Arizona republican., 1898-04-06
WE CANNOT TURN BACK.

Spain must quit this continent. That is manifest destiny, and the hour has struck. There is no stopping place short Of absolute independence of Cuba. There is no peace short of that. It would have been as easy to end the war of the revolution at Bunker Hill or the civil war at Bull Run as to turn back now. We have become the in strument, the evolutionary force, by which Spanish rule in the new world she once owned is brought to it's his torical end. Finality is the very es- sence of the undertaking. We should be very great fools to make these ma terial preparations and go through all this worry, suspense and loss for some miserable compromise that would break down next fall or next year or in ten years, and leave us to make our martial preparations and go through the worry, the suspense and the loss again. Time and again we have tenn porized and postponed We were with in a measurable distance of war with Spain in 1873, and again in 1875. We had Cuban war panic" in 1896, and McKinley's solemn words of warning last December brought the ultimate necessity of intervention and possible hostile action clearly into view. The ] "war scare" of 1898 will end the series.
 Spain must get out of Cuba alto gether. We need not worry about Puerto Rico. She will withdraw from that last foothold betimes, but from Cuba she must withdraw now. She can go out peaceably and wisely, or she can if she chooses add the calam- ity of defeat in war with us to the ca lamity of losing the island. We are prepared to extend to her every as sistance, every indulgence, if she has the good sense to go without war. Any concession to her pride that we can in decency make that does not compro- mise the foundation principle of the settlement we will freely and gener- ously make. But we cannot conceal from her the inevitable end of the negotiations. It would be an act of monstrous bad faith to lure her along step by step in negotiations entered into on her part with the expectation that she would be permitted to resume her savagery in Cuba if the negotia- tions failed, ahd on our part with the determination to put her out of Cuba forcibly if she would not go peaceably. That would not only be a dishonest proceeding, but it would surely bring on war, which is to be avoided if pos sible
 The one way to a peaceful enamel patton of Cuba is to make known at the outset our firm determination to insist on and achieve the independ- ence of the island Terms and condi- tons are subordinate We can offer anything not at variance with the main demand. If Span is not ahso- lutely determined to fight we can ! probably make terms to suit her.
 The American people are showine signs of impatience with the admins tratlon. That is natural enough. but there IS no occasion for it. The ad- mln1stration is proceeding with great wisdom and as fast as the circu,n- stances, desire for peace and for tht national welfare as well as regard fo, national dignity and honor will ner. nit The president has the unreservef i support of the sober. conservative masses of the people of the United States for two things-to exhause the possibilities of reason and diplomac, in the effort to reach a permanent ant satisfactory settlement of difference. without war, and. if peaceful method: fail, to use fOrce.-Chicago Times-Her i a1d