The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1898-03-10
MUST CIT THE CONSENT OF EUROPE
To DECLARE WAR.

That tie pretent ADMINISTRATION
is completely and helplessly under the
control and domination Of the bond
holders and stock jobbers is no longer
a controverted question. For some
time the American people have watch
ed the policy of their Chief Executive
in the conduct Of our foreign affairs,
especially his attitude toward Cuba,
with considerable suspicion. They
were loath to believe that he placed a
higher estimate upon the value OF
stocks and bonds than upon the value
OF life and liberty, and have been an
xiously waiting and watching, hoping
that he would soon take decisive action
looking to the prevention of further
revolving massacres and starvation in
Cuba, which Spain calls War, and by
such action maintain Americas hith-
erto high standard of integrity among
civilized and Christian nations. But
notwithstanding the plea for aid
which comes to us from the struggling
patriots of Cuba, the despairiDg cries
and heart anguish of the starving re-
concentrates, and the almost univer-
sal response with which they are met
by the sympathetic hearts Of the Amer
lean people. who are only too anxious
to demonstrate their willingness to aid
in the success of like cause in which
their forefathers died, Mr.. Mckinley
cooily and deliberately ignores this
great popular outburst of sympathy
and insults the manhood and patriot
ism Of the Cubans with a mercenary
proposition which means a purchase of
their subservience to the gold syndi.
cate. He weighs human liberty in the
scale Of avarioe; and the hearts of his
people turn sick with disgust.
But in the midst of this humiliating
obedience to the dictates of Shylock
comes the fatal and tragic end of the
Maine. And with it, the American
public, as with universal accord, feel
that a crisis has come. Throughout
the length and breadth of the Union
the sentiment prevails that this terri
BILE disaster was due to most foul and
inhuman treachery. Americans be-
lieve that it IS quite in keeping with
the barbaric and atrocious spirit of a
nation that is capable of conducting
an inhuman warfare such as has char
acterized Spain in her efforts to sub
due Cuba, to resort to such hellish
method Of getting rid of the represen-
tative of a hated enemy; they believe
.:..t people who, seemingly with
fendish delight, uses as their most
powerful weapon, hunger--grim, gaunt,
merciless, and destructive hunger
which they permit to exert tortur-
Gus and fatal influence upon helpless
wives and babes i'm order to compel
patriotic fathers and husbands to bow
to their tyranny and oppression, are
none too good to deliberately perpe-
trate an equally fiendish crime to rid
themselves of the Maine-the silent
protest of the American people against
their atrocious methods.
And parslyzed as is the American
public by this terrible disaster to
American property and American
sailors, and believing, as it does, in
Spanish treachery, it feels that the
time for temporizing with Spain is at
an end. The people look to Mckinley
for immediate and decisive action.
The opportunity has now presented it.
self for him to show himself superior
to the dictates of pelf and plumber.
But will he do it? Witness the fol-
lowing recent utterance of his:
"You may rest assured there will not
be war with my consent, except for a
cause which will satisfy good men here,
the nations of Europe and with q
pause) Almighty Cod"
Is it wonder we bow our heads in
shame? In the name of high heaven
what is Mr.. McKinley's idea of suffi::
cient cause for war? Is it possible that
his moral sense is so dwarfed as that he
is incapable of grasping the magnitude
Of this inhuman offence and vanton
insult to America? Or is he so help
lessly welded to servitude to his mas
ters that he dare not follow the die
tates of his own conscience? But Mr..
Mckinley makes another exceedingly
frank confession. Not, say he, until the
nations of Europe are satisfied that we
have cause for war will there
be war by his consent. What
q humiliating spectacle! America, ask
ing foreign nations not only what it's
financial policy she'll be, but begging for
their consent to maintain its dignity
and self-respect! MIR. McKinley's
pause as noted in above utterance was
perhaps we'll. Is it possible the idea
that FIRST entered his head was that it
was the Almighty Dollar and not AL
mighty God whose consent he must
first obtain?
But no matter what may be the policy
of the Administration we think we are
correct in saying that the temper of
the people is such that it will no longer
10 trified with. A silent, somber, and
terrible spirit of retribution is abroad.
The people are willing, however, to give
Spain the benefit of the doubt, and are
patiently awaiting the verdict of the
Court of Inquiry. Should the finding
Of this court confirm their suspicious,
then the preservation of American
manhood, and the maintenance of ma
tionAl dignity will demand that thIs