The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-15

FRANCE NEXT.
The United States will most surely be
successful In tho war with Spain; but
at the close its feelings will be less BIT
ter toward the vanquished enemy than
TO the treacherous friend. 1t Will for
give Spain with naagnanimity; 1t Will
not forget France.
Spain has been compelled to fight be-
cause her people Were unwilling to give
up what they considered their legitimate
possessions, and the United States has
been compelled to fight because IN no
other way could the freedom OF Cuba be
secured or the destruction OF the Maine
be avenged. France has no direct In
terest In either country or I'm the result
of the controversy. AS a republic shs
can have no sympathy with monarchy
such as that OF Spain: she has no such
ties as bind the sovereignty OF Austria
to the reigning house OF Spain. Although
both peoples belong generally to the
Latin race, France has overrun Spain
with troops and callously shed Spanish
blood. SO that there Is no bond OF affec-
ton between them, and one Of Spain's
most jubiiant holidays. eighty years
after the event. Is to celebrate the driv-
ing out of the French from Madrid.
When. therefore. France goes out OF
| its way 80 further the cause OF Spain,
| IL Is not because II loves Spain more.
| but loves us less. She Is inspired not
by goodwill to Spain. but by iil-will
| 10 US. A few Frenchmen. like Lafay-
| cite. have proved good friends 10 this
country. but the mass OF Frenchmen re-
gard the country with contempt and
the republic as a sham. Just as In the
days OF Taileyrand.
Until the sinking OF the Maine we
had no quarrel with Spain. and felt no
luminosity 10 II except as the result OF
our sympathy with the suffering
Cubans. sorrowfuily as we regarded
their condition. we were patient with
and courteous to Spain. realizing that
her civilization was not the same as
ours and that her ideas OF government
were not such as we entertained. We
entered upon the war reluctantly, and
when Il Is closed our resentment win
cease
Not so with France. We will remem-
Der with yindictive watchfuncss the at
titude OK France toward Us. That coun-
Try promised neutrality. and has sought
by every means to secretly aid Spain.
She has asked courtesies OF US. and re-
paid them by an abuse OF our conf
dence She has pr0fessed good will. and
been the most virulent OF our detractors.
II the time ever comes. and we viii
not be backward in seeking IL. that a
war with France Is convenient. we shall
enter upon II with pleasure and a
spirit We do not feel IN dealing with
Spain. That unhappy country in its
vainglorious Ignorance does not see how
overmatched II is. France is better
equipped for e war, and the fight will
be more even. When We send a shot
swirllug through the heart OF one Of her
naval monsters. II viii be unaecom-
! panied by any regret such as the strong
| feels for weaker foe. Every shot viii
be fred with the keenest qualification
| that the time had come when We could
pay on old scores. X We could meet
them on equal terms as to the number
Of ships and mechanical ADVANTAGES. so
much the better. in order that we might
display the superiority Of American
force and courage over thas os the
French. II would be better II we could
meet them man for man. in order tina.
every American soldier might have the
satisfaction OF thrashing enc French
solder.
We are rot rash. and will not un-
wisely enter at once upon another war,
but the tablets of our memory will never
have e9acei from them a record Of the
part Fvance Is playing with Us nov;
and when The opportune time comes.
woe b. - France