Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1898-03-11
@ests County ajrrala.
ISLAND PoxD. MARCH IL.

There are maHy things IN the present
condition Of the country that are graft I
f,inv and hopeful. The horrors oi war I
cannot ~ es .sgeratci ii they eah even .
he adrquatelN appreciated. But tie COW
dition " upon the country without its
contributing 10 produce them, and It Is
More than fortunate, it is entirely salts
factory. to know that the administra-
ton and peonlr are cool outindifier-
ence. To see an administration dong
everything Arm, yet conciliatory, looking
towards the maintenance OF an honura.
bic peace, and at the same time IN the
midst ola horrible and mysterious cisas'
ser That may he no less than butchery,
going on in a business like manner with
preparations for whatever event may be
required is remarkably fortunate con-
dition. And to see so many millions
whose minds are so full OF Indignation,
sespicinp< and even belief that Spain has
capped the climax Of the Cuban barbara
Sies bv treacheroEsly blowing into eter-
nifty hundreds Of brave American seafhen
e-estfsiuine themselves to carefully study
The developments of the great inveshSH-
lion. and almost hreathlesslv waiting to
hear and submit to the results of q calm
and capable decision arrived at through
lawful means, seems to be more convinc~
ing OF the capacity Of the people for, and
she stability of, self-governnnnt by the
people than any other thing which has
occurred in the history of the American
people.
Every man, whatever his capacity may
be, shceld study this matter for the ag-
gregste opinion of all the people is the
government. 1t should be studied with
as little passionate impulse as possible,
with n6'Braggadocio, with as little ex-
crcise' Of fighting sentiments as may be so
as to get at just and correct results. lit
should turn out that the Spanish govern
iinent is not responsible Tor tkis terrible
calamity and that it occurred through
accident or was the work OF Spanish
cranks, then the government of Spain
would be no more responsible for it than
the American government was for the
death Of Garfield. Bat ifarcredted agents
pf the Spanish government contributed
en it Spain would be responsible for it to
a Jegret corresponding with the posi-.
,tienpE such agents and their relations to
their government. And if the govern
,ment itself contributed to it either by
positive design, overt act or negligence
then the highest degree of responsibility
is attached TO that government. If tht
first named conditions should exist il
,wou'd be terrible to follow the slaughtc,
of two or three hundred men with tina
of two or three hundred thousand. Blu
the last uamed conditions merit a quit
different consideration because then
principle is involved which relates to tn
safety of untold numbers for all time ant
perhaps to that OF the government itSel
1t may become more even than matte
of indicating the national honor-a pun
ishment of a high crime, or the pdrtia
PREPARATION of injuries which are incapa
BILE of full compensation. 1t may becom
necessity to vindicate an internationa
principle.
For this situation this country is no
without presidents and it has more tina
once been declared that a government
which by encouragement or neglect cor
tributed to a savage warfare or Slaughte
either by act, encouragement or negIec
''would cert ainly have no claim to a
immunity from the punishment whic
might justly b
inflicted on the savages themselves. TIL
embarrassments of Spain are OF course t.
be considered and so it is proper to cor
slider that
Our policy in regard to Europe, which
was adopted at early stage of the
wars which have so long agitated that
quarter of the globe, nevertheless re-
mains the same which is, not to inter
tere in the internal concerns of any GIFTS
powers; to consider the government
de facto as the legitimate government
for us to cultivate friendly relations
with it, and to preserve those relations
by a frank, firm, and manly policy,
meeting in all instances the Just claims
of every power, submitting to injuries
from But in regard n those com
tinents circumstances are eminently and
conspicuously different. 1t is impossi-
Bile that the allied powers should ex-
tend their political system to any por-
ton of either continent without en-
dangering our peace and happiness
nor can anyone believe that our south
ern brethren, il left to themselves,
would adopt it of their own accord. 1t
Is equally impossible therefore, that we
should behold such interposition in any
form with indifference. If we look to
the comparative strength and resources
ofSpain and those new governments
and their distance from each other, it
must be obvious that she can never
subdue them. 1t is still the true policy
OF the United States to leave the parties
to themselves, in the hope that other
powers will pursue the same course"
But President Monroe would probabl
say in view OF the present situation a
he did under similar circumstances that
There is nevertheless a limit beyond
which the spirit of amity and torbear-
ance can in no instance be justified. If
was proper to rely on amicablc nego-
tiations for an indemnity for losses it
would not have been SO to have permit
ted the inability OF Spain to fulfill her