Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-05-05

There Should Be No Question as to Our
Foreign Poiicy-European Powers Ten
ants at Our VIII.
Especial Washington Letter.l
Twas famous victory" which the
Democrats won in the long and bitter
fight over the Cuban question. While
the house resolutions as amended by the
senate and again amended by the house
and again amended by the conferees are
not as strong as the resolutions submit
ted to the house by the Democratic mi
nority Of the house foreign affairs COM
mittee, they are SO much stronger than
the milk and cider resolutions original
ly passed by the house on Wednesday,
April IS, that we house Democrats can
truthfully and literally claim a decisive
victory. True we did not get quite all
we wanted, but then the president got
q great deal more than he wanted-got
the very thing he argued against in his
message-to wit, Cuban independence.
The historian of our times will rem
der the verdict that in the hour Of the
country's peril the Democrats stood fore
most for justice, liberty, humanity and
the maintenance of the national pres
tige, dignity and honor.
There has been good deal of gor-
geous eloquence about reunited coun-
try, as though that were a thing
brought about in 1898. Not SO, howev-
er. The country has, thank God, been
reunited ever since Grant uttered the
noblest words that ever fell from mar
tial lips, "Let us have peace" and
since Joseph E. Johnston attended him
to the grave as one Of his pallbearers.
Every man living in border state,
where passion burned the fieroest, knows
this, but 1t requires a long time for
some people to learn lesson, and am
glad that at last-15 years after the
faot-even the dullest has discovered
that this is in very truth reunited
country. As to foreign nations, to bor-
row the felicitous words of Jefferson in
1901, "We are all Federalists; we are
all Republicans!' which, being inter
preted into modern phraseology, would
read, "We are all Republicans; we are
all Democrats"
Patriotic southerners.
In this struggle to recognize Cuban
independence the southern Democrats
have been more patriotic than northern
Republicans. That fact cannot be gain
said.
fl were called upon to name the
most intense partisan in the house, I
would unhesltatingly name Genernl
Grosveuor Of Ohio. When he is forced
to admit publicly the burning patriot
ism of the southern people, it may be
safely assumed that everybody else will
admit it also. Having used words in the
heat Of debate which every body thought
meant that he intended to say that the
impending war with Spain would be
"a Republican war" and having been
so charged by the New York Sun, the
general rose In his place and said:
my purpose was not to intimate
that the Democratic party Of this coun-
try was not as loyal to the country as
was the Republican party, and had
taken occasion to state, earnestly, at
the time of the passage of the $50, 600, :
600 emergency bill, my unqualified in
dorsement, and, indeed, my profound
delight, at the record of the Democratic
party with reference to it. My PROPOSE
tion, which I was seeking to enforce,
was that, this administration having
three years to serve, the war that we
were entering upon probably at that
time. and certainly now, would have to
be conducted under the administration
Of the present chief executive Of the
United States, and was appealing to
gentlemen ON this floor not to hamper
the administration in any manner, but
to stand together solidly in its support.
"And now, il it is necessary, MIR.
Speaker, and certainly think it is not
I will say that I believe this war will
be as energetically waged, both in che
machinery necessary to carry it on and
the response to the call for arms by the
administration, by the Democrats and
by the Populists as by the Republicans,
and especially do believe that the re-
sponse of patriotism will come from ev-
cry southern state, from every ex-Con-
federate soldier who is capable Of bear
ing arms and will be Joined in by one
triumphant echo Of victory among the
people of the south and by the loyal
men who wore the blue" prolonged
applause.
Grosvenor's Statement.
I quote the generals statement Il
will not call 1t a recantation, as he dis.
claimed the construction placed on bis
words) for the purpose Of giving It a
wider circulation than that afforded by
The Congressional Record. 1t is by a
long shot the noblest thing the grim old
soldier ever said.
As illustrative of southern patriotism,
and also for the purpose of illuminating
this chapter in our history, / make the
following quotations from speeches OF
southern and border state Democrats,
to be taken in connection with similar
quotations in former letters. They are
mere samples, and the whole piece is Of
the same quality.
Judge David A. De Almond Of Mis-
souri is admitted on all hands to be one
of the ablest members and one Of the
most incisive takers in the house. On
Jan. 18, three months ago, on his
or,ar5,,,aut <o kha dirIos1aatiC and cny,.