The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-05-03
Not All Sentiment.

washington Post, April 24th.)
The Hartford Courant sees no possiOili-
ty of getting anything out of this war in
the way of compensation except the APP
prOval of our own consciences and the
spectacle of a freed and ~regenerated Gu
ba." 1t say that we may as well make
up our minds at the outset that we shall
have to charge the entire cost to profit
and loss; that there is no money indem-
nifty coming to us; that, although We
might go through the form of imposing
one, it would not be coIlectable, for there
are no millions in sight as there were for
erma in France tWenty-eight years
ago AS to territorial indemnity. we have
bound ourselves in advance not TO exact
it. We may collar a few more or less
battered warships," The Courant adds.
and that is the most in the way of ma
terial reimbursement We can hop for,
and it will so only a very little way
The people of the United States are
giving little If any thought to the ques-
ton of material reimbursement, and
they have no desire for territorial ag-
grandizement as a result of this conflict.
There is no doubt that sympathy with
the oppressed is and will continue to be
a great factor in the situation. But If
Spain had SO governed Cuba that our
interests would not have imperativeiy de-
manded a cessation of her government
of the island, We should not have inter-
vened. Behind all the sentiment that is
at the front there is a solid basis of self
interest. We are going to put an end
to "abhorrent conditions not solely to
get the approval of our own con-
sciences and to enjoy the spectacle OF
q freed and reSenerated Cuba but
also because those conditions are and
long have been inimical to our interests:
because they have injured our trade. i'm
posed on Us heavy and extremely I'M
pleasant burdens. and rendered us liable
to an annual visitation from a fearful
pestilence.
1t is a source of great satisfaction to
the American people that the protection
of their own rights is going to give the
CubanS release from the abhorred RUE OF
Spain We have no doubt that this idea
has such possession of the minds of the
masses that they scarcely bestow a
thought on the financial aspects of the
case. But there is a material side Of the
subject. and it is not true that We shall,
in the end. derive no material benefits
from the performance of the duty that
has been forced upon us.
| One of these benefits will cone from
| the application of sanitary science to The
! problem of stamping out yellow fever A
great mitigation of this horror may con-
| fdently be expected as an immediate re-
| suit Of proper sanitation. And that VIII
be worth a great deal in cash. to say
| nothing of sentiment. to the people and
| the government of the United States. Ii
is confidently asserted by high authori-
| ties that this scourge may be rendered
| comparatively impotent. One of the first
| duties of our government when IL takes
possession of Havana will be to set SCI
ence to wrestling with this curse. 1t il
probable therefore, that in years to come
We shall receive every year an install
ment on the cost of this war in the say
ing Of iife-and life has a cash value
and in the diminution of our expendf-
lures for quarantine service.
Our great n mutually profitable trade