The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-20
LET US REMEMBER THE MAINE.

That the destruction Of the Maine is the
principal factor in the present situation and
the precipitating cause of the war which is
about to begin is too plain for argument.
Aside from that we have no more cause for
intervention in Cuba now than we had
year ago, or than we had during the ten
years war from 1868 to 1878. The Nation
has never experienced a greater Shock than
1t did from that event, and the two months
that have passed since it's occurrence have
deepened and strengthened the conviction
almost universally entertained the morning
of its announcement that it was due to
Spanish treachery. The American people
have not been satisfied with the manner in
which the affair was disposed Of, or, rather,
with the manner in which it has remained
undisposed Of They were content to await
the result of a court of inquiry regarding
the cause of the disaster and the patience
and self-control they showed during that
trying interval is one of the most ennobling
pages in our history. Their confidence in
the character of the court, the thorough
ness of it's investigation and the honesty of
its finding was such that they declared in
advance that the government should stand
by the report, come what might. The court
reported facts and left the government and
people to draw conclusions. 1t reported
that the Maine was undoubtedly blown up
from the outside, and left the government
to fix the responsibility. That has not yet
been done in any formal or satisfactory
manner. The President, in his recent spe-
cial message to Congress, seemed to recog-
nize that the incident had not received its
proper place in our dealings with SPAIN and
that its present status was not satisfactory.
He said:
The naval court of inquiry, which, 1t is
needless to say, commands the unqualified
confidence of the government, was unan-
ln III IN It's conclusion mat tne oestructlon
OF the Maine was caused by an exterior ex-
plosion, that of submarine mine. 1t did
not assume to place the responsibility. That
remains to be fixed.
1t does remain to be fixed. The impor-
lance of the incident is again partially rec
ognized in the preamble to the congress
sional resolutions for intervention, which
declares that the abhorrent and intolerable
condition of affairs in Cuba 'culminated in
the destruction of United States battle
ship, with 26s of it's officers and crew, while
on a friendly visit in the harbor of Ha-
vana." That comes the nearest to an off,
cial declaration constituting the finding of
the court and fixing the responsibility for
the disaster that has been made, If the
President sends an ultimatum to the Span
ish government he might give executive in
dorsement to the declaration of Congress
and thus restore the incident to its proper
place in the category of our grievances
against Spain. The people know in their
hearts that the destruction of the Maine is
the immediate if not the sole cause of the
impending war, and they would like to see
the fact officially recognized, to the end
that the results of the war may be credited
up against the destruction of the ship and
the murder of her officers and men.