Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-03-17
SENATOR ELKINs ON CUBA.

Senator S. B. Elkins, of West Yir-
ginia, in letter has the following to
say concerning Cuban affairs:
The American people should treat
Spain in this present state of affairs just
az she would treat any other nation.
Conscious of her strength, and desiring
TO be Just, the United States cannot al
ford to be other than fair in her con-
duct toward Spain. She has no diff.
Guilty with Spain and seeks none.
Up to this moment the United States
has no cause for war with Spain. Spain
is simply trying to hold what belongs to
her and what has been hers for the
past century or more, just as any other
nation would do, and just as the nited
States did in the civil war. The United
States did all it could then to prevent
the independence of the Southern
States.
Cuba has fought for three years for
independence. The South, with more
claims for independence. with capital
a Congress, postal facilities and the
like, poss sssed of one-third Of the re-
public, with an army equal to any
that the world has ever seen, fought
four years and the United States
steadily resented and resisted any idea
of intervention or recognition. It seems
to me the United States laid down q
doctrine of non-intervention in our
civil war from which she cannot easily
and with consistency depart.
AS to freeing Cuba without war-if
Cuba can drive Spain from the island
she will secure her independence. Be-
fore the United States secured its indie
pendence the armies of England on
United States soil surrendered. The
United States has no more to do with
the war between Spain and Cuba than
any other nation on earth. Whenever
it becomes just and right for the United
States to recognize the independence of
Cuba it will be just and right for all
other nations to do the same thing,
especially the governments on this con-
tinent. This, of course. will end the
Cuban war and other difficulties. What
Cuba would do afterwsrd | cannot say.
The independence OF Cuba will not
solve the entire Cuban problem. The
question will remain whether Cuba can
govern herself in case she should secure
her independence.
The most the United States could do
would be to demand money indemni.
ty, but just what the United States
would do in the event it is shown that
the Maine was blown up is not clear.
There are no presidents. II Spain
should disayow any knowledge Of
or participation in the blowing up of
the Maine and insist on submitting the
matter of paying indemnity to court
Of arbitration, at the same time ex-
pressing willingness to abide by the
decision of the court, do not think the
United States could well afford to re-
fuse.
IfSpain had nothing to do with the
blowing up of the Maine and it was an
act of irresponsible parties it was
crime against humanity and civilization,
as much against Spain as against the
United States. don't think the United
States is called upon any more than
Mexico or South America to take action
now in Cuban matters.
Friends of Cuba in the United States
are doing most of the fighting for Cuba.
They are the cause of the most of the
war feeling that now prevails in the
United States. They are willing, in
order to secure Cuban independence,
that the United States should 60 to war
with Spain.
think more of the United States and
her people and interests than l do OF
the Cuban cause or Cuban indepen-
dence, and l am not willing to go to
war simply to secure Cuban indepen-
dence.