The commonwealth., 1898-04-08


power on earth. She has saat more
men to put down the rebellion il sbrse
years than she sent e the battle of
Lepant0 than she sent with tho Grand
Armada that was designed to reduce t6
subsection the Kingdom Of England
more than she sent to all her wars and
against all her reYolted colonies 81
this continent. more thanshe cent to tbs
Philippine Islands and she has sent
them against this handful ofInsurgents
She has sent against them more men
than were engaged in. all these great
enterprises united
Yet she has failed. Is there anybody
50 full Of hope as to pretend that there
can be any success after this miserable
failuref Is this thing to be indefinitely
prolonged The Cuban IS stubborn he
will resist Spain ID stubborn; she viii
continue. And are We to sit here ana
see this contest 90 on and feed tie
starving and the hungry and clothe the
naked and minister to the relief of al
kinds Of severity and set see tho oruel
work go on7
Mr.. President We have a duty upon
US to stop the war. Let It be stopped
BY negotiation if possible, WE have
tried that Let 1t be armed interven-
tion If necessary. Let the Cubans Be
supplied by such ships as tho Indiana
and the Brooklyn with arms and ann
munitlon commensurate with their
need, and they viii take care Of the
spaniards Let IS blockade the ports
and the garrison willeapitulate. These
are things that are to Be done If in the
wisdom Of the senate and house they
think they may be done
These are things that to my mind aro
suggested as all that it is possible for us
to do I despair Of negotiation
have contempt for it in this case
have seen the frnitlessness and the inn
becility Of it. have seen this policy
slow and tortuous, continued while the
people have starved to death, while /
know If belligerency had been reeog.
nized by q proclamation Of neutrality
these woes and horrors would have had
no place in the history Of our time.
When, as | stated, Spain has had more
men engaged in tho conflict than she
ever before had engaged in any foreign
enterprise, and when we have had two
administrations, representing the two
different political parties, when the
world knew that war was Hagrant ID
Cuba, that a war was waging why did
they not proclaim that the condition
was one Of belligerency7 That is all
that 1t was necessary to have done.
But that day has passed
/ 59y that in order to eHectually rem
edy this evil the United States must ia
positive and peremptofy way, IS civ
lily as possible and yet il tones that can
not be misunderstood, declare that this
war must end Give Spain two weeks.
or three, Of four let hundred thous
and people die if you win, but at last
it must come to an end. We stand re
sponsible today to civilization, to his
tory to the humanity Of the latter end
Of the nineteenth century, we cannot
evade, If we would the burden put up-
on our shoulders We must obey the
dictates Of humanity and relieve chat
island in tbe most effective manner pos.
sible.
have heretofore for a long time ad-
yocated IN the press armed Intervention
in the Island Of Cuba upon what / Con.
slider sound international-law grounds.
from the fact that we have an interest
in the matter that can be stated ID dbl
lars and cents. amounting to s50O00.
O0oinland, and other property, amount.
ing to S40000,60O for money loaned
and commerce amounting to eighty or
ninety millions yearly.
Now, the independence Of Cuba 4
fact that should be recognized. sbe 4
independent as far as her civil govern.
ment Is concerned. They enact IaWs
justice, they hold their oourts.
they collect their taxes, they have their
capital, They do not keep seaports BET
cause they have no navy. They do nv
have garrison towns because CHAT
would only waste their strength Yet
they have today government tbst Il
capable Of being recognized.
How can We recognize that govern.
ment2 The executive can do II IL
sending q minister there with tba ab
proval of the senate. The exoeutiva
can do II by receiving a minister from
Cuba without the consent Or tbe gan.
ate. And the congress Of tbe r1nitaa
states gan Do It by passing Id aot N
commercial intercourse in which I'M
president can join with bis siqnaturs
y refuse ii as be sees ft
These are things that can b dope
These are things that are pressing fn
upon the conscience n tbis
laEon These are things that the
american people demand Shan III dops
.hsy haYe laid their command upon
I ana We ere their servants, When 1
peaE today. % not speak simply of
n thought that crises in me. i tbe
ssliags tha5 agitate my mind, but
peak representing d people Who baiiavs
nd nave ezI ! SEED their belief throneb