New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-29
THE QUESTION OF INDEMNITY
PERFECT PROPERTY OF DEMANDING
ONE FROM SPAIN.
To the Editor of The Tribune.


Of indemnity has grown up Of late having It's
chief illustration in the Selling by Germany
Of Alsace- Lorraine at the end Of the war or
1870 as an Indemnity TO Germany for me
expense Of prosecuting the war. 1t is unneces-
sary 10 disprove an assertion so contrary 70
well established historical evidence. which as TO
accuracy is about on a plane with the ethlcs
IN the further declaration that christianity
forbids us to take Spanish territory for the
purpose OF indemnity" and sull more
"forbids to demand money indemnity Tor
the expense Of the war"
As we'll might it be argued that war is un-
Christian, and the are now engaged
in should be stopped. For If the one is In
defensibe, also is the other: but upon the
Same page with the article here referred 10,
which has for its caption, Indemnity and Chris
tianity" is another on The Prospects OF
Peace" wherein considerable Of the muscular
sort of Christianity is displayed: as. for exam
Pile when it is said: We must get our land
forces to the Philippines quickly az possible
and help Aguinado and his insurgent army to
complete the work done By Admiral Dewey. We
must overcome the Spanish army under
| General Linares that santiago may he taken
and the already crippled fleet Of Admiral Ger
vera destroyed The reserve squadron on the
other side Of the Atlantic we may have to seek
overthrow General Blanco and then take Porto
Rico We must prosecute the war with all
possible energy This is the hard side Of war;
but II Is also the best side The conditions re-
quire IT, the end justifies it
Alexander Caesar or Napoleon. the Chris
tianity of whom is not reckoned or the highest
type, could hardly be thought more bellgerent
The statement that the conditions require II
(the war;. the end justihes IT," is equally APP
plicable to indemnity.
Nothing is more manifest than this. that
neither nations nor individuals have attained the
height to which all are taught 10 aspire when
it is said BE We perfect. even as your Father
which is in Heaven is perfect" The millennium
has not yet dawned. and we are still clothed
with the inperfections Of humanity and able
only to follow the Apostles cdvice: III 1t he
possible. much as lieth in you, live peaceably
with all men"
While resort to law TO recover for Injuries
sustained is not in conformity TO the teachings
| of the Gospel It is nevertheless universally
! practised. and by the best Of Christians Even
! as OF old brother goeth TO law with brother
! II was but the other day that our good Metho-
| dist brethren recovered large sum from
| Brother Jonathan for injuries sustained at
Nashville by their book concern curing our
! Civil War No court actually applied to.
!
that suit would not have been brought
Whilst then IT is undenable that even by
Christians Of the highest type the standard u
! living to-day comes far short Of the require
rnents Of the sermon on the Mount. there is
| nothing in the signs OF the times. however opu-
nistic our vision. To indicate any great change
in the near future: accordingly, II Is yet too
early to expect that our Nation Is 10 be lifted
at once TO the highest possible plane Of duty,
and TO think otherwise is to be possessed Of an
Imagination which only be ciassed as
quixotic.
Are we ready to say TO Spain. Let us know
the cost of the mines you used in flowing up
the Maine and Of that shell which destroyed
the lives OF Ensign Bagley and the brave fell
lows who fell at his side. for wish 70 pay
for these" If so. may add that We also
earnestly desire to stop this un-Chrstan war,
having suddenly adopted the principle, not 10
| resist evil; but that whosOeVer shall smite US
on the right cheek, we Will turn 10 him the
other also"
If. as The independent" states. are fight
ing for philanthropy. there Is nothing In this To
| forbid asking TO be paid every dollar we
| cxpend and for .mplary damages besides.
Nor could this be declared. as 1t further says,
"a crime against God" 1t is a common prin-
! ciple OF law that for injuries sustained the IN
| a
! must be discovery II our laws have a
basis in crimes against God
If. as is argued by this advance guard Of
! Christianity when the war ends the United
! States will be strong and rich; Spain Will be
| weak and poor" these things which Spain
| should have considered before handing his
! passports to our Minister at her court. and thus
| precipitating a war And IT, as Is further said
Spain will be almost bankrupted. and her
people crushed with taxes" is that a reason why
the American people should have double bur
den placed on their shoulders?
1t is not a parallel case. and 1t is out OF place
| to cite II as such and to set 1t forth as an
example TO follow In the present instance, that
at the termination OF our Civil War our South
ern brethren were told to keep their horses. as
| they would need them TO plough their fields
| No one. perhaps but the generous. noble
! hearted General Grant would have thought this
| out so well: but the whole Nation applauded the
| magnanimous act; while at the same time. had
II not occurred to the commander Of our armies
| 10 do this. and the horses had been sold and
the money turned into the Treasury. IL would
not have been accounted a wrong thing to be
done We are. indeed. the richer that the gen
erous act performed but 1t is TO be doubted
| II we would feel that way II Spain were to be
released from obligation to pay this debt
we every day piling up.
Let us imagine. If we can. that President Nc
Kinley were go bereft OF reason that he should
say 10 Spain: We going to be good to you
knowing how good and kind you always are
and we do not intend to ask one cent Of In
demnity for the expense Of this war you have
forced upon us; and to release you. we shall tax
the American people, however much they may
squeal" And what might the result be? II
there were not instantaneous rebellion. the only
reason would be that the light OF the millennium
had dawned upon our shores
COMMON SENSE.
WATERFOWL ~ T. June % 1893.