Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-07-03
A VIEW OF THE SITUATION.
Reasons why We Should Not Have
Declared War.


1t is a crisis Ike the present that re-
veals an inherent weakness in a repuo-
lican form Of government. When the
Queen Of Spain appealed to her cousin,
the Emperor of Austria, for aid in the
coming war, his reply was, that while his
personal sympathies were naturally
with his illustrious relative, his first duty
was TO his people; and, with him, their
peace ana prosperity must always out
rank other considerations. When the
president Of the United States was urged
TO plunge the country into war. he was
quite as unwilling as the Austrian EN-
peror 10 assume such grave RESPONSE
: bility. To his honor, be IL spoken, ne
held back as long as he was constitution
ally able TO do So and not until his dis
cretionary power was exhausted did he
slowly and reluctantly yield to the i'm
peratlye demand Of the accredited repre-
sentatives of the nation. and at their bid
ding do the nation a wrong.
IL Is useless TO blind our eyes to the
iact that while this war. with all the
inevitable horrors which must follow in
Its train, has been brought upon US di-
rectly by the action Of the Congress of
these United States, 1t is yet really and
primarily due 10 the artful Vaccinations
of comparatively small number of per-
sons, who expect TO be personally bene-
fitted thereby. These, for purely private
and selfish ends, first introduced the
war virus into our midst, and then work
cd so insidiously To spread the contagion
that before the danger was recognized
by the people at large the entire legis-
Iatlve body of the nation had caught the
infection.
The pretexts used TO excite popular en-
thusiasm have been patriotic Indignation
at the destruction of the Maine and
humanitarian sympathy with the suffer-
ings of Cuba. But it only requires quiet
consideration Of the case 10 see that
these are ''preteXts" merely inasmuch
as both the wrongs enumerated could
better and more effectually have been
righted by diplomacy, than by a resort to
arms
First take the destruction Of the Maine.
Throughout the length and breath of the
civilized world there could be but one
opinion as to the horror Of the act, and
the obligation resting with equal strin-
gency upon the respective governments
of the United States and Spain-of the
one, 10 demand satisfaction for the out
rage, and of the other to grant it? That
such demand, if properly presented
would have been promptly met, there is
no shadow of a doubt, SPANS whole at
titude towards the United States being
an eminently conciliatory one, while it
is equally certain that if she had hest
tated the united force of European pub
lie opinion would have forced her into
compliance against her will; so that in
either case the honor of the American
nation would have been indicated with
out bloodshed.
With regard to the second "catch-
word" the liberation of Cuba, Senior Sill
Vela the leader of the Dssident Con-
servatives, says: america is justified on
the point of demanding good government
of Cuba, but not justified beyond it," and
significantly adds: at daily becomes
clearer that America has Numbered into
a war that will be disastrously expensive
10 hot hA rha fafftf
lies with lingo papers in urging Ameri-
can statesmen beyond reasonable bound"
Here II is plainly intimated that a GER
tain degree of interposition In Cuban az
fairs on the part OF this government
would have been tolerated by Spain. so
that at least until the powers of diplo-
macy had been tried and failed. il is inn
possible TO pronounce that recourse 10
force was necessary TO effect the end in
view.
only by armed interference could Cuba
have been freed the question rises, Is
the first duty Of the nation TO its own |
citizens or 10 foreigners? Is it morally |
at liberty to sacrifice American lives TO !
save Cuban? For il is not only the loss |
of life In battle which must be taken |
into account, nor even the depletion OF |
the army itself by disease, but the still |
larger loss of life here at home, among |
all classes and conditions. the HELPLESS |
dren, who, should pestilence be imported |
into our midst, will assuredly fall q sac
rihce.
1t is safe to predict that ere the year
closes, number for number, the death |
rate Of these victims of the yellow
plague along our Gulf and South Atlantic |
coasts will equal-if it does not exceed
the death rate of the Cuban reconcer-
trados.
Again. while 1t is unquestionably true
that. as between white troops and black,
the black are constitutionally much bet
ter able to resist such climatic conditions /
as prevail in Cuba, and so are better
suited for service in that island; ii would
seem as if the blacks in the United
States, as wards Of the nation" had "A
stronger claim upon the nation for pro-
lection than their black and colored
brethren in Cuba? Why sacrifice them 10
benefit the others?
In short, from every point of view. Il
S evident TO common sense that this war
S blunder 1t is neither 'in defence of
The nations honor" nor Gin execution
If the nations will" as one of the "yel-
ow journals" grandiloquently puts 1t.
Rather. ii is the outcome of selfish
creed. base sensationalism, and hot
headed rashness.
Now that ii is upon us. the people, the
whole land over may be relied upon 10
10 their duty. But they can cherish no
Illusions on the subject. nor can they
york themselves up to a whitehead of
nreaSOning enthusiasm. III. Il. Il.