The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-14
MORTON'S VIEWS ON CUBA.
Attitude of the Famous senator Dur
ing n Former Revolution.


Extracts from Mr.. w. d. Foulke's forth
coming life of Oliver p. Norton show
how ardent an advocate he was of a policy
of justice toward the Cubans. Morton was
strongly in sympathy with the people of
Cuba who were struggling for indie
pendence. He saw with great dissatisfac-
ton that Spain was getting help within
American territory to put down the revolt.
while efforts to aid the Cubans were pun
ished as crimes. At first he favored the
recognition of Cuban belligerency and he
argued in support of such recognition in his
Wilmington speech. When he found, how
ever, that this was impossible he intro
duced in the Senate bill making it mis-
demeanor to fit out or equip ships of war
or furnish arms to be employed by any for
eign state against any colony in insurrec-
ton, and on Feb. g. 1870, he. supported this
measure in vigorous speech. He said:
Mr.. President, the object of this bill is,
briefly, to place the United States in a po-
sition of neutrality between any European
power and an instruction in an American
colony claimed by such power, although
such instruction may not have attained to
the magnitude that entities she insurgents
to the concession of belligerent rights, and /
connection with the subject of Cuba. Spain
has built and fitted out thirty gunboats in
the harbor of New York and publicly en-
listed crews for them in the streets of that
city for the avowed purpose of subjugating
the people of Cuba to her rule, which is
the most despotic and inhuman known to
modern times. If this is done in accordance
with our statutes then they should be
amended. - AS the matter now stands
we are the allies of Spain against the in
surgent Cubans. We are furnishing Spain
with arms. munitions. soldiers, sailors ships
employed against the insurgent Cubans,
while on the other hand we prosecute with
energy and punish with vigor every attempt
to aid the Cubans from our shores. i am
not complaining of the enforcement of the
laws against those who seek to aid the Gu
bans, but Of the inhumanity, the injustice
and the impolicy of supplying Spain with
means for their subiugaton. We may not
help Cuba: but why should we help
Since 1925 the people of Cuba have been
governed by. a Cortes in Spain, in which
their voice is never Heard; by a captain
general appointed by. the Spanish govern
ment, the letter of whose instructions give
him the full power of a commander of
besieged city who may, at pleasure, rob
the people of their lives and property, and
whose sole business is to plumber them of
the last dollar to fill his own and the Span
ish treasury. Think of it,; more than 1,200,-
600 people. our neighbors, living by our side
whose sympathies, interests, trade and COM
merce are naturally with US; yet whose
lives and property are held absolutely at
the will of foreign viceroy, who hates
them. and governs them only to rob. Their
people have, through generations suffered
dreamed. and which we can scarcely con-
ceive. And when human nature could no
longer endure and from the depths of de-
spair the suffering people rose in resist
ance, they were slaughtered like beasts,
shot without trial, transported without
mercy. And these monsters of oppression
setting at defiance all the rules of civilized
war, violating every law, human and di-
vine, draw their supplies from our shores
md ann Gf q tut
How inconsistent our attitude of to-day
with our history in the past. Have we not
Tor tnree-quarters OF century, in season
and out, proclaimed cur sympathy with the
oppressed millions throughout the world?
We made haste to send our resolutions of
sympathy to remote Greece, and acknowl-
edge her Independence we made haste to
extend our sympathy to the republics of
South America and concede to them bellig-
and hope to distant Crete; but to our neigh
bors and friends in Cuba, whose voices,
crying for relief from a despotism more
terrible than all others, we can almost hear
in the walls Of this chamber, we turn
deaf ear and pass by on the other side.
Why, sir not even a resolution of sympathy
has escaped from the Congress of the
United States. In the presence of the
naughty Spaniard, who has been amiably
abaShed, afraid to utter those common
places against slavery and oppression
which we have launched against Turkey.
Austria and England with fmpunity, while
the most horrible atrocities against liberty
and humanity are Ierpetrated in our very
Sir, 1 thought that slavery had been out
laWed: that 1T had no resting place in the
law Of nations; that it was to be expelled
from civilized society. and had come to be
regarded as the embodiment of all barbar-
ism. But, behold the insurgents of Cuba
struggling to abolish slavery, and Spain,
backed by all the resources of the United
States, struggling for its maintenance. Sir,
| declare to you that in my humble judg-
ment the United States ought not. directly
or indirectly, give aid or comfort to any
government in its effort to maintain the in
sttution of slavery. When we consider how
much slavery has cost us; how much blood,
how much treasure how much suffering
and how near it brought to the door of
destruction, no feeling of politeness. no
punctillious regard for an amiable friend
should bring US to do anything by which it's
curse may be fastened upon another coun-
try. But, sir, come now to consider the
Cuban question in what may be called the
American view. Cuba belongs to this CONT
nent; she is an adjacent isle, and is a part
of the American system, and is ais fully in
cluded in what is called the Monroe doc
trine as If she were a part of the mainland.
Long ago We declared our policy, in which
all parties have since concurred, and with
which We have made all Europe acquainted,
that we would not consent to the establish
ment of any new European colonyylpOn
this continent. or of monarchical instituA
tons by the interference of a foreign pow
er. The late attempt by France to erect a
upon il, we met promptly by the Peasser- |
ton of our policy, and gave France clearly
to understand that her persistence in the
attempt would be regarded as cause for
war. In the assertion of our policy, how
ever, we made a proviso that while we
would permit no new colony or monarchy
would not Interfere with an existing
colony or possession belonging to a foreign
government. But the proviso went no
further than saying we would not inter
fere. The existence of such foreign colony
was in contravention of our policy, but as
existing fact we would not disturb it. /
maintain that as a direct corollary of our
policy, a, consistent and necessary Sc
quence we should not aid directly or indi-
rectly such foreign government to maintain
it's supremacy over its colony
Morton's bill, however, although favor
tee OH foreign relations, was not taken up
during the session.
Y. NJ. G. a. Gymnastics.
The Y. NJ. c. a. senior class in gymnastics
gave an exhibition at their hall last night |