Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-05-07
Realizes That We Are Fighting for
a Just Cause.
her SYNPAfHIES ARE ALL WITH Us
Still We Must fut UP With Con-
siderable Criticism.
NO RESP ECT FOR SPAIN
From the Lender Spectator. April %.

From the Lender Spectator. April %.
If there any doubt as to Eng
lands attitude in regard to the it Is
now, we are glad TO think, entirely over.
As we ventured to predict it must be- Eng
lish sympathy is with our own flesh and
blood, chiefly. doubt, because they are
our own flesh and blood. but also because
the British nation believes that America
Is the whole fighting for a just cause.
Occasionally. no doubt Englishmen ses
puzzled to the merits of the controversy
over Cuba They hear it daily shouted
through the cables that all the best people
in America are for peace, that only the
Jill goes and the wild men" support the
war, and finally. that the war is the out
come of stock-jo5bing intrigues and of plots
formed by capitalists who want to annex
Cuba and exploit it, and not unnaturally
they are Inclined to doubt whether the
American people are not being dragged
against their Will into war of which they
disapprove. The corrective of such view
is recall the policy of General Weyler
in Cuha-iet any who wants to realize
the results of that policy look at the re-
productions from photographs in Thurs
days Daily Maitland the stubborn refusal
by Spain. even after his recall. to grant
to the island even the rights which we
give to 4 crown colony. We do not fill all
the posts in Jamaica with men sent out
from England and allow the native born
too. that the Wall street magnates have
throughout the recent crisis been lobbying
for peace, and remember that all idea of
annexation has been specifically repudated
by the resolution OF Congress. No doubt
there are noisy, and disagreeable, and UNI
dignifed. and INSCRIPTIONS elements i'll
American politics in those of this and
all other countries. and no doubt, also. they
have played a part in the present crisis,
hut, taken a whole, il is not these ele-
ments which have prevailed to produce the
war
The Cause of Liberty.
Looking at the matter broadly, we are
Inclined to echo, with a difference, the
words of Chathan--was it not?-about the
great rebellion: There oppression
there ambition. there was sedition; but
you shall never persuade me that it was
not the cause of liberty on the one side
and of tyranny on the other" There may
be jingOiSm. there may be SelfishnesS and
there may be greed. but no one shall per
suade that ii is not the cause of hui
mainly and good government on the one
side and of callous pride and savage inep-
Iitude on the other. Americans may not
be acting as if they angels IN trou-
sers. hut they are obeying a wholesome
and legitimate instinct in saying that they
will not tolerate Armenian massacres. or
worse, at their very doors.
But though America may expect, and
will receive. sympathy here, and that moral
support which she very naturally values
and desires when it comes from those OF
her own kin. she must not be surprised
annoyed If she receives plenty of criti-
cism from FL glishElen- As nation We are
nothing if not critical. and as a nation we
shall watch closely and comment shrrwdIy
on every move in the terrible game of war
which is about to he played With the
British race criticism is habit. and IN
EngIishn3Gn Will criticisc with deadly dis
tinctness and direc-n.ss the actions of his
father, and much more of his children and
grandchildren.
Because They Respect Us.
Let Americans remember also that this
criticism will be more severe in their case
than in that of the SpaniarGs. not because
we less, but because We are more fav-
cradle to them than to their enemies. We
shall require from our own flesh and blood
q standard of rectitude and good faith and
fair fighting which we snoul1 not demand
from any other nation. This may seem
Unfair, but it is the fact. If che Spaniartis
put themselves in the wrong. and 90
things deserving of our censure. they viii
be passed by with comparatively little
notice actions such 20 be ex-
peCted from foreigners. If the Americans
do anything which appears to US 10 be a
falling away from grace. public opinion
here Will be in a ferment. For example. if
a Spanish cruiser had been blown up in
New York har0or under circumstances of
the gravest suspicion-the thing is. of
course. impossible. but may it as
an illustration of onr meaninsG-our press
EnG people would have runs, with eX-
pressions Gf indignation. The thought that
such thing could naTs happened among
our kindred would nave >en; the nation
Into frenzy of annoyance. When it tap-
Iened IN Havana public opinion was com
paratiVely cain. We were sorry but cur
people felt that even if the suspicious prov
cd true this was oily one more proof of
what southern races will do when they
grow mad with injured pride and the black
spirit of revenge. To put il IN word the
use of the dagger does not shocN US among
southerners as it does among our own
peopie-
America. then, as we have said. must be
prepared To stand the fire of criticism in
detail to which she is sure to be subjected
from this side of the Atlantic. She will. we
hope. have the good sense and the patience
10 realize its true nature and to remember
that IL does not show any animosity, but
merely the desire that America should ac-
uuit herself in way beyond reproach. Let
her rem ember, too, that if W. were engaged
in war ard America We're standing out.
her people and press would treat us to just
The same stream of disagreeable and yet
weli-meant CRITICISM. A proof of what we
are saying is TO be found i'll the sort of talk
that has been heard at dozens of clubs and
dinner parties. Half the world has been
carping at the way in which the Americans
have been conducting their quarrel with
Spain. The President has been called weak
and accused of not knowing his own mind
The yellow press has been denounced as
scandal To civilization. The Senate and
the House OF Representatives have been de-
scribed wanting in dignity and serious
ness. In a word, the talk has all been that
America is putting herself in the wrong
Yet if any Who'll -hearted and th;ck-and-
thin defender of Americas action inter-
Nenes-and there are always some of these
IN every gathering. whether Ii be assembled
in third-class railway carriage a club
smoking room-with the declaration that if
America We're to be- attacked by Europe we
must come to her aid. the whole company
Will protest with voice that such is
their unalterable opinion. They are our
cwn lash and blood. and we will stand by
them in an instant IL the foreigners join
against them
Always N Brit9n's Right.
That is the universal Feeling. but the
holding of IL must not be allowed for a mo-
tnent to take away the Briton's inalienabIe
right To criticise and TO suggest that this or
tnaJ matter is being utterly mismanaged
That is a sacred privilege, to be as !ealously
guarded as trial by jury or any other pal
ladiUm of the constitution. II is indeed to
this resolve to criticise At all costs which
he arr rth cd mn ,f h.