The times., 1898-07-11

Spain's Honor
There is no apparent reason why
Spain, of all possible enemies should
receive special consideration at the
hands Of the United States-no reason
why the principle Of unconditional sur
render, which we have adopted in her
case, should be abandoned. She IS not
merely misguided nation. honest in
her cause or misied By self-seelkirg g pol
iticians. Measured by The am -Tican
standard Of civilization, hers IS q be-
nighted government and people. c -rry-
ing TO the end Of the nineteenth cen
tury the barbarisns Of the ssvente h.
The first principle on which our own
nation was established is the right of
people 10 life. Hbsrty and the pur-
suit Of happiness Ia the administra tion
of her colonies, Spain has maintained
the old system Of feudal slavery. She
has exacted money from her colonial
subjects beyond their power TO pay nd
still live in any tolerable condition. Her
pretended justice in the colonies has
been a matter Of barter and her exer-
else of police power has been the pro-
lection CT official robbers. As a I b.
crate policy she has prohibited the de-
yelopment of the natural resources Of
the colonies. in order TO keep her sub
Jects in ignorance and poverty H-r au-
thority has been q curse TO its vet ms.
The revolution of the colonies was
inevitable and commendable. For d CEN
tury successfully. their inhab tants
have gone to their death in struggles
for a reasonable measure of freedom,
preferrfng death to the monstrous con-
ditions imposed by the crown. The pol
icy adopted by Spanish generals and
approved by government and people-a
policy of determination by starvation
made il the clear duty Of the United
States. the near neighbor of Cuba and
witness OF its sufferings, to interfere
in the name Of common humanity and
civilization To every respectful appeal
Spain responded with sneers, insults
and threats Then came an act of
treachcry unparalleled in the history of
modern life-the deliberate destruction
Of the Maine and her crew. Through
all the intercourse intended TO secure
10 the dying Cuban innocents some
measure Of relief. Spain was r5sentful.
offensive and implacable, so that war
at last became unavoidable. The pa
thence Of cur Government passed the
bounds Of reason and threatened to be-
come criminal.
In the progress of this war, Spain has
done nothing TO win the admiration Of
our country or the world. There is a
great deal Of talk about Spanish hon
or as though honor could have any
Thing 10 do with a nation guilty of
Spain's atrocities. on the sea, she has
proved TO be wholly Incompetent III
Manila Bav her feet, supported by land
batteries, was sunk with virtually no
loss to the Americans, but a loss of
hundreds in Spanish killed and wound
ed and thousand prisoners. Near
Santiago, four American warships
against an equal number of Span sh
ships were victorious in less than an
hour with the loss of one man killed,
while Spain lost all her ships and nearly
all her officers and men in killed,
wounded or prisoners. At Santiago
the Spanish army constructed in
trenchments said to be impregnable
With force numerically stronger than
Skaters army, among whose troops
We're green volunteers. 10 whom the
climate was dreadful, they were una
BILE TO hold the outer lines. and were
driven steadily back. AT any move
ment Gen. Shafter chooses, the place
must fall.
Not in their oppressive administra-
tion Of the colonies, not in their valor
and efficiency on the sea and net in
their defense Of Santiago, have the
Span.ards merited the cons. Iteration
that is the due of an honorable and
valiant foe. In the stupid obstinacy
that has delayed the surrender Of San
tiago. Spain has given an added proof
Of barbarism and incompetence The
survival Of SPANS authority in any
colony would be a crime agaist the hu-
man race. The United States cannot
afford 10 carry magnanimity to the
point OF restoring to such power the
peoples whose way TO freedom has been
cleared by our arms.