Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-04-14

people have such trade and business
relations--when the lives and liberty of
our citizens are in constant danger and
their property destroyed and them
selves ruined-where our trading yes
sells are Liable to seizure and are seized
at our very door, by warships of a for
/ eign nation, the expeditions of fill
| clustering that we are powerless all
| together to prevent, and the irritating
| questions and entanglements thus aris-
| ing-aa these and others that l need
not mention, with the resulting strain
| ed relations are a constant menace to
our peace and compel US to keep on a
semi-war footing with a nation with
which we are at peace.
The Destruction of the Maine.
These elements of danger and dis
! order already pointed out have been
| strikingly Illustrated by a tragic event
which has deeply and justly moved the
| American people. l have already trans
mftted to congress the report of the
naval court of inquiry on the destruc-
| ton of the battleship Maine in the har-
! Dor of Havana during the night of the
18th of February. The destruction of
| that noble vessel has filled the ma
tional heart with inexpressible horror.
Two hundred and fifty-eight brave
sailors and marines and two officers of
! our navy, reposing in the fancied Sc
! curity of a friendly harbor, have been
hurled to death, grief and want brought
| to their homes and sorrow to the ma
| tion.
The naval court of inquiry, which it
| is needless to say commands the un-
qualified confidence of the government,
was unanimous in it's conclusion that
the destruction of the Maine was
caused by an exterior explosion, that
of a submarine mine. 1t did not as
sumo to place the responsibility That
remains to be fixed.
In any event, the destruction of the
Maine, by whatever exterior cause, is
a patent and impressive proof of
state of things in Cuba that is intol-
cradle. That condition is thus shown
to be such that the Spanish govern
ment cannot assure sufety and secur-
ity to a vessel of the American navy
in the harbor of Havana on a mission
Of peace, and rightfully there.
Further referring in this connection
| to recent diplomatic correspondence a
dispatch from our minister to Spain, of
the 26th ult., contained the statement
that the Spanish minister for foreign
affairs assured him positively that
Spain will do all that the highest honor
and justice required in the matter of
the Maine. The reply above referred
| to of the 31st ult. also contained an
expression of the readiness of Spain to
submit to an arbitration all the diff
| ferences which can arise in this mat
ter, which is subsequently explained
by the note of the Spanish minister at
Washington of the 10th inst, as fol-
lows:
Quotes From President Grant.
"As to the question of fact which
! springs from the diversity of views be-
tween the report of the American and
Spanish boards, Spain proposes that
the fact be ascertained by an impartial
Investigation by experts, whose deci-
son Spain ecepts in advance"
/ To this made no reply
President Grant, in 1875, after dis
cussIng the phases of the contest as 1t
4 then appeared and it's hopeless and ap-
parent indefinite prolongation, said:
''In such event / am of opinion that
other nations will be compelled to as
sumo the responsibility which devolves
upon them, and to seriously consider
the only remaining measures possible,
mediation and Intervention. Owing,
perhaps. to the large expanse Of water
separating the island from the penin-
sula, the contending parties appear to
have within themselves no depository
of common confidence, to suggest wis
Sdom when passion and excitement have
their sway, and to assume the part of
| peacemaker. In this view in the earlier
days of the contest the good offices of
the United States as a mediator were
| rendered in good faith, without any
| selfish purpose, in the interest of hui
manity and in sincere friendship for
both parties, but were at the time de-
cIined by Spain with the declaration,
nevertheless, that at a future time they
would be Indispensable. No intimation
has been received that in the opinion
of Spain that time has been reached.
And yet the strife continues with all
it's dread horrors and all its injuries to
the interests of the United States and of
other nations. Each party seems quite
capable of working great injury and
damage to the other, as well as to all
/
on the existence of peace in the ISL
and, but they seem incapable of reach
ing an adjustment, and both have thus
far failed of achieving any success
whereby one party shall possess and
control the island to the exclusion of
the other Under the circumstances
the agency of others, either by media
ton or by intervention. seems to be the
/ oil Tor xuIf
later, be invoked for the termination of
the strife
Quotes President Cleveland.
In the last annual message of my
immediate predecessor, during the
pending struggle, it was said:
when the inability of Spain to deal
successfully with the insurrection has
become manifest, and it is demonstrat-
ed that her Sovereignty iseextinct in
| Cuba for all purposes of its rightful
! existence, and when a hopeless strug-
gle for it's establishment has de-
generated into a strife which means
nothing more than the useless sacri-
fee of human life and the utter de-
I structfon of the very subject matter
of the conflict, the situation will be
presented in which our obligations to
the sovereignty of Span will be super
seded by higher obligations, which we
can harly hesitate to recognize and dis
charge
In my annual message to congress,
December last. speaking to this ques-
tion, I said
1.-THE near future will demonstrate
whether the indispensable condition of
a righteous peace, just alike to the Gu
bans and to Spain, as well as equitable
to all our interests, so intimately in
volved in the welfare of Cuba, is likely
| to be attained. If not, the exigency of
| further and other action by the Uni
ted States will remain to be taken.
When that time comes that action will
be determined in the line of indis-
putable right and duty. 1t will be
faced, without misgiving or hesitancy.
in the light of the obligation this gov
lernment owes TO itself, to the people
who have confded to it the protection
of their interests and honor, and to
/ humanity.
Sure of the right, keeping free from
all offense ourselves, actuated only by
upright and patriotic considerations,
moved neither by passion nor selfish
ness, the government will continue its
watchful care over the rights and prop
erty of American citizens and will
abate none of its efforts to bring about
| by peaceful agencies a peace which
| shall be honorable and enduring