Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1898-04-15

Il
blood of American citizens to end the war
by imposing rational compromise between
| the contestants and Intervention in favor of
one or the other party. speak not of for
Icible annexation for that cannot be thought
Of That, by our code of morality, would
be criminal aggression.
| Intervention Is JustIfabie.
The forcible Intervention OF the United
States as a neutral. to stop The war. accord
| ing to the larg. dictates of humanity. and
following many historical precedents
where neighboring states have interfered
| to check the hopeless sacrifice OF life by "a
Iternecine conflicts beyond their borders. Is
| justlfable on natural grounds. II involves.
| however hostile constraint upon both the
parties to the contest. as well to enforce
truce as to guide the eventual settlement
! The grounds for such Intervention may
be briefly summarized as follows: First. In
the cause of humanity and to put an end to
the barbarities, blood he'd, starvation and
| horri be miserles now existing there. and
which the parties TO the conflict are either
unable or unwilling to stop or mitigate.
| 1t Is no answer to say his IS all In an
other country belonging to another nation,
and is therefore none of our business 1t
is spe c tally our duty. for 1t is right at our
door. Second, we owe II to our citizens In
Cuba to afford them that pratecti IN and
| ind emnity for life and proper y which no
| govern ment there can or will afford. and to
| that end to tel minatc the conditions that
deprive them of legal protection.
Third--Thc right to intervene may oe JUS
tilted by the very serious injury to the
commerce. trade and business OF our peo-
pie and by the wanton destruction VI prop
erty and devastation of the island
| "A Constant Monaco 20 Our Peace.
| Fourth-And which is of the utmost i'm
portance. The present condition of affairs
| in Cuba is a constant menace to our peace.
and entails upon this government an enor-
nous expens'. With such conflict waged
for years in an island so near us and with
which our people have such trade and busi-
ness relations when the lives and liberty
of our citizens are in constant danger and
their property destroyed and themselves
runed--where our trading vessels are lia-
| BILE to scizur and are seized at our very
door, by war ship, of a foreign nation the
expeditions of nlibustcrlng that we are
power less to prevent altogether, and the
Irritating questions and entangiemen
thus arising-all these aud others that
need not mention. with the resulting
strained relations. are constant IN lace
| to our peace and. compeLS ~ to Keep the
country on a semi-war footing with ua-
ton with which we are AT peace.
The Loss of the Maine.
These elements OF danger and disorder
already pointed out have been strikinGly
| illu ,tratcd by tragic event which mas
deeply and justly move the American peo-
pie. have already transmitted to congress
| the report of the naval court OF inGairy on
| the destruction of the battle ship Maine, In
| the rbor of havana during the ght OF
| the 10Th of February. The destruction OF
| that noble vessel has filed the national
hears with ineXpressble horror. The Two
hundred and hfty-eight brave sailors and
marines and two officers OF our navy. repos-
| ing in the fancied security OF fTlenuly
harbor, have been hurled 10 death. grief
and want brought TO their homes and sor-
| row to the nation.
The naval court of inquiry. which it Is
| needless to say. commands the nnquallneu
confidence Of the government was nnani-
| nous 1 its conclusion that The desi. '''tion
| of the Maine was caused by All exterior cx-
plosion that of a subuiai iue mine. II did
not asst to place the responsibility. That
| rem MS To be liked.
| In any event. the destruction OF me
Maine, by whatever cause. is patent ana
| impressive proof of 4 state eft things IN
| Gu ba that Is int )lerable That co1'' lion Is
thus shown TO he such that the spanish
government cannot assure safety and Sc
curity to vessel of the American n lvy, In
| the hal hoF of Havana. on mission VI peace
I, and rightfuly there.
Further referring in this connection to
| recent diplomatic correspondence. dis
patch from our minister Ia Spain OF the
| 26th ultimo contained the state ment that
the Spanish minister for foreign affairs as
sured him positively that Spain wodld do
all that the highest honor and justice re-
auir es In the mat tier of the Maine. The re-
| ply above referred to OF the 3lSt ultimo
also contained All expression OF the cad
| mess { Spain to submit to an arN,' fti0n
| all the differenc cs which can arise m this
nj IN ~
the note of the Spanish minister at Wash
ington of the 10th instant, as follows:
| "As to the question o / fact wn'cn springs
| from the diversity OF views between the re-
| port of the Americ an and Span 81. boards
| Spain proposes that the fact b. s"cer- aimed
| by an impartial investigation S7 experts.
/ which decision Spain accepts In advance
| TO this have made no reply.
| President Grants Cuban message In 1874,
President Cleveland's last annual message
| and President Mckinlcy's own annual mes
sage last year are quoted In this message
he said that peaceful efforts falling inter-
vention would be the right and duty OF this
| government. The message continues:
| The long trial has proved that the object
for which Spain has waged the war cannot
be attained The fire of insure ction may
fame or may shoulder with varying sea-
Sous but II has been and 1t is plain that II
cannot be .extinguis ned by present meth
DDS The only nope or relel ana repose
from condition which cannot longer be
endured is the enforced publication Of
Cuba.
The War In Cuba Must Stop.
In the name of humanity. in the name OF
civilization. in behalf of endangered Amer
lean Interests which give US the right and
the duty to speak and to act. the war IN
Cuba must stop
In view of these facts and these consider
atoms ask Congress t0auth orize and EN-
power the President to take measures to
secure full termination of hostiltics be-
tween the government of Spain and The
peoplc of Cuba ard TO secure in the island
the establishment of a stable 'vernment
capable of ma ntaining order and obscrv
; ing its international obi cations, insuring
peace and tranquility and the security Of
its citizens as we'll as our own. and to use
the military nd naval forces of the United
States as may be necessary for trese pur
poses
Money Asked for Cuban Relief.
In the interest of humanity and TO ait
} | in pre- serving the'lives of the starving PEG
pie of the island, recommend tlat thu
distribution of food and supplies be con
tinued, and that an appropriation b, made
out of the public treasury To supplement
the charity of our citizels The issue l.
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