The sun., 1898-04-03

upon weak anu friendly nclgnDOr-
one that cannot be justified under an,
principles that regulate the conduct q
nations.
Military intervention is justfiable onl,
i'll defense Of important material in
terests or of the national honor Tt
proffer mediation il always permissible
If declined, the attempt to intervene by
force on insufficient grounds is a crime
having sad and bitter consequences, es
pecially in. the case Of rebellion against
another government
The idea that this country, or any
other, is justified in undertaking mora
or political supervision over the affairs
of its neighbors, and in correcting by
armed invasion the faults Of their insti-
tutions or the mistakes OF their admins.
tratiOn, or administering charity tC
them by force, is absolutely inadmissible
and infinitely mischievous
Taking the case of Spain and Cuba,
we find Spain to be friendly nation.
1t Las always been 50. She is not now pre- .
posing to attack us. She has manifested
the desire to avoid hostiltes, which she
knows must be calaminOus to her. She
struggles with Il rebellion 5000 miles
from her coasts, but has no quarrel with
us. The rebellion would long ago have
perished from exhaustion had it not
been supported and supplied by contin-
ual expeditions from this country, in
violation of our own neutrality laws and
treaty obligations. Our government has
not. 1t Is true, colntenanccd these eXpe-
dtlons, and has made some efforts to
suppress them, sincere, no doubt, but al
ways Intellectual, through United States
nlarshals who have usually arrived at
the wharves from which the vessels
sailed soon after their departure. A
twentieth part of the naval force which
W" are now ransacking the world to col
lect for what are called ''the purposes OF
national Defense" would have put an
end to the only source from which the
rebellion has been kept alive.
The liability of Spain for the destruc-
ton OF the Maine, even it her negligence
could be shown, is questionable. If Spain
must guarantee the safety of our ships in
her ports, whether herself at fault or not,
so strict rule will require us equally to
guarantee to her that armed expeditions
shall not be fitted out and sent from our
ports to Cuba to s'ibvert her government.
The rule forbidding negligence in the
one case would forbid it in the other.
As we recovered $l5,OOO0OO from Eng
land for letting one Alabama csc lpe from
her port, Spain might have a strong case
against us for the dozens of ships we
have allowed to operate against Spanish
sovereignty in Cuba
The interruption of our commerce by
reason of the rebellion is no reason for
intervention.
When III our civil war the Southern
ports were blockaded by the Federal
fleets very great loss to the commerce Of
either nations ensued, especially in the
important staple of cotton. Yet no sug-
gestion OF interference by those nations
on that account arose or would have
been tolerated.
1t is also urged that we must 60 to
war ''for humanity's sake though
peace is commonly thought most con
ducve to humanity. Only in extreme
and very clear cases may slaughter be in
augurated for hunan:ty'S sake and the
Cuban case is not one OF them.
The suffering that it is said we are
called upon to redress by fire and sword
is the destitution that has overaken a
part OF the Cuban people, and which has
been depicted in the most inllammatcry
colors. They are those who are called
the reconcentrados--people whose homes,
plantations and industries have been de-
stroycd in the course of the rebellion.
and who are now gathered in temporary
shelters provided by the Spanish gov
ernment.
How came these people in that cond-
ton, and who wrought the destruction
that brought them to it? They are rep
resented to MS as body of patriots who
are ''struggling for freedom" and whose
and livelihood have been de-
stroyed in that struggle. II this is true,
then the reason for our interference in
behalf of rebels against the government
is that they have not succeeded, are get
;ing the worst Of the contest, and are
5hus reduced to distress.
1t cannot be maintained that any
,ruelty or outrage is visited upon them
by the Spanish government, or that
heir dcstitution results from any other
,ause than the poverty that the civil war
has occasioned, as it generally does. and
he inability OF the government to relieve
+ fully.
But it does not appear that the recon-
.entrados are rebels or ever fred a shot
n support of them. They are not pris-
,,f Il ,., ~ {
throughout the war the devastation of
he homes and plantations OF these in
labitants has been perpetrated by the
'ebels who are in arms, and who have
evied contributions in the way of black
nail upon the people so long as they had
lnything to respond with. Ii they had
)een brothers in arms of the rebels the
ebellion might, perhaps, with their as
istanCe, have succeeded.
II is undoubtedly true that the Span
sh government has likewise destroyed
louses and plantations and driven in
abitants from their homes, in pursuit
f what it deemed military necessity,
lst rs in our own civil war Sheridan
avaged the Valley of the Shenandoah
nd Sherman laid waste Georgia. Such
,easures are the unhappy accompan;-
lents OF war, and especial y of civil war.
1t is, moreover, cowardly and un-
merican to attack weak Spain, or bully !
er out OF her possessions. The consc- {
uences to ourselves of even a successful !,
ar would be lamentablc. !
In the first place, arrangement of
usincss, now just beginning to emerge l.
ON a l@ng and ruinous depression, and ,