The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-04-11

washington protested-and at that time
we did not own Florida About 1923
IL was supposed hat either France or
Great Britain would get the island.
with or without SPANS consent. The
government al Washington entered a
protest and minated that insistence
on the part of either government would
mean trouble with his country.
The affairs of Cuba were constantly
coming up. Jefferson and Monroe dealt
with them. When he was secretary of
state, Henry Clay. referring to Cuban
matters, wrote, I'm 1925. to our minister
at Madrid. i'm his Instructions: You
will add that we could not consent to
the occupation of the island by any
other European power than Spain. un-
der any contingency whatever Spain
couldn't sell. This particular case is
discussed by the Philadelphia Press
which remarks: I'm other words, sew
enty-three years ago. instead OF re-
garding Spain as holding Cuba in fee.
to deal with as Spain pleased, we noti-
fed the world that we denied the right
VI Spain W oi6P,St VI tb''
will and looked on her ownership, so to
speak, as only a life tenancy. subject
to u control as to the final disposition
of the fee"
Repeatedly this country was request
ed to join in a convention with this or
that power in Europe for the protection
of Cuba. Uniformly, this country re-
fused to have any association to this
end with any power. In 1s43 Secretary
Webster learned on what seemed to him
good authority that an English plan
was on foot to take Cuba, and he gave
notice in a dispatch. January IA, 1S43,
that any attempt o the part of Eng
land to employ force in Cuba for any
purpo would bring on a war involv-
ing the United States and Spain was
informed that "in the event of my at
tempt to wrest Cubs from her she
might securely rely upon the whole mill
itary and naval of this coun-
try to aid her in preserving or recover-
ing it," Once more here we implicitly
notified Spain that her possession was
one subject to our interests in Cuba n
depending on them.
In later administrations Cuba was an
occasion for diplomatic interchange. As
secretary of state, Edward Everett de-
clared that mo one else could have
Cuba: that we would not u 1t while
Spain maintained order, but that as
time went on. If Spain did not. we could
not permit the island to go to ruin but
- 49, 4. .,..aIyaa sfEnrtv Yea "a
ago." adds the Philadelphia Press,
president Buchanan remarked that
Cuba, in it's existing colonia condition.
Is n continual source of injury n an
to the American people" Three
wears later President Buchanan assert
ed hat IL Spain would not sell the ISL
and it's condition would eventually force
the United States Ito consider the ques-
ton. does Cuba in the possession of
Spain seriously ~endanger our internal
peace?"
During fifty years there has never
been serious disturbance in Cuba that
the United States has not solemnly
warned Spain that If she could not re-
store order we would have to interfere
This has been done in dispatches often
quoted by Secretaries Fish, Evarts,
Frelinghuysen and Olney. This policy
has been laid down by Presidents
Grant. Hayes. Harrison and Cleveland
For seventy years there has not beer
a single presidential term in which In
some wav Spain and the world have
not been reminded that behind Spain
stood the United States. determined
that the island should not &c into tho
hands Of another power, and insisting
upon our clear right to restore order
and keen the peace II Spain were un-