River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1898-04-14

subject to the approval or oisapproval or
such government, we would be required TO
submit to its direction and TO assume to
ii the mere relations of a friendly ally.
When IL shall appear hereafter that there
is within the island a government capab bic
of performing the duties and discharging
the functions OF a separate nation, and hav-
ing as matter of fact the proper forms
and attributes of nationality, such govern
ment can be promptly and readily recog-
nized. and the citations and interests of the
United States with such nation adjusted.
Our Alternatives.
There remain the alternative forms OF in
PREVENTION to end the war, either as an
impartial neutral by imposing a rational
compromise between the contestants, or
as the active ally of the one party or the
other
AS to the first. 1t is not to be forgotten
that during the last few months the re-
lation of the United States has virtually
been one of friendly intervention in many
ways each not of itself conclusive, but
all tending to the eXertion OF potentlal
influence toward an ultimate pacihc re
concerned. The spirit of all our acts hith-
erto has been an earnest. unselhsh desire
for peace and prosperity in Cuba, unfair
nished by differences between us and Spain
and unstained by the blood OF american
citizens.
Intervention JustifiabIe.
The forcible intervention OF the United
States. as a neutral. TO stop the war, ac-
cording TO the large dictates of humanity.
and following many historical precedents
where neighboring states have intertered
TO check the hopeless sacrifice of life by
internecine conflicts beyond their borders,
is justifiable on rational grounds. IL IN
yoiyes however nosIe CONSTANT omsest s u mei
| to enforce a truce as to guide the eventual
settlement
Grounds for Intervention.
The grounds for such intervention may
be briefly summarized as follows:
First-In the cause of humanity and to
put an end to the barbarties, blood
Shed, starvation and horrible, miseries
parties to the conflict are either I'M
able or unwilling to stop or mitigate.
1t is no answer to say this is all I'm another
country. belonging to another nation and
is therefore none of our business. 1t is
specially our duty. for It Is right at our
Second-We owe IT 10 our citizens in
| Cuba to afford them that protection and
indemnity for life and property which no
to that end TO terminate the conditions
that deprive them of legal protection.
ThtrdIThe right TO intervene may pc
justified by the very serious injury TO the
commerce. trade and business of our
people and by the wanton destruction. of
property and devastation of the island.
Fourth-And which is of the utmost inn
portance. The present condition of affairs
| in Cuba is constant menace to our peace
enormous expense. With such a conflict
waged for years in an island so near us
| and with which our people have such trade
and business relations-when the lives and
| liberty of our citizens are in constant dan
| ger and their property destroyed and them
selves ruined-where our trading vessels
| are liable to seizure and are seized at our
| very door. by warships of a foreign ma
| ton, the expeditions of filibustering that
we are powerless to prevent altogether, and
| the irritating questions and entanglements
| thus arsing-all these and others that
| need not mention, with the resulting
strained relations are constant menace
| to our peace and compel us to keep on a
semi-war footing with nation with which
| we are at peace.
Destruction of the Maine.
| These elements of danger and disorder
| already pointed out have been strikingly
| illustrated by a tragic event which has
| deeply and justly moved the American peo-
| Pile / have already transmitted to con-
gress the report of the naval court or IN
quiry on the destruction of the battleship
Maine in the harbor of Havana during the
| night of the 18th of February. the DC,
| struction of that noble vessel has filled
| the national heart with inexpressible nor
ror Two hundred and fifty-eight brave
| sailors and marines and two officers of our
| navy, reposing in the fancied security OF a
| friendly harbor, have been hurled 10 death
grief and want brought to their MONIES
| and sorrow to the nation. . .
The naval court of inquiry, which, Il Is
| needless to say, commands the unqualired
! confidence of the government, was unan-
| imous in it's conclusion that the destruc-
| ton of the Maine was caused by an eA-
| terror explosion, that OF submarine IhliIe'
| It did not assume to place the RESPONSE
| bility That remains to he fixed.
