El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-05-18

by a sympathetic people. Our gov
nanment could and did make moral
protests to the Turkish government,
hui it could not forcibly intervene.
That duty BELONGED 20 the five great
powers. They had assumed the re-
-ppnsi bilsty of securing good govern
ment in America, and it is blot on
the civilization of the min eteenth cen
fury that they did not fulfill their du-
ty. Mr. Gladstone's famous appeal
will g down 10 history. Spain Is the
Turkey of the New World and Cuba is
our Armenia, and the people of this
country have determined that slaught-
| ar and oppression and massa ere and
starva ton shall cease in that island.
A parallel to Cuba is found in The
history of Greece. After struggling
heroically for six years for freedom
and independence, England, France,
andRussis interviewed to save Greece,
and the Turkish crescent was with
drawn from the Grecian peninsula. 1t
was the mis-, axe of the powers not to
victory. They left Crete, Thessaly,
md Epirus under the domination of
the oppressOr.
| In 1873, when England found that
the Ionlan Isles, which for fifty years
| had been under her prOtectOrate and
authority, wished to be annexed to
Greece, she nobly withdrew her occu-
pancy after a vote of toe people. 1t is
useless to expect Spain to follow such
An honorable example. And hitherto
| sc have only asked her to grant to
Cuba freedom which would he q
blessing to Spain. But if Spain can
not confer freedom upon Cuba, it must
be conferred aud guaranteed through
the flag of the United States. The
long reign of horror In Cuba mus
cease. In the name of humanity we
mus give up our ease and comfort and
intervene, not for the sake of war,
but to end war and establish peace.
| The United States government itself
has interviewed in the affairs OF other a.
tions. and for humane reasons. 1t gave
moral support to the efforts of Hungary
to obtain it's independence. 1t has
made moral protest in behalf OF per-
secuted Jews. 1t interposed in 1851
by sending a United States ship to
| Turkey to bring Hungarian exiles to
this country. 1t has iuterceded for
leo.
The United States rendered a SER
vice not only to it's own citizens, but
also to civilization and humanity when
they forcibly interviewed to break up
the piracy of the Barbary powers.
There were several American states
men who thought it cheaper to nay the
Barbary powers the yearly tribute
thy enacted than to fight them: but
the result showed that war in this case
was cheaper and shorter than peace,
and lOns and tnat peace was the
blessed r-suit of a short war.
From the v-ry beginning the policy
of the United Sta es has baen.mO lerate,
reasonable, patient, and long stuff ,ring.
| a h,,r n
Cleveland have all had To deal with
this difficult subjec.. Under Grant the
good offices of the United States we're
declined. The promises of a reform
made in 1873 were unfulhlled. Mr..
Cleveland saw that a situation would
be presented in which our obligations
to the sovereignty of Spain would "be
superseded by mig Ter oblig atioDs which
we can hardly hesitate to recognize and
discharge"
President Mckinley from the begin
ming of his administration has main
tanned calm, judicial demeanor in
dealing with this exasperating question.
He has resis ed all appeals for merely
partisan Interpretation of his duties.
He determined not to act in this mat
ter until he could secure, not the sup
port OF one party, but of all. He refused
10 be mover bv the ill-timed abuse of
|
cisms of those who lOo<ed lightly up
On the solemn responsibilities of war.
He has marked out path and pursued
| it. 1t has been a path Of righteousness
| if not a path of peace His policy was
noblv stated in his message at the be-
ginning of the second session of the
Fifty-fifth Congress.
Sure of the right. keeping free from all
offence ourselves, actuated only by upright
| and patriotic considerations, moved neither
by passion nor selfshness, the Government
will ntinue its watchful care over the
rights AID property, OF american citizens.
| by peaceful agencie IA peace which shall be
honorable and enduring. If it shall
hereafter appear to b. duty imposed by our
| huma ity to intervene with force. it shall
cause the necessity TO. such action will be so
| clear as to command the support and ap-
prevail of the civilized world.
| When, after four months of patient
and righteous endeavor to bring mat
tiers to peaceful conclusion, Pres
septation to congress onsthe 18th Of
April, it was to say to this body
that
| The only hope of relief and repose from a
condition which can no long-r be endured
In the name of humanity, in the name of
| civilization, in behalf of endangered Amer
must stop.
| In view of these facts and of these con-
sderationS, | ask the Congress to authorize
| and empower the president to take measures
| to secure full and final termination of
hOStilttieS between the Government of pain
| anG the people of uha. and to secure in the
island the establishment of "a stable Govern
| ment, capab e of maintaining order and OBJ
serving its international obligations insur-
ing peace and tranquility and thu security
| of its citizens as well as our own, and to use
the military and naval forces of the United
States as may be necessary for these pur-
poses.
This solemn udgment of the presi-
dent was sustained by the verdict of
cor gress and is re-affirmed by the peo-
pie of the . nited States. No states.
mau who has sat in the executive chair
has deserved more confidence from
the American people than William
Mckinley. Members may interpret
their own personal action in this cham
Der as they please, but for one ask no
higher Interpretation of the action of
the nation in res bonding to the call of
the president than the lofty motive
woich he presented to congress and to
the world.