The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-04-13
The Situation.


sage on the Cuban situation, impatient
Americans may reasonably ask if it
were worth the while to occupy 30 much
space in a perfunctory recital of events
that already lhave the familiarity of a
thrice told tale, and if it were really
wise to hold Congress in check and the
country in suspense for 80 long period
for what the Chief Executive has to
offer in the way of recommendation
1t is difficult TO discover in the presi-
dental utterances the need for the
hasty exodus of the Americans from
Havana, last week, and the departure
of the consul general of the United
States from the Cuban capital. The
prudence that dictated the hegira must
have contemplated rather the action
Congress is likely to take, or ought to
take, under the circumstances that
exist.
The feeling one has after reading the
message is that of uncertainty as to
what the Presidents real meaning or
purpose is. Where a clear, definite,
and resolute plan of action had been
expected, there seems to be indecision,
and irresolution, and unwilingness to
accept the real logic of the situation.
"The war in Cuba must STOP" the
President says, with commendable en-
phasis, but he proposes to stop the war
by imposing "hostile constraint upon
both the parties to the contest"-fght-
ing the Cubans, as we'll as the Span
iards, If they will not agree to "paci-
fication" of the island on plan favored
by the United States government.
1t ought to be clear to any observer
of the development of American public
opinion on the subject that no settle
ment of the Cuban question that does
not include the absolute independence
of Cuba will be entertained. 1t ought
to be clear, also, that the Cubans have
earned a right to be consulted, TO be
regarded as prime factor, in any
scheme of settlement-as clear right
as the American rebels had in the ne
gotiations with Great Britain for peace
and independence. Had France inter-
posed, in the negotiations that followed
when it became apparent that Great
Britain could not conquer America,
with refusal to recognize the govern
ment the colonies had organized, and
assumed to dictate the kind of govern
ment they should form, or who should
constitute the governing powers, or
that some sort of self-governing plan,
retaining allegiance to England, should
be accepted, this attitude of France
would have been not unlike the present
attitude of President Mckinley toward
the Cuban republic. No argument
would be needed to show that such q
stand taken by France would have
been downright injustice to the colo
nists, and that the American patriots
would have resisted any attempt, by
both France and England. to impose
upou them "paciication" of this kind.
There is no other just or rational
course but to recognize the govern
ment the Cubans have organized, and
to make Gomez and his compatriots the
allies of the United States against
Spain, just as France recognized the au-
thority by which Ethan Allen demand
ed the surrender of Fort Ticonderoga,
and made common cause with the sup
porters Of that authority against the
power Of Great Britain till they won
and won the independence of the
United States. There is neither sense
nor justice in the fastidiousness of
conservative" criticism of the Cuban
republic. None of these revolutionary
governments, in it's infancy, has been
a complete governing machine, fully
equipped and organized for all the func-
tions of government. The government
of these very proud and powerful United
States was originally rope of sand.
Its existence could never have been
recognized under the standard set up
by these hypercritical judges of the
Cuban patriots in their struggles to
form an independent government.
The Cuban republic endures the test
of recognition the President 30 labori-
ously formulates as we'll as did Mexico,
or any of the other countries of Central
or South America which revolted
from Spain and set up independent
governments in the first quarter of
the present century. Does the Presi-
dent doubt, does any one doubt,
that the Cubans constitute in fact a
body polite, having a government in
substance as well as in name, pos
sessed of the elements of stability, and
forming de facto, if left to itself, q State
among the nations, reasonably capable
of discharging the duties of State"?
Is there any more doubt than there was