Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1898-03-07
WASHINGTON LETTER.
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE OF THE MONITOR.

| WushinqtOr, Feb. 20th, 1898.
Few men occupying the position of
President Mckinley at this critical
time would be able to Withstand the
temptation to do little spread eagle
posing by catering, in talk, at least,
to the unmistakable fighting senti-
ment of the country. Whether he
has been tempted to do SO, 1 cannot
say, but that he has not done SO is
known to all the world, and it reflects
great credit upon him as man and
| as an official and has, beyond doubt,
increased the respect felt for the
United States by all civilized nations.
| Not a line officially indicating what
the verdict of the naval court of in
quiry will be has been received by Ell
Their the President or Secretary Long,
but that very fact has tended to con-
vince the public that the investiga-
ton has already shown the court that
the explosion, which wrecked the
Maine was not accidental and that it
did not occur inside the vessel; wheth-
it has convinced the President and
Cabinet, their active preparations for
war show better than anything said
for publication by any of them. These
preparations are for the purpose of
putting the country in condition to
hold Spain to strict accountability,
if the verdict of the court shall be
the outside, as nearly everybody now
expects that it will be. Holding Spain
responsible is likely to cause war, and
although not one warlike word has
been uttered, either by the President
or by any member of his cabinet, this
country is well prepared for war.
Our Navy is equal to that Of Spain
in guns and armament, and as supe-
rior to it in fighting qualities as an
American is to a Spaniard; and the
following remarks made by a War
Department official will give some
idea of our coast defenses: "From
Portland, Me-, to the southernmost
point on the Atlantic coast, big guns
and mortar batteries have been plant
ed, and, in case of war, an invading
force could not land on Uncle Sans
soil, without suffering severely. The
Pacific coast has not been neglected
by any means, and a hostile feet seek
ing an entrance to harbor anywhere
along that coast line, would find vio-
lent opposition. One good result, of
the present critical times, if it only
amounts to scare, is that there will
be less opposition to appropriation
for coast defenses and for needs of
the army and navy"
Justice Harlan, of the us. Supreme
Court made the following reference
to the loss of the Maine, in lecture
to the law students of Columbian Uni
versity: SIT is idle for any man to say
he knows how that calamity occurred,
and any man belittles his nature and
lowers himself in the estimation of
of his fellowmen when he expresses
the anxiety that it will turn out that
it was not an accident, but that it was
treachery rather than an accident.
think so badly of their fellowmen.
We don't want to believe that that
was an act of treachery and duplicity;
we hope it will turn out otherwise.
And we ought all to have this feeling
that if it turns out to be accidental,
we should rejoice; if it turns out not
to be accidental, we will not hear any
more of North, South, East or West,
no more of republicans, democrats or
populists. We will hear only of Amer
icans."