Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-03-30
judument No Longer Suspended.

We are no longer obliged to suspend
| judgment. though the command to keep
cool and wait is still to be obeyed. The
country has waited for six weeks. with
a patient dignity worthy of a great and
noble nation. to know the verdict of
the court of inquiry on the loss of the
| The first suspicious of the American
people are confirmed and it is shown
beyond the shadow of a doubt that the
| ship was wrecked by outside agenci IS
and that her crew was murdered. The
country believed with gallant Capt.
Sigsbee that it was better not tn
think. but to know" Now that the
truth is known and officially an
| nounced. what are we going to do about
it? Judgment can no longer be sus-
pended. 1t falls with the force of aW-
full condemnation upon Spain. The
court of inquiry made no other verdict
possible than that given. and the fact
that the Spanish court. whose very exist
encc was "A farce, reached different
verdict. carries no weight whatcVe".
The verdict is explicit, positive, con-
tsvincing. 1t does not name the indi-
viduals who did the awful deed. but
Wit does unequivocally prove that the
! Maine was destroyed by the act of a
circumstances leave not the shadow Of
a doubt as to the nationality of the
assailants and the responsibility for
their handiW0rk.
1t could have been only a submarine
mine the naval court solemnly de-
clares. which dealt the Maine her first
and fatal injury. 1t must have been 4
mine of tremendous power to rend
through and through the double STEEL
plating of one of the strongest Warships
in the world. and to throw inward ana
upward through the ship the steel
have planted an engine like that: no
mere adventurers could have controlled
and fired it. That mine must ha ,'e
been laid by train Spanish hands. It
must have come originally from the
arSenals of the Spanish government
These terrific weapons are not for sale
offhand. Only Il few chosen agents
understand their fabrication and their
use; these are jealousy guarded mill
betrayed to public knowledge than the
details of . contemplated campaign or
the plans of an important fertilization.
For all practical effect Spain is as
directly. Immediately responsible for
the destruction Of the Maine and the
fearful murder of her go brave men as
if the names and he rank of the un-
speakable assassins who wrought this
Satanic work were hlazoned on the
angry heavens.
Spain is responsible; she is so con
sldered by the whole world: she will be
so held by this government. The loss
Of the Maine is not an incident" that
can he thrust aside and forgotten. No
wiles of Spanish diplomacy can cause a
po$tponement of the settlement. The
urgency of the Cuban situation may
make it necessary to give that atten-
ton first. but the country may rest as
Sured that President Mckinley has no
intention of shelving the Maine mat
ter. He knows what is best, for he is
in Il position to see and appreciate the
whole situation, and he asks at this
time only what he deserves and what
should be cordially given him, the
united support of Congress and the
American people 1t is no longer me-
essary to suspend Judgment, but it is
still as vitality important as before the
verdict WAS made public, to keep cool,
to trust the President, and to wait his
time of action.