Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-05-07
Spanish Truthfulness.

dishonest with it's own people at home
than il is with other governments
which are unfortunate enough to have
dealings with it. The ignorant masses
of Snain are cajoled and deceived by
their government in a shameful man
ner. The news that the Spanish fleet
had so long been at Cape Verde Islands
was a complete surprise to the Spanish
people, who had been led to believe the
ViZcaya and Oquendo were in Amerl-
can waters, and that the Colon and
Maria Theresa, with the torpedo boats,
were threatening our Atlantic coast
Similarly the Pelayo and its conveys
were supposed to be in the vicinity OF
Boston or New York. when they were
actually at Gibraltar. The outburst of
truth was both natural and justified,
and was only equalled at the news of
the Manila defeat.
1t might be difficult to believe that
such deception could be deliberately
practiced by a government upon its
people were it not for other crcum>
stances. The American people have
victories CT the captains general in
Cuba, which We're always contradicted
,,,l,a he rDrrpSnOn1pntS
could obtain the facts But it is not
necessary to go back to those false re-
ports for evidence of the most abomi
nable misleading of the Spanish public.
The official report of the bombardment
of MatanZas is a graphic enough illus
tration. After few shots were fired,
these reports say, the American fleet
was obliged to retreat The Spanish
loss is given at one mule and the
American loss is unknown
The Liberal newspaper on the same
day tells its readers that the American
ships are rotten and inefficient; that
their crews are ignorant and undisci-
pinned and that the American troops
are worse. No wonder the nation
went wild with anger and grief when it
heard from Manila. 1t contrasts
American eXcitability with Spanish
calm and coolness. \ day or two ear
1ier the Spanish governor of the Philip
4
ing the Americans to be towards and
many other things which they are not,
representing that their expedition
against Manila was wholly for the pur-
pose of plumber. and that if they
should be victorious they would mas
sacre and enslave the inhabitants of
the archipelago. All this for the pur
pose of frightening an ignorant people
into enlisting for the Spanish defense.
The governing class of a nation
which is capable of such deception and
fraud is naturally capable of the cow
ardce and cruelty charged against
their enemies. The history of Cuba and
the Philippines of Mexico and South
America proves that this is so, and
that every crime charged against the
Americans has been committed by
Spain in its colonies until its cowardly
hand has been thrown off by a people
who could endure no more
Spain is incapable of civilized war
fare. 1t has neither the courage nor
the integrity to wage fair battle. Since
war has been declared it's ships are in
hiding and the officers of its armies are
panic stricken. Its statesmen take
refuge in lying and boasting from the
storm Of public disapproval which they
fear. The only kind of war the nation
of the defenseless and the treachery
that stahs in the back, or takes the foe
unaware, like the destruction of the
Maine. The Spanish government has
been driven into a declaration of hos
tlljties to avert a revolution, and when
the final defeat comes. as soon it must,
the revolution will come. too, all the
fiercer for having been postponed by a
sham pretense. The Queen Regent is
to be pitied because she is a woman in
distress; the young king is an object
of sympathy, for he is a harmless child
But neither pity nor sympathy is due
to the cabinet, the generals and the
statesmen, who have plotted ruin for
the neasantry and deception for the
people to serve their selfish ambitions
be their fate what it may.
When Japan aWoke to civilization,