Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-04-28
WAR OR PEACE
New York Evening Post.

New York Evening Post.
The die seems now to have hesn cast, |
The issues OF peace or war have been
RENTED tn the pfesident's hands. The
only possible eerape from some resort
TO force ia apparently the surrender OF
Spain to the American demands. This,
Congress. in its wisdum, has made as
difficult for the SpaniaTGs as possible.
We cannot recall my case in history in
which one civilized nation has all
dressed another IN such language as
the congressional resolutions before
hostilities have actually commenced.
We cordially endorse the Philadelphia
Press judgment on them. 1t saya:
"But the Senate resolutions, even
without the recognition of the insur-
gent government are untrue, illogical,
Inconsistent, self contradictory and self
stultiiying. They will not hear intelli
gent analysis Or examination,
To the President it nuw belongs to
decide, as commander in. chief OF tho
army, when and where the war shall
commence and in what manner and by
what force IL shall be carried on. lie
has heen directed TO got the SpRniards
out of Cuba, but it is for him to de-
eide when he shall resort to war, for
this purpose, IL at all. 1t will not be
maintained, we trust, even by the
JinRoes. tnat il the Spaniards offer TO
leave peaceably. he is bound to attack
them 90 route, although good deal OF
the war talk would bear that intsrpre
tution. When the Spaniards discover
that no prayers can riorce W., that WIS
are determined to have fight with
them IL we can, we cannot help belisy-
ing that they will see that discretion is
the better part OF valor and find some
way of escaping hostilities.
II the fighting begins, we must only
hope. as we have already said, that it
will he short, sharp and decisive; that
mure Spaniards will be killed than
Americans, and that more Spanish
property than American will be de-
stroyed. We are still of opinion that
the dispute might have been endad--
nay, may still be ended-witbout fight
ing at alt. We could have tried the plan
of autonomy which the Spaniards have
offered to concede by perfectly peaceable
means. The objection which has been
made to this is that the Spaniards
cannot be- trusted to keen their
promises; that in four or five years
they would withdraw what they con
csde as they have often done before.
The answer is that they have never ba-
fore promised the withdrawal of their
troops as part OF the reform, and that
they would find 1T impossible to 20
hack TO their old ways without soldiers.
Moreover, it IL, as we have often said,
never too late to go to war We could
fight them just as well after they had
broken their promises as now, IL not
better. What prevents our trying the
autonomy plan is. in very large de-
gree, the desire of some of the Jinguea
for war, as ono OF them has said,
"just or Unjust, necessary or unneces-
sary, right or wrong" This is pain
full confession for q civilized nation to
make, but it must be made. 1t is an
inevitable inference from the proceed
ings 10 Congress and the conduct of a
portion OF our press. 1t is the concu-
sion which the world at large now
drawe, and which history will draw.
Spain is a third-rate and declining
Power we are ono Of the mightiest in
the world. We shall never be able to
''point with PRIDE to this war, as we
point to the Revolutionary War, or the
War of the Rebellion, or the War of
1912, when we engaged in contests
which the world believed to be beyond
our strength or resources. But the dis
credit Of attacking third.rate Power,
be it small or great, will come nowhere
near the discredit of our manner Of
getting ready for the contest. When
one thinks of the blowing. the blather-
skite, the mandaeity of the most widely
read portion of our press, OF the steady
fire of the lowest insults kept up against
an adversary with whom we meant to
engage In honorable, civilized warfare,
by the Legislature OF the nation, one
invOluntarily asks. Are there no gentle
mon left in American public life?
The one conspicuous person in the
whole affair to whom we can punt with
honest pride is the President. He has
horne himself throughout in a manner
worthy of his great station. For this
we must be sincerely thankful He hal
been moderate, self-restrainsd, court
eous, rational. He has. in fact, behaved
like statesman and a gentleman, ant
the chief magistrate Of great people
and now that our atfaira are passing
into bis hands peculiarly, We feel SUR
our reputation will cease to suffer as i
has been suffering. We wish we cout
add that, now that We are approaching
the stern arbitrament of war, LYNN
would cease or diminish. But we cal
hold no Huch prospect. War 10 pre-
eminently state Of things in which al
human vices flourish or are encouraged
especially the vice Of mendacity. W.
must be prepared for its exhibition oil
creator scale than ever before wit
messed by mankind, incsssant, mon
strous aud perfectly shameless.