Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1898-08-11
WHAT OF CUBA?

Cuba is free. After more than
three centuries of oppression, rob-
berry and murder under Spanish
authority, the "Queen of the An
TILES is at last free, and our gov
eminent has given its faith to the
world that Cuba shall be governs
Ell by her own people.
There is a nominal republican
government in Cuba that was or
ganized soon after the present re-
bellion began, but it has never ex-
ercised any authority save that as
serted by the army of Gomez.
Whether it could be entrusted
with the government of the discor-
dant elements of the island which
must remain after the retirement
OF the Spanish army, is aquestion
that the United States must
promptly consider and determine,
and there is little doubt that the
final conclusion of the President
will be that the supreme authority
in Cuba for the present, and for
some years to come, must be in
an American protectorate.
1t is more than probable that as
soon as Cuba shall be given over
to the actual possession of the IN
tied States, the people of Cuba
will be invited to form a govern
ment OF their own under such reg
ulations and safeguards as u gov
eminent shall determine, which
government shall be subordinate
to the protectorate of the United
States.
The people of Cuba are now
: free from all the exactions of
Spain, and what the insurgents
have fought for is now achleYed.
There can be no more oppres-
sion; no more despotism; no moro
unjust taxation and no interfer-
ence with the natural rights OF
any law-abiding citizen; but it is
obvious that those who have
fought for the liberty of Cuba
have fought for the liberty Of Ii
cense and know little of the lib
erty of law.
Our government must teach
the Cubans the liberty of law,
and the sooner they shall accept
it the sooner they will be left tc
the entire government of the is
land and people. Until then there
must be American proteotorate
to assure absolute safety for per
son and property, for capital anc
energy. and that Office must be
performed by an American pros
tectorate.
The destiny of Cuba is mani
fest and no human power car
change it. With an American
protectorate giving absolute
safety to capital and energy, thai
rich island will be rapidly Amer
icanized. Scores Of millions O.
American capital will go into
Cuba within the next year. ant
her desolate fields will soon be
restored and crops more magnif.
icent than the benighted Cubar
ever dreamed of will be gathered
by the new life and energy which
must be rapidly infused in Cubs
whenever peace and order shall
come.
Cuba will be practically an
American Republic, and tina
must mean her ultimate annexa'
tion to the United States; not b,
conquest but by the voluntar!
action of the sovereign power o
her people. AS an Independent
Republic Cuba woul1 be power
less to defend herself, aud thu
protectorate that we must exer
else to restore her to life anG
prosperity, would always be nee
essary to protest her agains
foreign foes. Her safety, there
fore, must be in a thoroughly
Americanized Cuban Republic
that will become one of the State
of the Union before our protect.
crate shall cease. Such is thu
destiny of Cuba, and it is inexor-
able.
Some of the best lessons vi
ever learn we learn from our mis-
takes and failures. The error o
the past is the wisdom and sue