New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-04
SOUTH AMERICAN VIEWS AND DUTIES.

SOUTH AMERICAN VIEWS AM DCAiH"'
We print elsewhere In this mornings paper
our translation Of all article recently puDiished
IN eel Reportorio Columbiano" Of Bogota, dis
cussinp the present war between the United
States and Spain. the relations OF the uni'ed
States with the Central and South American
renubIcs and the past and present efficacy OF
the Monroe Doctrine as the Magma Charta of
Latin American independence. In almost any
circumstances an article Of such tenor would
command attention. 1t does so now In double
measure, because Of the recent pretensions
made by Spain that her old colonies despite
fourscore years estrangement. were still true
to her in spirit, and would rally to her support
TO save her from being beaten by the United
States, and because Of the declarations OF some
German and other European papers OF high
standing that the success OF the United States
in this war would mean the oppression or the
Latin American republics and the subverslon
of their independence by this Nation, from
which fate the European Powers ought to In
tervene to save them. Such views we have,
and we believe all well-informed men have.
from the first regarded as preposterous and
absurd 1t is nevertheless gratifying to have
them so directly and emphatically repudiated
as they are In the article we have translated
The writer OF It, Senior Merchan, speaks for
himself as a single individual, and we have
entitled our translation of his article "A South
American View" There Is reason, however,
for confident belief that he Is an accurate rep
resentative Of the intelligent and dominant
masses of the South American people. and that
what he has set forth may properly be re-
garded not merely as "a" but as 1.-THE" South
American view This belief Is confirmed by
the general expressions Of public sentiment
throughout those countries and by the official
acts and attitudes Of their governments. Not
one has sided with Spain. Not one has mani
tested partiality toward Spain. Those that
have spoken have straightforwardly proclaimed
their neutrality. and have maintained It con-
sstently. unless, In one or two cases, with
something Of leaning toward the United
States No. there Is no ralyng to the support
of Spain. Those nations remember too well
what Spanish rule meant to their ancestors.
They remember the prompt. hearty and efrec
tive manner in which both the great branches
Of the Anglo-SaxOn race came to their aid and
comfort The name Of Cochrane is still
cl, r.,hed among them as that Of an almost
divine deliverer; and the recollection that MI
randa learned the art Of war from Washington
stitutonal liberty in the United States, remains
most potent Full Of significance and might,
too Is the well-remembered record that, when
the European Continent was combining to de-
stroy their newly won independence and to
crush them back again beneath the CALLING
Spanish yoke. two AnglO-Saxon statesmen,
George Canning and John Quincy Adams, de-
vised for their protection the great doctrine
which an American President, James Monroe,
promulgated with most effective force. Senior
Rafael VI. Merchan. Of Bogota. is not the only
South American who holds In mind these
things.
We may reckon that Senior Merchan has
taken a somewhat grandlOse view OF the con-
sequences Of Spanish success, yet It Is not easy
to say In what respect II Is exaggerated In
deed. he has not gone beyond the limits OF the
threats of Spain herself. The destruction Of
the great Atlantic coast cities, the dismember-
ment Of the United States. the restoration OF
Florida Louisiana and California--in their
ancient extent-to SPAIN together with Mexico,
Central and South America, have been talked
of at Madrid with at least an air Of serious
ness. and not by lunatics but by responsible
statesmen and military commanders. such as
Senior Romero Robedo and Weyler the Butcher.
They have been threatened by General Pando
in Cuba. And they have been impressed upon
the ilIiterate popuace Of Spain rs things prac-
tlcally certain to be effected. There has never
been a moment when there was one chance In
million Of that programme being executed,
but neither has there been n moment when
Spain would not eagerly have executed it IL she
could. That the South Americans know full
WE'LL and they are at once shrewd enough and
just enough to let their sympathies be gov
erned by their knowledge.
We repeat that 1t is gratifying to have such
an expression made OF South American opinion.
The circumstance Is. however, reminder to
this country OF Its reciprocal duties toward Its
Southern neighbOrs II Is not enough to have
been their protector In the past. The present
and future should see us bound to them in ties
OF friendship stronger and closer than ever be-
fore. 1t has often been said that the South
Americans do not like us; said chiefly by those
In this country who have done most to make
them dislike us, by holding aloof from them
and by treating them with supercilous con-
tempt and half-veed hostility Every attempt
to increase commercial Intercourse with them
has been bitterly resisted. Every word Of en-
enlargement to them In safeguarding their
rights against alien invasion has been rallied
against and denounced. And these malign In
fuences have been sufficiently strong to prevent
the establishment OF natural relations between
this country and those. and to drive them to
look to Europe for the commercial, financial
and social sympathIes which they sought for
here. but which were fatuously withheld. The
cont luation OF such policy would be folly
amounting to madness. The natural sequel OF
the Monroe Doctrine IN rectnrocitv with NIL
that 1t implies Of friendship. Of sympathy and
Of moral influence In aiding those States TO
make their governments more stable. their
free institutions more secure and their progress
toward the highest civilization more steady and
rapid. That has always been our duty. II has
generally been neglected II should now DO