Evening star., 1898-04-08

speculation" Those are your exact words,
as the reporters notes will show You
ade a charge that ought to condemn
the President of the United States. to i'm
peach and imprisonment.
Il for one have felt that 1t was a terri
BILE assault upon the homer and integrity
of Spain, what we did yesterday. but 1t
must be remembered that there was put
up on the one hand the choice of insult to
Spain. solerhnly delivered by the Presi-
oent, an intimation sent to the whole world
that there was danger Of murder to Amer
ican representatives In Cuba, or there was
put on the other side the danger itself.
We can have no more tragedy along this
line, until war comes to put the whole
tEing into the hands of tragedy.
Suppose the message had gone to Con-
gress yesterday. suppose that last night
the blood of that distinguished. chtvalrous
gentleman from Virginia had soaked the
soil Of Cuba. WHAT would have been the
verdict of the American people against the
administration? No, no, 1 won't answer
that. If there is a man In the House 50
far forgetful of his dignity as an American
citizen, of the humblest character, to fntt-i
mate that the President has been guilty
of juggling a thing like that, I will not
answer it.
Purpose of the OppOsitiOn.
"Mr. Speaker: did not suppose that in
this American Congress it was necessary
that l should make an explanation In order
to defend the President of the United
States from an insinuation like that. am
glad that the purpose of the opposition Is
now fully and clearly disclos I'd. am de-
lighted that because of a little change IN
the program, wholly unimportaht except as
it strengthens the daily augmenttng power
OF the United States-a change made under
stress OF circumstances that would have
controlled any civilized natiOn-I am de-
lighted that the gentleman from Ohio has
given us notice that every occurrence now
and hereafter is to be taken advantage of
for party purposes: and I am delighted
that the gentle man from Texas {Mr. Bailey
has two or three times now. on each sue
ceeding day. pointed out with great delight
that there are differences of opinion on the
republican side of the House. suggest to
the gentleman that when he opens re-
cruiting Office to get volunteers to pass un-
der his banner to fight the administration
he had better make a contract for the rent
of his quarters from day to day, he will
probably not need them very long in the
future.
''The world will be notified tonight that
the President has been assailed by dis
tinguished representative on this floor. his
motives tmpugned. his integrity censured,
the whole action charged as being insti-
gated by criminal purpose; and this in a
body that boasts that it is going to stand
by the administration.
Now, gentlemen, let me tell you another
thing. This war will be fought under the
banner Of the republican administration of
this government, or 1t will never be fought
at all. We may differ about how it ought
to be inaugurated, and honestly. Some of
you may have an opinion different from
mine. and honor you for that. But when
the time comes the commander-in-chief of
the army of the United States will COM
mand the column that will crush the power
OF Spain or 1t never will be crushed.
Again; you will discover as you go along
that the enemy on the other side-the oppo-
sition-are putting forward matters of legal
interest-taking position today that it did
not take two years ago. 1t is not yet two
years since it was proclaimed by the great
democratic lawyers of the Congress of the
United States that there was no power in
the Congress of the United States to recog-
niZe the Independence of a foreign country:
labored arguments filed the Congressional
Record to show that such recognition was
rot within the power of Congress, but lay
exclusively under the Constitution in the
hands of the President. But, however that
may be. when war is declared the Presi-
d.nt of the United States becomes at once
vested by the Constitution with the power
to conclude treaties with foreign countries;
and he is at all times the oommander-in-
chief of the armies of the United States.
No Doubt of War.
IT have no more doubt" Mr.. Grosvenor
concluded, that we are going to war than
l have that we will live until next week.
l may be mistaken. l pray to God that
may be mistaken. But l believe, Mr..
Speaker, that we will go to war on a decla-
ration substantially Of Congress My in
fit ence will be given for peace for what
ever it is worth. My influence will be given
TO avert war; but the time Is up, in my
humble judgment, when We can avert 1t,
and if peace shall prevail 1t must come
from the action of another country rather
than our own.
"Our position is taken and we cannot re-
cede. But let the policy of this government
be such that when the tocsin Of war shall
have sounded all of the civilized world will
say, America is right" Great applause.)
MIR. Bailey Responds.
After Mr.. Grosvenor concluded his re-
marks Mr.. Bailey took the floor in a brief
speech. in which he quoted several utter
ances of Mr.. Grosvenor to show that the
buckeye statesman had shifted his posi-
ticn. He first quoted from one of MIR.
Grosvenor's speeches of week ago, in
which he declared that the administration
would, when the time for action came, be
for independence and armed Intervention.
Two days later he said in an interview in
dependence without armed Intervention,
and now he said armed intervention with
out independence.
Mr. Grosvenor caused some merriment on
the democratic side when he said the state
ments quoted were substantially in the
same direction.
Then, turning his attention to some OF
Mr.. Grosvenor's remarks, Mr. Bailey indig-
nantly repeled the idea that If war came
it was to be republican war. 1T would
be a war of the people of the United States
against Spanish tyranny on the Island of
Cuba, said he. amid tumultuous applause.
After some further debate on the bill Mr..
Hulfs motion to strike out all but the first
two sections of the bill was carried.
The army reorganization bill was then re-
committed-150-61. At $50 pm. the House
adjourned until Monday.
Rrenth, pnrn