The Portland daily press., 1898-04-15

luton. The resolution follows quite
clossly the suggestions Of the Presidents
message, the most notable differences
bsing that he is directed, as well as au
thorized, to intervene, and it is specified
that the intervention shall be "at once. "
The purpC Sc OF the intervention is de-
clarel to be to establish a stable and in
dependent government. AS the Presi-
dents MESSAGE did not so this resolution
Goes not, accord any recognition to the
irsurgent government To accomplish
the Intervention the President is author
ized and empowered to use the army and
navy. AS the word direct is not used in
thus paragraph the inference might be
drawn that tire use of force lies. en-
tirely in tie discretion Of the President.
Eut taking the whole resolution together
it is clear that if the President finds that
he can not intervene in a way to accom-
plish the purposes specified without the
usa of the army and navy, then he is
bound to use them. His discretion
as TO the use of force ceases as
soon as it appears that the Intervention
necessary to effect the purposes set
forth in the resolution cannot be accom-
plished without it. 1t would be perfectly
in accordance with the letter Of the reso-
lution-perhaps not with the spirit of the
majority who voted for it--for the Presi-
dent to attempt to open diplomatic nego-
tiaticns with view of Spain's
Withdrawing from the island and
leaving the people there FREQ to
form stable and independent
government; and if Spain assented we
should have interviewed and accomplished
ths specific purposes of Intervention. Ii
can be said therefore that the House reso.
luton is not necessarily war measure.
Yet practically that is what it is, for the
temper OF the Spanish people has been so
reused now that Sagasta would not dare
to listen for moment to any proposition
that looked to the REIMBURSEMENT OF
Spanish sovereignty yer the island, OR to
its modification to any considerable ex-
tent. The relations between this country
ard Spain have become too strained to
leave any hope that diplomacy can &C
complish more intervention if accom-
Dlshed at all must be accomplished By
force. Those who are hoping that the
Spaniards will yield without struggle
or that President Mckinley will be able
to stop short of the use of the army and
navy are cherishing forlorn hope, and
are sure to be disappointed.
The House resolution is as certain to
lead to war; as the Senate's we believe,
but yet it is much to be preferred to the
latter The Senate's seems to court war.
Mar apparently is the end and aim of it.
II bris.les with aggression and pictures
the country to the civilized world as
spelling for fight, as much more anx-
ious to whip tho Spaniards than to Sc
cure stable government and peace in
Cuba War is means to an end in the
House resolution, to be resortsd to only
after all other means have failed. but in
the Senate resolution it seems to be the
end itself. AS for the Foraker resolution
that is still more Objectionable inasmueh
as it undertakes to commit the United
States to the support of the insurgsnt
government while the best authorities,
including Consul General Lee, declare
that it ought to receive no recognition at
our hands. AS has frequently happened of
late the House is much nearer right in
its Cuban action than the Senate, and
the proper thing for the latter 10 do is to
follow the lead of the House, and DO it
promptly, too for il war is inevitable rs
almost everybody admits, it is unwise
and unpatriotic to delay action any
longer, for every days delay is adyanta-
geous to the Spaniards and disadvanta-
geous to US.