The sun., 1898-03-02
Indemnity Versus War.

Whether the cine IS near nc hand when.
in the interest ot civilization. CUR Govern
uent should recognize the Independence Of
Cuba, and should Lnrerposa By torre 20 re-
store peace in the island. is one question.
Whether it should forthwtth declare war
against Spain. provided the Court OF In
qufry shall ascrihe the loss OF rhe Maine 70
al outside explosive, ou1 without attempt
ing TO Indicate the authors Of the caGas1ro-
phe, Is L very different question The TWO
inquiries should be kep1 apart and dealt
with each upon is merits.
II the dndirS Of the Court OF Inquiry
should De that the destruction of che Maine
was due, not 20 any internal accident, but
20 an explosive applied from without By
some person or persons unknown, certain
measure OF responsibility would urdcUbt-
edly attach TO the Spanish Government. L
was the duty Of the Spanish authorities az
Havana TO use more than ordinary diligence
in prutecring the Mime. both because size
vas the war ship OF friendly power. en-
titled 20 the same treatment As II luhds-
sadur might claim, and also because she lad
teen ordered 20 anchor az \ particular spC1.
spain caR 10 more rerUGiaEe RESPONSE
bLiJy Or refuse the payment Of ~ indeul-
nifty for the loss Ot Life and properly under
such conditions rhan our Federal Govern
men5 could retIlse an indemnify 20 Italy
for the murder ot italian subjects in L rioG
az New Orleans. From the moment that \
Government fails either to safeguard ,he
SUB 6tects or citizens Of Il friendly State
soicurninx il trs territory. or else to
pIuiSL the perpetrators Of assaGi-s upon
.heu, ,ack Il iue diligence ts presumed
and claim for indemnify attaches. We
90 uo1 believe that This position would
be iIspGreti II MIdrd, provided the Court
OF Inquiry, while tmputinS the destruc-
riou Dt the Maine TO al outside agency,
should tnt no cause for ir-aixniuS the
Spanish authorities az Havana Is acces-
series before or after the fact. We do no5
believe that the Span .sh Government would
refuse 90 nay reasonable indemnity for
the loss OF life and property, provided it
were held, ucr 10 direct and legal. but
only 10 Al Indirect and moral responsibility.
Let IL suppose. then. for the sake OF
argument, thai the Maine viii be al
!Gi red 20 have been blown up by some
person or persons unknown In that event
Spain must be regarded, noC certainly a.
IN lccoU. pllce, bu1 ~ charSeable, AZ worst,
with ccrrriburory negligence. Assur-ily
cur practice N such ra.ses is roc co declare
wac forthwith, but 10 put forward de
uaad FOR IN indemnity. Such wls the
Course pursued by President BENJAMIN
/ HARRISON, when sailors trum an Amer.
! lean var ship were attacked IN the
streets Of Valparaiso, Even where the r.
| spousibilicy ot foreign Government for
Al Act Of aggression was direct and urmis-
taxable, we have retralned from L oreciri-
rlr- resort 10 hosrilI1ies. IN rhs case Il
4 the ' l-S,aIus. u WIS I Span .sh ulLr-of.
I war which clP-ured on the b gh seas L
| yessel hyins the American Rag and rco<
her INTO The port Of santiago de Cuba.
: where L -lr.se numGsr Cf her crew and pas-
ssnSers. including many American c;Ci1gns,
/ wsro slmnarily shoe. Il was lfterwar,i A.,
IegsG, indeed, that -hs papers ot the V.-.
/ siulus we're deI.E,ous, cut, Of course. the
/ Spanish var ship WAS net justified n de-
Gliding arbitrarily that This WAS the case
/ The point 20 which We would draw atrsr-
/ zion : cGaE rh.s was an example, ucC ct
/ eorrribuJcry uegl Sence and OF euustrrc-
/ tive responsibility bu5 Ct positive and
! tISra2G sE-i-C, -te span Sd war ship being
tee olHciAi agsc5 1t rhe Madrid Govern
uenC. Ssvsrr heleas, we did not 20 20 war
/ a1uut the VIrgiu,us. bur, after nsS0ria-
E.ons had oeea prolonged abcUc two years
accepted Al apology truu Spain, together
with the return ot the captured vessel and
i small pecun Iry indemnity.
/ This was noe the only memorable in
! stance, when we have accepted IN tnGeua-
nifty In place Of making war During the
drsS decade Of this esEturT, when the riEsd
! States and Great Britain were AZ peace.