New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-20
LESSON " CONQUEST.

The Presidents directions for the govern
ment Of Santiago deal. for the first TINE IN
the history Of this Nation with the problem
Of conquest OF an alien land which 1t IL not
proposed TO incorporate into the territory OF
the Union In the conquest OF territory claimed
nv Mexico fifty years back there was intention
of immediate annexation. In the recent seizure
of Span,sh islands in the Pacific Ocean there
WINS Mt least no abncGation of such purpose
Rut In tho case OF Cuba the United States IS
pledged. whether wisely or unwisely, to refrain
from present appropriation OF the conquered
territory 1t Is destroying Spanish authority
not 10 set up It's own. but TO enable the Cubans
10 establish theirs: and thus. while 1t does set
I'D its own sovereignty at Santiago, 1t does so
only for the temporary purposes OF conquest
and as a trustee Of that Cuban sovereignty ana
independence IN behalf Of which 1t has. In par
tial measure assumed the arduOus task.
An epoch is thus marked. however, not only
in the history Of this Nation. but in that of all
the world 4 military conquest is made on
purely humanitarian principles, and this In re-
spect Of tho details of administration rs well rs
of the general aims of the conquest. An alien
and largely hostile city and province are sub
dued by military force Bnt there is TO be no
ouartercd upon the people. Ransoms are not to
he exacted. Existing laws and officers OF law
are not 10 be disturbed unless because OF their
own malicious fault. The people arc to suffer
none OF the hnrdshlps Of the conquered. but
rather to be endowed with the benefactions OF
the conauerors II is an episode perhaps now
and then foreshadowed but never realized in
ANYTHING like so full a degree. 1t gives new
vindlcatlon to the saying about civilization get
ting forward upon a powdcrcart. and proves
the practicahility of humantaranism even In
military conquest
The world will thus gain, 1t Is TO he hoped n
new conception Of the spirit Of this Nation. Al
ready its eyes have been opened and its judg-
ments put to confusion by our achievements IN
war Only the other day leading European
paper was wondering what we would DO when
confronted with the steam propelled ironclads'
breech-loadlng rifles and quick firing guns OF the
Spanish Navy, apparently supposing our Navy
had made no progress since the days OF John
Paul Jones. and obvious OF the fact that all
these new devices which were TO I'll us with
dismay were our own inventions. To-day the
world may see an equally novel and Impressive
objectlesson in our treatment of conquered ter
ritory and it's inhabitants 1t may see that the
ctprOcSt prOWpSS III war anu lHe Hi'l's
and scntleness in peace can easily go hand IN
hand.
Again and again In these last three months
the prisoners we have taken from the SpaniardS
have been amazed to find that they were not to
be tortured and murdered. but were TO he
treated with kindness and generosity. We can-
not wonder at IT, They knew no better. They
believed what their superior officers had told
them. Weyler. ordering his troops TO bayonet
the sick In hospitals, persuaded them that
Americans We're savages who murdered, ana
perhaps cannibals who devoured their captives.
The Archbishop of Manila, sending innumerabe
victims to The rack anil stake. In pastoral let
ter warned his people that the Americans were
coming tLlther 10 dcsccratc, ravsh and destroy.
Thus the soldiers and the people Of Spain have
literally believed an American conquest was Ike
conquest by Tllly or by Alva. Those OF them
who come into direct contact with our arms are
now learning better. Perhaps II the Spanish
Government would permit knowledge Of the
truth to become generally diffused all It's own
difficulties, as well as the problems Of the war.
would be brought measrrnby nearer solution.