The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-21
NO CAUSE FOR WAR.
A Freak of Captain BOytOn Bearing
Upon the Maine Disaster.

To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal:
The Maine disaster, considering it's APP
pallng character and the strained relations
of Spain and the United States, is being
treated by our press and Congress with sur
prising reserve and fairness. Unfortunately,
there has been much lingo vaporing of
late years upon the slightest occasion that
our national reputation for conservative
Judgment has suffered. The present re-
straint shows that when it comes to serious
consideration of going to war our intelligent
national conservatism asserts itself. Still,
it seems to be generally assumed that if
investigation should show that the Maine
was wrecked from without, the dogs of war
would have to be loosed forthwith. Tn
doubtedly q very grave issue would be pre-
scented; but would the United States be JUS
titled in seeking to repair one calamity by
rushing into far greater? Only reasonable
proof that the Maine was blown up through
the inStigation or connivance of the Span
ish authorities at Havana could Justify a
resort to war. Such result of the inves-
tigation is so incredible that it need hardly
be considered as possible; that any sane
government officials would deliberately plot
such calamity to their own national and
personal interest is beyond belief The in
evitable conclusion of sober Judgment will
be that the Maine was destroyed if not by
accident, by the devilish malice of mis-
Greahts, Tor whom no government can just
ly be held responsible
To cite what might have been a case in
point: Many readers of the Journal will
remember that Captain Boyton the noted
swimmer, several years ago swan out to
British man-of-war lying in New York
harbor and fastened an empty bomb in her
anchor chains. he was so successful that
the watch knew nothing of his attempt UNI
I'll he hailed the ship and told what he had
done. What Boyton did a practical
joke daring Anarchist or fanatical lingo
might have done in malice, and the battle
ship destroyed, with her crew, as the Maine
was. Suppose, now, that strained rela tions
had existed at the tiia1 between our coln-
try and Great Britain. Would such an act
of private treachery have justified a decia-
ration OF war? 1t would have been as sim
cerely deplored and reprObated on this side
of the Atlantic as the other. Every repara-
ton that could be reasonably asked of our
government would have been generously
conceded and there the national RESPONSE
bility would have ended, If rational diplo-
macy had been allowed to govern Our
present attitude toward Spain is precisely
parallel. Deeply as We may deplore the
frightful loss of life and rightfully as we
may insist upon the most stringent meas
ures for the detection and punishment of
the authors of the crime. If crime there
was, we can only hold Spain responsible
for such measure of liability as it's govern
ment has justly incurred We can never
afford to go to war for the act of an as
sassin which we had every reason to be-
ilGNo was DIS ueSpiy ueplOIeu ny the CUBAN
officials and people as by our own. IT is to
be hoped that the naval inquiry will dem
onstrate conclusively that the disaster was
accidental, if such was the case: but in any
event, we ought to be prepared as a ma
ton to deal nationally with the incident
an enlightened people should with a mo-
mentouS issue, and not in any short-sighted
spirit of vengeance that can only add in
calculable loss and injury to that already
inflicted. 1t is too late to inquire whether
this calamity is not primarily due TO an un-
necessary yielding to the lingo sentiment
that prompted the sending of the Maine
to Havana, when there was really no just
be serviceable to American interests. But
there is a very obvious warning in the dis
aster against needless Intervention with
foreign complications. j. Q. DONNELL.
Kingston, Ind Feb. 49,