The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-04
PRoF.COHN DEFENDS SPAIN
MoRE UN-lMERICAN views AT CO.
LUMBIL UNITERsITT.

4 ~ ~ ~ ANNN
Conviction or Capt. Dreyrus Win = Leo
ture Uphoiding tho Reasenabisness II
spain's Present Course Teward cuba.
Prof. Cohn Of Columbia University, who. al
though Of Hebrew descent, has defended the
conviction Of Capt. preyfus. defended yesterday
the attitude OF Spain in the Cuban question.
At Columbia the department of Romance Ian.
guaRes has for some years past been in tho habit
Of giving lectures in French on subjects OF
general interest once a week. The lectures
are given on Thursday afternoons At $3.50
o'clock in the temporary chapel In the Schor-
morhorn building. and are open to the public.
They are generally on subjects of a historical or
literary character, but tho department tries to
find topics that will interest the hearers, and q
presentation of both sides Of tho Cuban question
was selected as the subject of the lectures for
yesterday and for next Thursday.
Prof. Cohn, the head of the department, chose
the ungrateful task of explaining tho Spanish
side in the Cuban matter. and did what could be
done with an untenable position. M. Loiseaux,
who will set forth the argument for Cuba next
Thursday afternoon. will have an easier task.
The first part Of Prof. Cohn's argument was on
cult 1t would be for any Spanish Government to
give the island up. He drew a picture Of the
and Of the strong republican feeling IN the
peninsula. He also presented q rather fanciful
theory Of tho necessity for preserving the bal.
Saxon elements in colonial affairs for the main
tenance OF the equilibrium in the worlds affairs.
dress made a plea for a trial Of autonomy In
Cuba before steps were taken to demand indie
In Cuba having begun irreRularly. no opportu.
nifty has been given for a trustworthy expires.
sion Of sentiment on the part of the people of
Cuba; that tho elections to the Congress. being
held under tho watchful eyes of the people Of
the United States. cannot but be fair; and that
demands Independence Il viii then be- time for
the United States to intervene, and that then
'p When MI Prot re- a GaSn had ; a ff lInish saY Sfs" OPPOSITION
contained a good many ladies and college In
Prof. Cohn argued that at no time have the
Cnbans made any national manifestatton Of a de-
nothing Could prevent their ' Getting 1t. When
in q certain definite manner. as an or
ganized nation. they declare their desire to
and only then. viii. there be a chance;
for them to become independent. As 4 isl
TIL. in.urEectioni Is It a thing Of the Cuban
nationi There are Just twelve or thirteen cities
pc l%RSfe@n Sf s Sa tai sb 5slc ooS ,n nhis haTs a f t9ss1
comprise practically three-hfths Of the popula-
tion of Cuba, In these cities there is no insur:
r%ection, nor has there been any. In none of
them has q battle been fought. And yet they
say that Cuba as a nation wants Independence"
does not maintain that there. is no cause for
insurrection In Cuba. He thinks there 10. most
decidedly, q strong cause. He believes the
island has been r,isgoverned. but Spain" he
said. i" is in q turmoil. 1t has two Instructions
on its handsome at home the other in Cuba.
There 10 an extremely strong party Of repub-
licans In Spain. 1t is not at all improbable
that Spain may soon become q republic.
republic, Until tho. revolution at home
10 settled. however. the revolution in Cuba
cannot be satisfactorily adjusted. As 1t 10.
there cannot be, or rather there is no sight OF,
any autonomy. But with q republican Govern
mcnt in Spain there could be autonomy. And
that, after oil. is tho only safe solution Of the
problem. l believe that autonomy will eventu-
ally come, with a republic In Spain. Then.
with an organized, distinct body, a legislature,
Il Cuba as q Notion asks for separation and in
dependence, well and good. This, however. is
The attitude of the Americans in tho matter
Is also racking Spain, the professor said. He
did not in any way disapprove of the nations
attitude. but the flibustering expeditions of
private citizens do not seem to him fair. He
said he. recognizes that the Government is
doing all In its power to stop this sort of thing.
Liberty will eventually win; 1t must win al
ways!" Prof. Cohn exclaimed toward the endof
his speech. But the Cubans do not want lib
selves the insurrectionists are absolutely tyran-
meal. They will not suffer a man to have an
opinion contrary to their own. They will not
endure him. This is not q principle of liberty.
1t 10 tyranny. Spain as a republic would be
apt to grant true liberty, and I consider auton-
omy q form of liberty. But until Cuba shows
the world . Bunker Hill. until, as a nation, she
manifests q real desire for Independence. she
will not enjoy the liberty Of Independence"