The herald., 1898-04-23
THE BIGLONDON PAPERS
TAKE STRONG GROUND AGAINST
SPAIN'S POLICY
The Course of the United States Is, in
Their Opinion, Fully
Justified

Every port on the Atlantic seaboard will,
send out volunteers to wrest the Queen OF
the Antilles from her tyrants, and the MI
litia of the various states will rally in hun
dreds of thousands If need be, under some
of the most highly trained military officers
in the world, to the standard of liberation
upheld by President Mckinley. There
could only be one end, and that a speedy
end, to such a struggle, at the close OF
which Spain ought to find herself without
any important colonies either in the east
or in the west Puerto Rico would assur-
edly be lost and the Philippines only nee6
an opportunity to renew their attempts tt
cast off the hated yoke. We do not under
rate the difficulties Of the heads of the
Spanish administration in the face of Q
very proud and very ignorant people, ant
with the pretensions facing them of senti
mental Carlists on one hand and strong
republican party on the other. But needs
must" They can bow to the inevitable
and this demand from Washington is as in
exorable as it is just.-London Chronicle.
The United States insists, and we think
in the circumstances it is morally entitled
to insist, upon Cuba's severance from
Spain. There are limits to the doctrine
that you may do what you like with your
own. "Mayn't do what like with my
own moke?" asked the costermonger who
was rebuked for terribly beating his don.
key. "Mayn't I do what like with my
own stick?" replied the outraged philan
thropist, and laid it upon the shoulders o.
the individualist. Spain has no inherent
right to keep Cuba in such condition O.
vii mis- ac randarS the fS1a
a nuisance and danger to the Unite;
States. The Spanish ministers do no
really believe that Cuba will ever be re
to get rid of Cuba on reasonable terms
Nothing stands in the way but pride. 1t /:
natural and in some respects an honor
able feeling. But it cannot be allowed t.
overrule all other considerations.-Londo
Daily News.
The worst of it is that no neutral nation
can, with any decency or self-respect, Offer
to interfere. The spectacle which Cuba
has presented for so long time past has
been nothing short Of disgrace to the
civilized world. We do not attempt tc
determine whether the fault lies with thl
Cuban insurgents or with Spanish conf
manders like General Weyler and his
friends. The result, whatever may be the
cause, is sufficiently appalling to move not
America alone, but the whole of Europe
with indignation and pity. The towns are
held by the military forces with an iror
hand; large number of peaceful inhab.
itants are driven into subsist as best they
can or starve, If they cannot find food
for fear of their joining in the revolt; out.
side the towns the Pearl of the Antilles" Is
devastated with fire and sword except
here and there, all peaceful industry
is stopped; the land reeks with slaughter
executions, transportations, disease, star.
walton, and every form Of death run riot
from one end of the island to the other
With what face can any nation step in tt
perpetuate so dreary tragedy as this
when America declares that it has to end
How can Europe itself remain unmove6
at the sight of such hideous ruin? Or, Il
we like to take the matter from another
standpoint, by what international righ
can any power protest that Spain mus
give independence to her own colony? Il
is, II we care to phrase it from the lega
side, as some American jurists have done
purely an international question, which
Senior Sagasta's government must decide
for themselves. Whichever aspect of the
case we look at, the offer of mediation
seems useless. No one can either deny
Spanish authority over her island or for
bear growing indignation at the ruin o.
Cuba. America says that Cuba must bt
free, and that unless Spain replies to hel
proposals in twenty-four hours Cuban in
dependence shall be proclaimed. And tn,