The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-01
IA Plea Made
.bv Mr.. TavlOr.
QUOTESPRECEDENT
Peace Commission Receives
a Scathing Criticism.

New York Nov D.-Hannis Taylor,
late American minister to Spain, pub
fishes in the December number of the
North American Review, a scathas
criticism of the work of the
American peace commission. Mr..
Taylor contends that in the
negotiations with Spain respect
ing Cuba. Porto Rico and the Philip
pines, the members of the commission
should have been guided by the prec-
/ edent established by this country in its
dealings with Mexico after the victo-
rous issue of the Mexican war. Then,
he says, we refused, as Mexico lay
helpless at our feet. to take from her
a single square mile of territory by
/ right of conquest. Our commissioners
We're instructed to offer her $4,000, O0C
in cash, and the assumption Upon our
! part Of more than SO, 900 600 due from
her to American citizens as compensa-
! ton for the area, out of which has
| been carved California. Nevada, Arizo-
ma, Utah and New Mexico.
! And thus" says Mr.. Taylor, was
| established a new principle Of national
| morality, which stands alone, perhaps
! in the annals of nations"
Mr. Taylor contends that we owe to
! Spain all the consideration and justice
| that can be due to the weak from the
| strong; especially as Spain has been
/ an old and a good friend, with whom
! we had never broken off diplomatic re-
| lations. 1t is true, he says. that Spain
| has been reduced through the inherent
| vices and weakness of her colonial sys-
| tenn; but the present generation Of
! Spaniards are not responsible tor that
which came to them through inheri-
! lance.
The Spanish nation, as a whole is
| generous, brave and sympathetic. Only
such nation could have produced
such high, thoughtful and honorable
| men as CASTELAR,, Canovas, Sagasta, the
! Duke of Tetuan. Moret, Montero Rios
| and the Duke of Almodovar.
The arrangement which has been
| concluded by the American commission,
| Mr.. Taylor characterizes as "a vast
ravtshment." I'VE have" he says, re
| fused arbitration, we have summarly
| demanded the surrender of the entire
| Philippine archipelago and as a salve
! to Spain, we have rendered in mitiga-
| ton, twenty million dollars. In order to
prevent all outside interference, we
| have declared for the open door to
| trade, so as to hold at our side Eng
land, with whose aid we could subject
| Spain, despite interference of any con-
! tinental nation, to any injustice we
| might see fit to heap upon her. Upon
what grounds can we justify our course
| in the eyes of humanity? No one'' Mr..
| Taylor continues "'Seems to be inter-
| asted now in the great humanitarian
| end, to work out which we went into
| the war, profeSsedly. The only question
now dominant are those involving the
annexation to the United States of
| Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philippines,
without the assumption of any obliga-
| ton and without the payment of any
| substantial compenS alton. The war has
| cost us directly about one hundred and
| siXty-five million dollars and as COM
| pensation for that outlay we have ap-
| propriated Porto Rico, which can
| hardly be valued at much less than
| double that amount. 1t is difficult to
know therefore, why in dealing with
Cuba and the Philippines we should
have been unwilling to recognize those
| reasonable and natural equities which
| follow acquired territory
In the case Of the Philippines we
have admitted that so far as the debts
| Of these Islands are present eXpendi-
lures for the improvement of the coun-
ana
| constitute a charge upon it. Upon what
grounds have we rejected the applica-
| ton that elementary principle OF law
and common honesty to the case of Gu
| ba? The pfetence that it cannot be
there applied because we do not in
| tend to accept sovereignty over Cuba,
will not avail for, as soon as Cuba is
evacuated by the Spanish troops, the
United States VIII exercise a qualified
CT txr feIo
ing a military government there. In
the case Of Cuba as we'll as in that
of the Philippines, the amount of pacific
| expenditures made by Spain for inn
provement of the island should have
been recognized as legal charge upon
IT,"
Mr.. Taylor points out that the re-
evolutionary government of Cuba not
long ago offered to assume a hundred
millions of so-called Cuban debt as
just burden upon the island, in the
event of it's absolute independence be-
ing recognized. Had Spain, Mr.. Taylor
says, been met upon that proposition in
broad and equitable spirit, the whole
matter might have reached a consum-
nation that would have pacifed Spain
and vindicated us in the eyes of the
world, without the imposition of any
burden upon the treasury of the United
States.
But suppose Cuba should some day
be annexed to the United States. 1t will
then be rather embarrassing to eX-
plain why we refused to recognize the
Cuban debt as charge upon the land,
on the ground that we never intended
to assume sovereignty over it. Mr..
Taylor says that the senate should be
careful to see that no treaty Of peace
shall be concluded that may become
stumbling block in the near future.