The record-union., 1898-03-30
pushing back of the last of Spanish CON
trol from the hemisphere forever.
WHAT OF THE MAINE?

The President has submitted TO CON
gress the report of the Naval Commis-
sion appointed to inquire into the loss
of the battleship Maine. 1t is accom-
panied by the testimony taken by the
board At the same time he has notl-
fed the Spanish Government of what
the findings of the American tribunal
are. and awaits a response from the
Spanish authorities.
The latter on their part have made
public the findings of their Commission
of Inquiry into the loss Of the ship In
the first case the verdict is that the
ship was blown to- pieces by an external
force disconnected from and independ-
ent of the vessel, and not controlled by
or within the knowledge of any one re-
lated to the ship; that normal con-
ditions prevailed within the Maine;
that discipline was perfect and the in
dicators to signal danger from over
heating showed no disturbance. On the
other hand. the Spanish verdict is that
the ship was destroyed by explosion
occurring within the walls of the yes
sci, and was due to the firing of some
explosive carried by the ship, or by
the bursting of her coal bunkers, which
ignited one or more of the magazines.
Our verdict acquits Sigsbee and his
men, the Spanish finding reflects upon
them.
In neither case is the responsibility
definitely fixed. Our own board says
it has nothing sufficiently conclusive
before it to justify it in indicating the
responsibility with certainty. But it
submits the testimony upon which it
does find definitely that our ship was
destroyed in the harbor of a seemingly
friendly power, while moored at a
point appointed by that power and
under the protection and safe guard
ing of our host. With the loss of the
ship 260 American blue jackets, ma
rines and naval officers were killed;
blown to pieces; hurled into eternity
in the flash of an eye and without the
slightest opportunity to defend against
the assassin, or escape from his tolls.
The bones of 40 and more of these
men of the nation are still entaEgled
in the horrible .wreckage of the gal
liant ship, sent to such a dishonorable
grave, while of an unknown number
of our men not even a shred of char
red and torn flesh, or splinter of
crushed bone will ever be found.
And now the nation asks What of
it all? Is this to be the end? Is the
awfulness of the assassination of these
brave men to linger with us without
effort to search out the assassins who
sent them unbeckoned to their doom?
Is the matter to grow dusty in official
pigeon holes, and wearisome through
years OF diplomatic correspondence?
Or, are we to be Inundated by sub
mission of this crime to the judgment
of foreign princes and arbitrators and
be bound by their verdict?
If not these things, then who is to
answer to the widows, and orphans, the
aged dependents and the loves who
leaned upon these men, wearing our
uniform, and perishing in our SER
vice? These are questions that every
man of sensibility feels are stirring
in the hearts of the American people
to-day. 1t is the highest Office Of
craftsmanship to preserve the peace
and prevent war. War at best is small
atonement, weak reeompense, unsatis-
factory righting of any wrong But
still the question remains, "Shall no
one be called to account; shall the
blood of these murdered sailors and
soldiers cry to US in vain?" Yet what
can we do. what should we do, what
win we do? The answers are yet to
be made, but assuredly they are formu-
lating in the public mind at this very
hour.