Proof of spain's weakness.
| In any event the destruction of the Maine,
| by whatever exterior cause; is patent an 10
| Cuba that is intolerable. That condition
| is thus shown to he such that the Span
security to a vessel of the American navy
| in the harbor of Havana on a mission Of
peace and rightfully there.
| Further referring In this connection TO
recent diplomatic correspondence, dis
| patch from our minister to Spain. of the
| 26th ut. contained the statement that
| the Spanish minister for foreign affairs
assured him positively that Spain Will do
| ali that the highest honor and Justice re-
quire in the matter of the Maine The re-
| ply above referred to of the 31st nit also
| contained an expression of the readiness
| of Spain to submit to IN arbitration all the
! differences which can arise in this matter
| which is subsequently explained by the
note Of the Spanish minister at Washing
ton of the 10th inst. as follows:
Note from Spain.
"As to the question of fact which springs
from the diversity of views between the
report of the American and Spanish
ascertained by an impartial Investigation
by experts. which decision Spain accepts
To this have made no reply.
Grant Is Quoted.
President Grant in 1875. after discussing
the phases of the contest as it then APP
peared. and its hopeless and apparently in
I'm such event, | am of opinion that
other nations will be compelled to assume
the responsibility which devolves upon
| them, and to seriously consider the only
remaining measures INSTRUMENTATION
and intervention. Owing perhaps TO the
large expanSe of water separating the is
| land from the peninsula the contending
| parties appear to have within themselves
suggest wisdom when passion and excite
mcnt have their sway and assume the part
| of peacemaker In this view, in the earlier
/ r of Al.
United states as mediator were rendered
| in good faith, without any selfish purpose,
| in the interest of humanity and in sincere
the time declined by Spain with the decla-
ration nevertheless that AT n future time
| they would be Indispensable.
mo intimaton has been received that in
the opinion of Spain that time has been
reached. And yet the strife continues with
the interests of the United States and of
other nations. Each party seems quite
capable of working great injury and dam
age to the other, well as TO all the rela-
lions and interests dependent on the ex-
istence of peace in the island hut they
| seem inca pable of rea ching any adjustment
and both have thus far failed OF achieving
any success whereby one party shall pos
sess and control the island to the exclusion
of the other. Under the circumstances, the
agency of others. either by mediation or
by intervention. seems to he the only al
tentative which must, sooner or later. be
invoked for the termina ton of the strife"
Cleveland Is Quoted.
In the last annual message of my imme-
diate predecessor during the pending strug-
gle, it was said:
when the inability of Spain to deal sue
cessfully with the insurrection has become
manifest. and 1t is demonstrated that her
sovereignty is extinct in Cuba for all pur-
noses of its rightful existence, and when
a hopeless struggle for its reesta blishment
has degenerated into strife which means
moi hing more than the useless sacrifice
of human life and the utter destruction of
the very subject matter of the conflict, a
situation will be presented in which our OBJ
legations to the sovereignty of Spain will
be superseded by higher obligations, which
we can hardly hesitate TO recognize and
discharge
In the Near FIXTURE.
In nv annual message 10 congress, De-
cember last. speaking to this question.
said
'"rhe near future will demonstrate
whether the indispensable condition of
righteous peace, just alike to the Cubans
and to Spain as well equitable to all
our interests so intimately involved in the
welfare of Cuba, is likely TO he attained.
If not. the eXigenCy of further and other
action by the United States Will remain
TO he taken. When that time comes that
action viii be determined in the line of
indsputa hle right and duty. il Will be
faced without misgivinG or hesitancy. in
the light of the obligation this government
owes TO itself. to the people who have con-
confided to II the protection of their inter-
csts and honor. and to humanity.
VIII Act when the Time Comes.
Sure of the right keeping free from all
offense ourselves, actuated only by upright
aud patriotic conSdera lions. moved neither
by passion nor selfishness, the government
will continue its watchful care over the
and will abate none of its efforts to bring
about by peaceful agencies a peace which