The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-04-05

DI lu6 uEEGDllOH Oh the foJdn-
iards to a place in a friendly harbor.
and there, without minutes warn
ing, been blown into eternity. Captain
Sigsbee, in communicating with this
government the brief of the awful dis
aster, had made himself famous in the
eyes of the civilized world by the di-
plomacy and calmneSS of his language.
There was no proof of the treachery
of the Spaniards; but while the people
of the nation believed and still believe
that the catastrophe was due to Span
ish devices, Captais Sigsbee besought
al to suspend judgment until the facts
could be known.
ACT OF WAR.
For 40 days and nights the people
had suspended judgment, but now,
that the facts have been laid before
them, the verdict he said, is unanimous
that the great battleship was blown
up, not only from the outside, but
with the cognizance of Spanish Of
ficials, for whose acts the Spanish gov
eminent was fully responsible. The
explosives, whether they were in q.
mine or a torpedo, We're placed under
the Maine by officials of the Spanish
government. The people believe that
they were exploded by design, and he
was one who held to that belief. 1t
would have been impossible, Mr.. Per
kins said, for any man or set of men
to place in the harbor of Havana
mines or torpedoes without the knowl-
edge of the government authorities
No impartial judge would fail, after
considering ali the facts presented, to
place the responsibility for the crime
upon the Spanish government through
its unauthorized officials. This most
hideous crime of the 18th century," de-
clared Mr.. Perkins, vehemently, was
an act Of war and l believe that il is
Fdpn nv rha 1riOnG of fhn
world
No offer of reparation could wipe
out the feeling of the people OF this
country upon the matter, and inten-
sity had been added to that feeling by
the almost frivolous manner by which
the disaster had been treated by
Spain.
NO. ATONEMENT BUT WAR.
Mr. Perkins said that while he
favored arbitration, individuals never
attempted to arbitrate questions of
honor, and nations could not afford to
submit such questions TO arbitration.
Gold could not atone for the loss of
those precious lives. The only honor
able action for this country now to
take was to intervene and free Cuba
from the yoke of Spain which she had
so long borne.
Mr.. Mantle of Montana, followed
with an extended speech upon the
absorbing topic of Cuba, in which he
declared that he favored the indepen-
dence of the Cuban people, who for
years had been struggling for their
freedom. Il would said he. give my
unqualified endorsement and vote in
favor of directing the president to use
the armed forces, both land and naval,
to suppress the savagery that is now
rampant upon that fair island He.l
had the highest regard for the pres
ent occupant Of the White House. but
IL was perfectly evident to all that the |
time for diplomatic negotiations on the |
Cuban question had passed.
The time for action had arrived, and |
the sooner it was taken the better ii |
would be for all concerned. Spain had /
violated every principle of civilized |
warfare and had thrown humanity to |
the wind.
TIME HAD COME.
Mr.. Mantle said it was now time that
the cry of humanity and the cry for
stern justice should be heard. 1t was
time to be done with Subterfuge. We
should not go to war without full JUS
LITIGATION, but must be assured before
striking that we strike for God and
humanity. He thought this time had
come. He not only believed the time
had come for recognizing Cuban indie
pendence, but that a declaration of war
would be fully justified by the willful
destruction of the Maine. While hold
ing these sentiments, Mr.. Mantle was
willing to wait upon the action of the
committee on foreign relations, whose
recommendations, he had no doubt,
would be wise and just and cover the
whole case.
Mr.. Rawlins of Utah said the case
between Spain and the United States
was made up. 1t was no longer for
the executive to decide what course to
pursue. With congress rested the re-
sponsibility of declaring war, and this
was the pressing duty. The president
was no longer the party to be criticised.
Congress, if it Wills he said, could
decide to have peace with incidental
outrage and clandestine murder. AS
for himself, he did not choose to accept
peace under such circumstances. Mr..
Rawlins opposed further delay
He was informed that the committee
on foreign relations had reached a con-
clusion, and that while the president
was advised of the probable action of
the committee, that body had no such
information as to the presidents plans.
DELAY NOT NECESSARY.
He was also informed that the presi-
dent wanted further delay. Mr.. Raw !
Inns did not consider this necessary. !
The destruction Of the Maine and the
murder of 266 of our sailors
ldQ - QdTS Slice. But TINS .
was not all. For three years the Span +.
sh authorities had been imprisoning
and numbering American citizens. OF !
these facts the executive doubtless had
been fully advised by the consular re-
ports, but these reports had been with
held on the plea that it would endan-
ger the safety of our officials in Cuba
TO give them out If this was true, it 4
revealed a wretched state of affairs =
Continuing, Mr.. Rawlins said delay :
had been sought last week by the !
friends of the president on the plea q
hat message was soon to be sent in :
rom the president which would meet !
III the demands of the country At
he same time the private and conf
iential secretary of the president was
sending a message TO his friends, urg- Fl
ng them to use the utmost eXertion to +,
,ring pressure to bear to secure peace g
Ne were next told that an ultimatum q
rad been sent to Madrid, demanding n
he concession of Cuban independence. !,
Vow comes an interview with Premier n
;agasta, in which he said no demand II
rad been made by this government for a
he independence Of the Cubans. Which a
was correct? Mr.. Raw
ms criticised our hating policy in c,
trong language, saying that it was II
UGH as 10 justify Spain in holding the 6
United States in contempt. He added ~
hat the crime of the explosion of the -
iaine was due to our indecision and :,
owardica, and that such an act would ~
ever have been perpetrated upon any h,
ther nation. a.
DECLARATION OF WAR. a
In conclusion, he made an argument
or an absolute declaration of war, in
tead Of a declaration for armed in ~
erVention. To pursue the latter course %.
-OnIG no throw tho ,cfl ! .