The record-union., 1898-03-18
MR.. ELKINS' PLEA.

Mr.. Elkins' plea for Spain is by no
means a strong one. He holds that
Spain is pursuing a right in attempting
to subdue a rebellion in Cuba; that the
island belongs to Spain and we have
no more right to interfere in the matter
Of its subjugation to law, than Spain
would have to interfere if we were
subduing rebels within our own bor-
ders; that we objected hotly to any
suggestion of Intervention in the days
of the rebellion, and rightly so; that
when we succeeded in the revolution it
was upon the surrender of the British
forces, and in the rebellion upon the
surrender of the rebels, who had a cap
ital, maintained a government and ex-
ercised all governmental functions
Finally that the Cubans have not
demonstrated a self-governing capac-
ity, and if they achieve independence it
Will be an open question whether they
can maintain a stable government
The answers to these objections ard
simple and obvious. The right OF
Spain to subdue the insurgents is not at
issue. 1t has never been questioned.
But the methods employed are a mat
ter of human concern. That the So
called warfare is not defensible accord
ing to the laws Of war; that it is inde-
fensible in the eyes of a common hu-
manity, are questions with which any
nation may concern itself but the
United States more than any other, be-
cause of the contiguity of the field Of
action to this country, and because of
our commercial and humane relations
with the people of Cuba, to say moth
ing of the material interests of our cit
liens in the island, and the question OF
responsibility for injury to them.
1t cannot be shown from historical
records or any international law au-
thority, that a surrender Of forces is es-
sential to the recognition of independ-
ence or belligerency. The United
States, however, has not interfered,
nor is it proposing to do so as yet. It
is doing its best to prevent the viola
tion of the neutrality laws, in the face
OF the fact that Spain is doing very lit
tie, and her officials so admit, to pre-
vent the landing of f1libustering expedi-
tlons. The entailment Of this heavy
cost in doing police duty for Spain is
not just as long as Spain herself does
so little in the same direction.
The fact that the insurrection has
continued for three years, and that
Spain is to-day no nearer to its reduc-
tion than at the outset. counts under
the conditions to quite as much for the
Cubans, as did the maintenance of a
Capital and form of Government by the
Confederates of the South. However.
the insurrectionists of Cuba, it is con-
ceded, do exercise full control over
more territory in Cuba to-day than
does Spain, and this has been true for
three years continuously.
The question of the capacity of the
nsurrectionists to maintain self gov
ernment is purely speculative, and one
not to be considered by any Government
now; that is in the future. The fate
of a people is not to be decided by en-
tertainment of belief of their incapac-
ity 1t is their right to be free and
to contend for it. The revolutionary
right is an indefeasible one.
Mr.. Elldns' reference to the action of
Spain in the case of the Southern Con-
federacy is unfortunate for his cause.
Spain was among the first, if not the
first nation of the earth to recognize
the belligerent rights of the South. She
scarcely waited until the sound of the
guns firing upon Fort Sumter had died
out. The Cubans have not asked US
to recognize their independence. They
have asked that we recognize their bel
ligerent rights. If that is done they
will speedily achieve their own inde-
pendence and we viii have given Spain
no just cause for war, as we shall only
have done that which Spain did in our
case.
The Chicago civil service law has re-
ceived a decided setback by reason of a
recent decision Of the Appellate Court.