The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-05


dent from time immemorial would bear
| out this contention. TO f1endishly carry
| out such a design as that against the
| Maine, was, so far as the individual or
| knot implicated was concerned, to make
war upon the United States.
| o.
| 1t Is we'll that the nations have COM
| bined to give this sense of Importance to
| their commissioners. 1t Is I'm the interest
| of peace that such UNDERSTANDINGS exist.
| No hoodlum in n foreign capital dares
| raise his hand against one of our consult
| ates. The place is sacred 10 foreign
| country, and foreigners have properly
| just fear of committing an ohense on
| such property that will surely doom them
| to more persistent pursuit and moro
| grievous punishment that would follow
| the commission of the same crime on
| native soil. These distinctions are not
| without reason, and the necessity for
maintaining them is not chimerlcal.
| They are at the foundation Of internal
| tional intercourse and comfy. and every
| nation is interested in maintaining It's
own honor and dignity whenever they are
violated.
| But should a great nation be involved
| In war for the act of band OF miscre-
| ants. which it may disavow? That is
| within the discretion of the aggrieved ma
1
| the reparation to be demanded at the dis
| cretion OF the injured party; and there is
no limit to the demand that may be made,
If there lies force behind the demand SUI
ficent to warrant it. on far less pretext
| thrones have been subverted and dynas-
ties changed
but the United states constitute a
great nation. And magnanimity is one
of the prerogatives of the truly great.
Our resources are vast, our location is
| favorable, our preparation Is adequate,
our bravery, to date, has never been
called in question. We might afford to
overlook the insult to our flag" The
United States can, indeed, AFFORD to be
magnanimous. But it is question
whether the present is, under any cir
| cumstances, an occasion for the display
| OF magnanimity. Much Will depend on
Spain's course. Had the miscreants been
caught red-handed. could even now sufli-
cient proof be adduced against any set Ct
men to convict them promptly ana GER
tainly of the crime, so that an example
might be promptly made Spain's readi-
ness to convict and punish would be a
strong mitigating circumstance. The fact
must not be lost sight of, however, that
people everywhere in all countries, the
Spanish common people, as well as the
| Spanish ruling class, must be given &c
| understand that the dignity and honor OF
this country as represented by her fas
are not contemplate in the sight of any
man. And in discussing the question OF
magnamihity care must be taken to fltcl
out any selfish desire for national ease
and plenty at the expense of honor. II
must not be said of us that the CONNER
cial spirit has entirely subdued the spri
of honor and independence. Our birth
right of honor cannot go for the pottag'
of the stock exchange. In seeking to bt
magnanimous, let us be very sure that w
are not really pusillanmous.
O.
| There are those who see in this inciden
| a chance for the oft-discussed principle
of international arbitration. Happil!
Spain herself has delivered us from thes,
specious reasoners and their folly. He
statesmen have rejected the proposition
for arbitration with supreme disgust.
is emphatically not question for arbt
tration. There is no boundary to be de
Eliminated. There are no money damage
to be fixed with nicely. There is no ques
tion of law to be looked into. 1t is
matter of honor pure and simple. Spain
must satisfy ourselves as well as the res
of the world that a gross indignity ha
been properly atoned, or our guns mus
, ask the reason why not.