The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1898-03-04

office, as he intended to come to con-
gress in place of Corliss. Will he come?
Watch him. His friends say that he Is
conner.
Our Relations with Spain.
The relations between the govern
ments of Spain and the United States
have been strained for more than two
years. The people of both nations seem
want to get at each other in warlike
grapple. President Cleveland and
PRESIDENT Mckinley have stood firmly
for peace.
International lawyers at the national
capital claim that there has been at no
time cause for war between the two
countries, although the people, and
many of their representatives. seem to
be eager for trouble. Who is to blame
for this condition of affairs? That is a
question which is calmly discussed in
the higher official circles, and the an
swer is not difficult to disclose.
The government of Spain has always
been brutal towards her dependencies.
For example, let us look at the history
OF Peru. On the afternoon Of Aug. 29,
1888, Pizarro peacefully entered the
capital of Peru with his Spanish army.
He was met by the Inca, the beloved
Atahualpa, with followers bearing rich
and costly golden gifts for the strange
white men. The Spanards strangled
Atahualpa in the public square and
slaughtered many Of the innocent men
who had come peacefully to welcome
them. The slaughter was led by the
priest, Valerde, and he was afterwards
made bishop of Cuzco. The big bandit,
Pizarro, was made a marquis of Spain.
The atrocious villainy was rewarded by
the government of Spain.
Wherever the Spaniards went in the
new world they left pathways marked
with the blood Of innocent aborigines.
That was called conquest, and the gov
| eminent Of Spain. rewarded her free
hooters with titles, riches and numerous
honors and marks of approval Every
one Of the Spanish dependencies In the
| new world has been wrested from Spain
because of her uncivilized conduct,
| Cuba alone remaining under her domin-
| ion.
| Barbarous Rule In Cuba.
The administration Of affairs in Cuba
| has always been severe and unusually
barbarous. The natives have rebelled
again and again. Three years ago a
rebellion began which has continued to
|
have captured the entire island, except
] ing only Havana and a small portion of
the contiguous province. They have
conducted civilized warfare, and no out
rage has been committed by them
What has the course of Spain been
towards these insurgents? 1t has been
, a course Of brutality which shocks the
world and awakens the sympathy of
every nation. The people Of the United
States have long felt 1t to be their duty
| to interfere and compel the Spaniards
| to surrender Cuba. But have we the
| right, and is it our duty to intervene?
That is the question.
| We know that Spain has not fought
battles with the purpose OF putting
down the rebellion. On the contrary,
we know that Spain has driven limo
| cent and weak women, children and in
valid men into places Of concentration,
surrounded them with soldiers, and
| starved them to death. Yes, starved to
| death more than 200, 900 Of these people
| It is horrible. 1t is Slrbarous. 1t is
| causing civilized mankind to blush for
Spain and her government.
Senator Mason of Illinois and others
| In the senate and in the house OF repre-
sentatives have publicly expressed the
sentiments Of great majority of our
| people. There can be no doubt of that.
The senate has passed resolution
| providing recognition of the belligerent
rights of the Cuban insurgents. The
| house Of representatives has not been
| permitted, for eight months, to take up
| that resolution for consideration. Presi-
dent Mckinley and Speaker Reed have
co-operated in this matter. Meanwhile
| 70 nd nj l.
though the Spaniards have been obliged
by public sentiment to suspend some of
their atrocities. But the Spanish spirit
| still pervades the government Of Cuba.
| Typical of the Spirit of His Country.
| IT was typical of the spirit Of Spain
! that the Spanish minister at Washing
| ton should go before our officials with
| bows and smiles, Sinking like a con-
| sumate hypocrite. while at the same
| time he was writing letters to Spain
| denouncing our national administration
| and sneering at our president. One or
| his letters was captured or intercepted,
| and the Spanish minister was obliged
| to leave Washington without delay. 1t
was necessary for Spain to disavow the
sentiments expressed by her minister,
| but you will find that the writer of the
| offensive letter will receive honors and
emoluments from the Spanish govern
| ment. Just as Pizarro and Valerde, the
murderers, were honored for their das-
| tardly work.
| It was typical Of Spanish treachery
that the battleship Maine should be en-
tertained in Havana harbor; that her
officers should receive every polite at
tention and that while the sailors and
| marines were peacefully sleeping in
what was supposed to be peaceable
| port, the vessel should be blown up,
| completely destroyed, and the blue
| Jackets sent suddenly to eternity. No
| body here of any consequence believes
| that our battleshp was lost by acci-
| dent.
But under the rules of international
| law, recognized by all nations, we have
| had no occasion to go to war with
| Spain under all of these trying circum-
stances. President Cleveland was
right and President Mckinley has been
right. But both of those presidents
have been unjust to the Cuban insur-
| gents while trying to be just to Spain.