The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-04-13
J. a. wi
543 Congress St.. Portland, Me.

macy. Ii We can nave aflneu intervene
ton without recognizing the independ
enoe of Cuba and can have nothing else, l
must accept the will of the majority, re-
serving to myself the right to respectfully
protest and also reserying the right to
fight for the Independence of the brave
men, women and children in tho island
of Cuba"
Mr.. Mason then went into the history
OF what had been done by this country in
the past regarding recognition and con-
tinued:
,tAre we to be governed by precedent?
Here is the struggling island of Cuba and
it does not seem possible that any ono
now can doubt after the testimony of our
colleague the Senator from Vermont as5to
the high character of the native CHbans
in revolt against Spain. ,e
mir. President, it seems almost. like
insulting the intelligence of my colleagues
to call attention to that civil government
when it is known that through that gov
eminent they have collected hundreds of
thousands Of dollars and maintained q
standing army that has kept at bay near
ly 200, 900 armed and equipped Spanish
soldiers and has given evidence Of as
great bravery and endurance as any army
in all the recorded past During the past
year the President has considered he
question of acknowledging the belHgerent
rights of Cubans. Was it not well that in
branch of the government thought of this
question. The acknowledgment of the
Independence of one sJate by another is
under some circumstances made cause
| for war. If the executive hesitates to take
that step at present. vill he not be pleased
in consideration of the step to be in
| formed in respectful language of the wish
of this branch of the government The
| brilliant orator from Iowa said the other
day in the House that lowering above the
dark waters Of that mysterious harbor of
Havana, the black winged vulture
watches for the dead. while over 1t ard
over all there is there the eagle piercing
eye sternly watching for the truth Mr..
| President, is it to continue to be an eagle
or is it the avarice and greed of the
nation to cause it to descend and partake
| of the vulture's food? Perez, writing to
Aranguren, said the Yankees are hogs
and if you conquer your own independ
ence they will absorb it,
"Mr President, did he tell the truth?
| Are we going out on an errand of mercy
| loaded down with day books and journals?
| Are we to forget our citizens who went
down in the harbor of Havana in our
| greed for gold and territorys Are we to
| leave the door open to compel additional
! terms from the insurgents who sacrificed
their wives, their children and their
| homes? do we wish special treaties of
commerce and leave the door open for
| that? DO we wish to relieve some Ameri-
can investors who have bought Spanish
bonds and who wish to trade them for the
bonds of the republic? Do we, worse still,
wish to leave the door open to compel
those brave men and women to accept
some terms OF autonomy or TO pay blood
money to the Spaniari or the shylocks of
our own land?
MAY l he forgiven if express the hope
that the heart OF the executive may be
touched in their behalf? May we not hope
that their last lingering look OF life II be
not with suspicion and hatred upon our
| flag and mine; that it may not rest upon
the hated color of the yellow flag of
Spain, but that in their rapt and parting
moments they may be soothed and sus-
tanned by the sight of their own nag, the
flag wit single star, the flag OF mo
Republic of Cuba.
MIR. Butler of North Carolina followed
Mr.. Mason. He said thar he belonged to
what was popularity termed the opposltloa
on the floor, but he inalntalned thet lhls
opposition had thus far upheld the hands
| OF the administration rs loyalty as had
the best friends Of the resident, and was
ready to continue to so do, SO long Us 0hey
! could and preserve their selt-respec9.
Mr., Butler expressed the hope Ghat the
foreign relations committee might be
able fo bring in a resolution that the Sen
ate could support unanimously. In the
nresent circumstances we would, in the
opinion of Mr.. Butler, be justified in
driving every Spanish vessel from the seas
and laying waste every city and town of
swain and this was because of the de-
struction of the Maine-one of the fouest
cr imes in history. He maintained that
the United States had even more exalted
reasons for the establishment of Cuban
independence-the reasons of humanity
and liberty
II am for avenging the Maine, how
ever" declared Mr.. Butler, land would
be if Cuba did not enter into the matser.
I would secure atonement from spain or
the obstruction Of the Maine and SO many
of her gallant crew, not by conquest not