Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-04-15


universally recognized principles OF modern
warfare. 1t has been without a counter
part in its brutality and its destructiveness;
and the moral sense of the civilized ma
tons has been shocked and aroused as
never before
Our government has neither coveted the
| island nor sought by force to control Its
administration. 1t has been our settled
| policy from early period TO permit no
foreign interference with the Spanish au-
thority over it. Our imperative demand has
! been that Cuba should fall under the SOW
ereignty of no other power than SPAIN
IN view of our relations to the island
| and Of our policy of opposition to foreign
interference with Spanish control, We are
| morally bound to put an end to the wrongs.
the outrages. the evils which flow from
Spanish misrule. We have repeatedly ten
| dered to the Spanish cabinet our friendly
! offices to end the wars in Cuba and 10 re-
store peace. Our offers uniformly have
been rejected. Many of the concessions we
have demanded, however, have been grant
| ed TO the insurgents
Fres1Oent'S fOncy fTdiSeu'
| Coming down rapidly to the situation as
| Mr.. Mckinley found it on assuming the
| presidency. Mr.. Fairbanks said:
THE presidents policy was an open one,
known to the world; 1t was peace. with
| honor above and beyond all else, and war
with honor only as the last dread emer-
gercy. If war was to come it must come
| at such times as We would be able to
meet it and in such manner as the whole
| world would approve. Much has been ac-
| complished by the executive. Spanish pris-
| ons, which contained many citizens. have
| been opened. Weyler's rule closed and his
reccncentrado order rescinded; but the
| relief has come too late, and. Mr.. Presi-
| dent, upon the hands of the Spanish peo-
| pie is the blood, not only of our own brave
| sailors. but of over two hundred thou
| sand of Spain's subjects.
But few weeks ago the Maine, one
| of our war vessels, was sent to the har-
| Dor of Havana upon a mission of peace.
| for the protection of American interests
| and not for war. When the blow came
| from which her brave crew perished she
|
| our countrymen and shook the earth. 1t
| was the master tragedy of the age. The
| Spanish government has made answer of
| dsavowal. This is not enough. Our coun-
| try has been touched as by no other sor-
! row.
Maine Disaster Due to Treachery.
Our countrymen, whose judgments are
|
| sought the awful truth, desiring to ac-
| quit. not convict; they have weighed all
| the evidence, and no doubt remains in
| their minds that the massacre of our sail
| ors was the foul work Of Spanish treach-
| cry. For this grave act. Spain must make
| due amends.
Our own tranquility. our own sense of
| security, our regard for our present and
| future comfort, and for the lives Of her
helpless and hapless subjects demand that
| we should interpose the mighty power of
| this government to stop the carnival of
crime and suffering and restore peace In
| the island of Cuba until some suitable gov
ernment may be formed which shall be
| guarantee to US and to the other nations
/ of the earth that it will at all times in the
future be ready and willing and able to dis
| charge its domestic and international obli-
cations.
Why Not Recognition.
I'VE desire and hope to see the independ-
ence of Cuba secured, but am not prepar-
ed at present to favor the recognition Of
| the independence of the present so-called
| republic of Cuba. We know but little about
it. 1t is too nebulous, too mythical to be in
| vited into the family of nations by our po-
tential act. There are doubtless among
the citizens of the island those capable OF
forming and establishing government
| which will be stable and secure and which
will be a guarantee that the Cuban ques-
tion Is settled for all time to come It seems
to me. therefore, that the first imperative
| duty resting upon us is to establish tran
| quillity in the island, relieve the suffering
and distressed. and then enable the citizens
Of the island to deliberate and form a gov
ernment upon such lines as their highest
and best interests may require.
| THE air is too full of rumors as to the
character of the present so-called Cuban
| republic and as to the bonds which have
v.
and said to be in the hands of spectators.
to justify Us in any hasty act Of recogni-
tion. We must intervene, and then let the
majority rule. No one will distrust our
motives in taking this step. We do not in
tervene for revenge. or for the acquisition
of territory. Our past Is ample proof of
this. The world will acquit US OF any base
| desire.
| Intervention n Duty.
The misgovernment of Cuba has become
| so fragrant, the barbarism. the wrongs,
| the outrages there have so offended the civ
ilized world that we must intervene for and
in the name of humanity. No higher mo-
| tive can actuate any government. We need
make no apology for deliberation and de-
lay before fcrcibly intervening for no self
| respecting nation could afford to do less
than exhaust to the fullest degree the re-
sources of diplomacy before We resort to
arms. If some delay has occurred while
the powers concerned have attempted to
! effect peaceable and honorable concu-
sion. and war comes, We can have the con-
ISOLATION of reflection that sorrow has been
| delayed in countless households throughout
| the land.
I'VE strike not in anger not for mere re-