Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1898-11-28

despOtlsm of Spain" was very like the
Cuban league now organized in the
United States for the same purpose.
Then, too, Spain was busy off-setting
outrages on American citizens by
Spanish claims of filibustering. 1t is
the question of the destructiaon of the
Maine today; it was one involving a
vessel called the Black Warrior then,
that stirred the Indignation of the
people. 1t is a striking Renaissance
that there was also division of opin-
ion between the president and congress
of that period, with the triff1ing differ
ence that it was the president who
was then anxious to make war on
Spain, and it was congress that then
declined the responsibility Finally
there was an alignment of the princi-
pal European powers against us. There
was then as now an abiding desire to
stiffen the foreign policy of the coun-
try, and Marcy, who sent a natural
lied Frenchman as minister to Madrid,
gave instruction to sound Spain on the
delicate subject of purchasing Cuba.
The secretary of state then declared
that while the United States would do
nothing to disturb the relations of
Spain with Cuba, the United States
would at the same time much dis
like to see Spain make use Of the as
sistance of other powers to assert its
supremacy over the island He also
sent to Buchanan who was minister to
England a protest about sending ships
of war to our coasts as not being re-
spectful to this republic; and instruct
ed Soule to make it plain to Spain that
while she remains in fact as we'll as
in name sovereign of Cuba, she can
depend upon our maintaining our duty
as neutral power, however, difficult
1t may be-" Marcy added that it twas
not proposed to acquire Cuba unless
the inhabitants were very generally
disposed to concur in the transfer"
This was substantially the same po-
sition taken by John Quincy Adams
by Clay, by Van Buren,, Polk, Webster
and Calhoun. Marcy also rigidly in
sisted that no other power than Spain
should be permitted to acquire Cuba
under any pretense whatever In 1857
the American minister at Paris had
informed the state department of the
existence of treaty between Great
Britain, France and Spain which guar
anteed Cuba to Spain. Webster had
formerly declared that the United
States would never recognize any such
treaty Marcy now supplemented this
decision by the clear inference or by
the positive statement that once
Spain's sovereignty became nominal
in Cuba, or she refused to sell Cuba
for fair price, we were in duty bound
to wrest the island from Spain ii we
possessed the power upon the same
principle that would justify one indi
vidual in tearing down the burning
house of his neighbor if there were no
other way of preventing the flames
from destroying his own home.
Suddenly, however, both Marcy and
the president changed their position
on the whole Cuban question. This
was on May 31,1854. The people were
exasperated but powerless to give eft
feet to their deep convictions. Con-
gress debated the question during
June, and adjourned without taking
any definite action on the subject.
Thus Spain escaped at that time, and
the magnificent opportunity furnished
by the Crimean war in which Great
Britain, France and Russia were en-
gagged in the following year. found this
country divided on the Cuban ques-
ton. The southern states were indis-
posed to exhaust their forces in an at
tack on Spain which later on they de-
sired to marshal in the defense of
slavery. The north was also equally
reluctant to admit or acquire territory
that might easily strengthen he
slave-holding interest in the south.
But though local jealousies thus
prevented the liberation of Cuba in
1854 the policy of Macy was well
worthy of a country and it was one
which Napoleon's ministers, with all
their ingrained acumen and natural
sympathy for Spain, were unable 10
withstand.
The sectional divisions spared Spain
a humiliation then, but made it neces-
sary for Cleveland in 1895 to re-assert
the Monroe doctrine in the case of
England in Venezuela and in Nicara-
qua, and now we see the Monroe doct-
rine far outstripped and foreign ma
ton deprived of it's possessions in 5his
hemisphere. In the meantime negoti-
atoms are in progress at Paris which
exhibit the strenuous force of dipio-
macy which no nation on the face Of
the earth dare decry.