owing, perhaps to the
large eXpanse Of water separating the
island from the peninsula, the con-
tending parties appear to have within
themselves no depository of common
confidence to suggest wisdom when
passion and excitement have theil
sways. and thus assume the part OF
peacemaker
In this view in the early days of the
contest the good offices Of the United
States as the mediator were rendered
in good faith without any selfish pur'
pose In the interest of humanity anC
sincere friendship for both parties
but ;were at the time declined by
Spain with the declaration neverthe
less, that at future time they woul(
be indispensable. No intimation hal
been received that In the opinion o.
Spain that that time has been reached
yet the strife continues with all III
dread horrors and its injuries TO the
United States and other nations
Each party seems quite capable o.
.. working great injury and damage tC
the other as we'll as to the relations
and interests dependent on the ex-
istence OF peace in the island; buI
they seem incapable of reaching any
agreement and both have thus fal
failed Of achieving and success
whereby one party shall possess anC
control the island to the exclusion OF
the other.
Under the circumstances the agency
of others, either by mediation or by
Intervention, seems to be the only
! alternative which must sooner ol
later be involved for the termination
of the strife.
In the last annual message OF M
r Immediate predecessors dur ing the
pending struggle, it was said:
; "When the inability of Spain Il
+ deal successfully with the insurrec-
! tion has become manifest, and If dem
- onstrated that her sovereignty is ex
tent in Cuba, for all purposes OF III
5 rightful existance, and when hope
less struggle for its re-establishmeni
has degenerated into the strife which
! means nothing more than the useles
D sacrifice OF human life and the uttel
destruction OF the very subject mat
: ter OF the conflict, a situation will h
4 presented in which our obligation Il
{ the sovereignty OF Spain will b
I ENprV