The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-05-26
SPIRIT OF AMERICA.
A Patriots Statement Of Our
Country's Position to His
Sister Who Lives
in Europe.


The war with Spain is sneeringly COM
mented upon by foreigners is well appre-
ciateda in this country. 1t is likewise we'll
appreciated that the average foreigner is
incapable of understanding the unselfish
patriotism and humanity which spoke
when Mckinley warned Spain that she
must stop.
That there are macy Americans
abroad who misunderstood their coun-
try's attitude is only too true, and unfor-
tunately their views of the war serve to
encourage foreigners In their con-
temptuous criticisms of our actions.
The following upon the war
are taken from the correspondence of a
brother and sister who are members of
one OF the Oldest New York families. The
sister has lived abroad, principally in
France, for many years. The brother, now
~eighty-two years old, a typical Ameri-
can, has spent all his life in this coun-
try. many of his earlier years as a pioneer
in TIE development Of the great West
When a young engineer he helped survey
the route of the. Morris Canal, and has
lived to see Jersey City grow from a
small hamlet to it's present great size.
Under date of May s, his sister wrote to
him from London
~ We have been in great anx-
Iety about this wretched war. and are
| very thankful at the news of last even
ing that Admiral Dewey and the fleet UNI
der him are safe, and the casualties so
slight. We fear, however. that by to-
morrow this latter part, at least, may be
contradicted, for false rumors are pien-
tiful. 1t seems to me the meanest war
| possible. To burden our own country
and expose our own people to death and
cruelty If captured, and to select a poor
weak eountry-a widow and orphan lad at
its head-as victims, and all on a pre-
tence of charity. to a horde of barbarous
guerlllas. who will be ready to turn
| against us if they succeed in their rebel
lion against their rightful masters. The
continual boast of being a magnanimous
| people, and a chivalrie one, is not borne
out in this ualaccountable affair. Now we
are in for it / wish success to our forces,
but 1 deplore it, as l believe all right
minded Americans do"
The reply of the brother is a fine state
ment of the sentiments of the true Ameri-
| breathing her own air, filed with her own
sense Of right and justice, her own abb
florence of oppression and cruelty. He
says
80 : If our present and future ru-
lers shall adhere to what is promised
| and what is by our people at large ex-
| pected-if Cubans by it shall be made
free and left to themselves an indepen-
dent nation-this war will be cited through
all times as most glorious AMI not sur
! passed in previous records of nations. So
much for my idca Of its character.
but you consider Spain's asserted
weakness. If Spain is weak is that a
reason for continuing forever to endure
her crimes, il she has crimes? If Spain
is weak what has brought down the ma
ton from its former power? Is it not
her quality as a ruler, her national pro-
pensity Of boastful or boosted pride; ar
rogance? The supercilious character and
conduct of her people as officials? Do
You not realize that oppression and extor-
ton. manifestations of her nations in
dividua1 of character, have brought pow
erty, rebellion. b~loodshed, war, and, in
time, successful revolt to every one of her
once numerous colonies founded by Co
lumbus and his successors.
eff one recognizes, as I do, these as
true statements, shall a strong power be
DETAINED for laying its heavy hand on the
shoulder of a brute whom all neighbors
have seen t~orturing a child? Remon-
strances by Cleveland, as by preceding
Presidents, were OF 10 avail, of McKin-
ley the same. 1t is cunningly now pre-
tended they were granted. They were
not. 1t was to the Pope most ostenta-
tiously, and as to Mckinley defiantly,
each SO called concession came when too
late; came when another course had been
decided on and was seen to be inevitable.
"Censurable America? Were the Pow
ers Of Europe censurable when they lift
ed the heavy hand Of the Turk from the
shoulder of Greece? Yet they were a
mighty power and Turkey weak. Did
Britain and the Powers gain glory and
honor lately when they allowed Turkey to
overwhelm Greece? Or lose either now
tilal lley push turkey from OretS. AHu
Turkey now is not large by the side of
combined Europe nor even by the side of
Britain. Mo- Disnterested relief to a
people or to an individual never yet has
and never heretofore will bring discredit
to the r~eliever. But there is a woman
and her child Well-as to them. They
can stay where they are for all concern
our people will have. If the people of
Spain turn the throne over, that is no con-
Germ Of the seventy millions of this coun-
try, who for forty years have declared
they are tired of the misrule of their
neighbors, the Cubans. 1t was not on
pretellce of charity alone, if at all, that
those protests and warnings Of our Presi-
dents rave been given. 1t has time after
time been declared a nuisance to this ma
ton and It's commerce. At last the threat
was put into execution. The result may
cruelty in cases to our countrymen in
arms. 1t may be that this could have been
avoided had President Mckinley had his
way,Aand had longe time been taken to
enlarge the army and navy to an over
towering proportion. In the shadow of
such a mass of power it seems to me pos
sib1e that Spanish ministers might have
felt safe in backing down. Probably not
Fear of Spanish pride"-and ferocfty?
Bismarck is quoted as saying America
stimulated and fostered the rebellion.
Many others think SO. But they UNDER
rate facts and conditions. | don't think
for Cuba which the Government had mo-
tiee Of, and did not prevent If it could.
The Spanish government did not and
could not police the 2,000 miles of Cuban
coasts. Neither did or could our boats
secure our coasts from departure. But