Evening journal., 1898-03-12
CONTEMPORARY OPINION.

THE CRISIS AND ITS PROSPECTS.
There has been an excited effort to
push the country into a war with Spain.
Since the unfortunate event In the har-
Dor OF Havana the public mind has been
naturally uneasy. The cause OF the
destruction OF the Maine is surround
ed with mystery. She was blown to
pieces in port friendly in law, but not
altogether friendly in fact. Spain is
In an extremely nervous condition. Her
resources in men and money have been
almost exhausted by the war which sho
has waged that she may retain posses
sion OF her richest colony. Her people
telieve-falsely Ornotdoes not matter
that the government and people OF the
United States are chargeable with the
failure OF three captains general to
subdue the rebellion. They have ex-
ploded into violent outcries against us
in the speeches OF their public men and
in their press.
The dancing dervishes OF war have
had their way on both sides OF the
ocean, and good men who dread war as
they dread all crime and barbarism
| have been disturbed. while both gov
| ernments have been forced into active
preparations for war because 1t is folly
not to make ready in the face Of noise
and buster which an event to be cub
sequently determined may sustain and
excuse. 1t may be, for example, that the
| evidence Will show that the Spanish
Government is legally responsible for
the loss OF our ship and the horrible
death OF our sailors. although no right
minded and cOol-headed man believes
that Spanish officials are either so
l rtrt.I 4 A.
have committed deliberately so great
a crime-a crime which, II proved, will
lose to their unfortunate country what
ever sympathy she now enjoys in Eu-
rope, and win inevitably lead to heI
downfall
| In this emergency the American peo-
pie have occasion to be thankful that
Mr.. Mckinley is president and that Mr.
Long and Mr.. Roosevelt are at the head
of eNavy Department. They have rea-
son also TO be thankful for the coOlness
deliberation and great intelligence o.
the officers of the navy who were OF
the Maine, and who are concerned fl
the inquiry that has followed the disas
} ter. The officers OF the Maine shove,
themselves worthy OF the best tradi
, tons OF their services, and few able
and no more honorable men can b-
found than those who constitute tn
. Sampson Board OF Inquiry. The ad
3 ministration and these officers hav
I borne themselves like honorable an,
dignihed gentlemen dealing with
grave question. And in this they rep
resent the sound and sane America
people-the people who are not in evi
dence when the light-headed and knav
4 ish are filling the land with shoutins
= thereby bringing contempt upon tn
country to which they render sue
noisy lip service-not in evidence the
50 much. perhaps. as they ought to b
+ but are not only in evidence but i
+ control whenever a crisis comes. The
II are the people who made Mr. McKinle
. president, and he has their support no
in the emergency in which both he an
l. they have so well kept their heads.
= OF the mysterious cause of the loss
the Maine we are as ignorant as eyre
We may never know II, but we ma
d rest assured OF this, that the report
. the Sampson Board OF Inquiry will |
conclusive. When that is made an
published we shall doubtless know a
that ever will be discovered of II
cause OF the disaster Moreover. n
~ report will be accepted by the countr
ID -Harper's Weekly.