The Monticellonian., 1898-06-10
roc MUCH HASTE.

OO M U N1A Ia O I Atf
 No harm can be done by barking back Il few weeks and renewing acquaintance with the proceedings of Congress which resulted in a declaration of war between u C United States and the Kingdom cf spain.
 On April s5 Congress adopted d joint resolution in these words Be t enacted, etc; lsifst-That war be aud the same hereby is de- clared to exist and that war has existed since the t=of April, A. D. 4595, including said day, be- tween the tnited States of AHefi- ea andthekingdom of spain. Sec ond-4zhat thc President of the Gaited=States beaad he is hereby directed and emp5wefed to Use the entire l5ad and nNal forces of the United States and to cal into the actual service of the United States the militia of the several States to such extent as may be necessary to afrS=fhis act into effect.
 Preceding chat declaration, Com gross on April I9 passed | resoIu- ton declaring that @thc people of Cuba are and of right ought to be free and independent demanding in#the name of the United States that fhs Government of spain at once @fefiaquish its aathafity and government in the island of Cuba aaa Withdraw its land and naval forces from Cuba and Cuban wa ter5. Whlle adopting this rcso- lution, Congress also distinctly disaYoued the wi,ho or intention of
 this government to exercise so>- ereignH over Cuba any longer tl4n was absolutely necessary te es.a5- fish stable -governnef9t= for tIte people of the island.
 Nowhere in the proceedings of Congress which led up 10 the dec laration of hostilities can there be found the faint intimation that we were to wage a war of conquest and aggrandizement. 0n#the con trary, the debate which preceded action was characterized by strcn- uous and eloquent disazowals of selfish purposes on the part of the United States Government. IL was to be war for humanity. We were To set th9 world q new stand ard in war. We were to abide strictly by the traditional policies of this Governments in the matter of asserting our right to safeguard the peace and orderly progress of the New World, and we were not to seize territory by the force of arms and add it to the national do- main
 | is feared that the executive at W ashington are not abiding strictly by the spirit which animated Congress and the people in entering upon this war for hut manity. Our armies are being prepared en Il scale suggesting per m9nent occupation of former terri tory of Spain seven thousand miles from our shores and also to lay siese to Parti Rico aud pefnaneut- lv hold that rich possession.
 In other words. there are signs that the War fever is ab9a to car Y uS far from the original purpose for winch we took up arms and to which Nc stand pledged against the world
 The freedom of Cuba k being affected under a logicu extension of the Monroe Doctrine. That principle iS not embodied in any written statue. lis merely dec laration of what our relations ought to De to the nations of the New World. Still, it has the force of law regularly enacted
 From tho earliest days of the Re public another unWritten law has Us. That is against ter ritorialeNpansion tha, is not bound ed bv continental limits. The question of aunexing islands has been repeatedly before the people since t4e day of Jefferson. and ey-