The record-union., 1898-04-11
THE REPORT OF AN ARMISTICE
PROFFER.

THE REPORT OF AN ARMlSI1CE
PROFFER.
A Madrid dispatch says that at the
intercession Of the Pope and the Pow
ers the Spanish Government has grant
ed an armistice in Cuba. On the as
sumption that this is verify, let us ex-
anime the matter. An armistice is,
according to the photographers and the
technical and common meaning of the
word. a convention or agreement ar
rived at between two or more contend
ing powers by which there is effected
a temporary cessation of hostilities, for
any purpose the agreement may recite.
Almost always. however, an armistice
is for the purpose of considering sug-
gestions and means to the permanent
cessation Of hostilities, and hence it is
that an armistice is always hailed as
the harbinger of peace, as indicating
disposition to substitute reason and
concessions for brute force and stub
born passion.
While it is perfectly true that such
a thing must have the cooperation OF
two or more parties, it is also true that
it must first be proposed by one of
them. It cannot emanate from both ST.
multaneously. In this case it comes
from the Spanish Government, and to
be effective it must, of course, be ac-
cepted and agreed to by the Cuban in
;c IN T-n1 n
tically a confession of the belligerent
character of the other party. To this
date Spain has steadfastly denied such
character to the insurgents. The prof
fer of an armistice cannot, however,
be considered a binding recognition of
belligerency, since it is a direct and
right-angled departure from the hostile
attitude.
If the party to whom the offer of an
armistice is made declines to accept it,
if agreement upon terms cannot be
reached, then, of course, it fails. In
this case, if present advices are to be
relied upon, Spain has made the United
States a third party to the proposed ar
mistice, as it is provided that we must
withdraw our fleets from our own
waters contiguous to Cuban waters,
and cease to render material and moral
support to the insurgents. That the
people of the United States have been
giving both to the Cuban rebels will
not be denied by any one sensible of
the truth. But here comes what we
fear will be a very serious hitch, name
not admit that it has been giving aid to
the rebels, since as a Government it
has not done so. 1t cannot reply that
moral support will not be given to
them, since it has no control over
moral forces of that character operat-
ing among the people. But so far as
the Government is concerned, it can
say that it will not, pending the armis-
tice, act in any way to give comfort to
either side to the quarrel 1t cannot
by any such concession, however, ad-
nit that it has failed of its duty in
the past to prevent material aid being
sent in to the insurgents in violation
of the neutrality laws.
If the terms of the proposed armistice
specifically recite that this Government
shall cease to give aid to the rebels, .
we fear very much that the term will
be taken at Washington to be offensive
since it implies that in the past the
United States Government has been a
secret ally of the insurgents. Here
then, is a difficulty of the most grave
character standing in the way of what
all good citizens should desire, a peace
full settlement of the present troubles
which seem to be about to culminate in
war.
Assuming that the Cuban rebels ac-
cept the offer Of armistice, the reported
terms involving the United States, we
fear. will be i'll received at Washing
ton. and still more comphcate matters
But if peace is so desirable-and who
will venture to say that it is not?-
should this great and generous people
stand for a technical wording of terms
in the way of its accomplishment:
Should this free people become the
stumbling block over which the last
hope for peace and prosperity for Cuba
shall trip and fall into the ditch OF
war?
These are the questions Americans
who consider the interests Of their OWN
land and of Cuba as we'll should ash
themselves, and respond with the
prompt answer. NO" We can waive
any and all verbiage, any and all diplo-
matte sensitiveness, for the sake of a
peaceful settlement and the avoidance
of bloodshed over the question OF
Cuba's political future and present un.
happy condition. Shall this great ma.
tion in this crisis stand like a sulky
child and refuse to cast its vote for the
blessings of peace rather than the hor.
rors of war, horrors intensified a hun.
dredfold since the time of the last
struggle in arms in which this nation
engaged?
The San Francisco Post points our
that the whole country is Mortified
ard made dumb with horror over tht