Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-04-14

ment; we would be required to submit
to its direction and to assume to it the
mere relation of friendly ally. When
il shall appear hereafter that there is
within the island a government ca
pable of performing the duties and dis
charging the functions of a separate
nation, and having as matter of
fact. proper forms and attributes OF
nationality, such government can be
promptly and readily recognized, and
the relations and interests of the
United States with such nation ad-
justed.
There remain the alternative forms
OF Intervention to end the war, either
as an impartial neutral by imposing
rational compromise between the
contestants, or as the active ally of
the one party or the other.
AS to the first, it is not to be forgot
ten that during the last few months,
the relation of the United States has
virtually been one Of friendly interven-
tion in many ways. each not of itself
conclusive. but all tending the exer-
ton of a potential influence toward an
ultimate pacific result just and honor
able to all interests concerned. The
spirit Of all our acts hitherto has been
an earnest. unselfish desire for peace
and prosperity in Cuba, untarnshed
by differences between us and Spain
and unstained by the blood of Ameri-
can citizens.
The forcible intervention of the Uni
ted States as a neutral to stop the
war, according to the large dictates "
humanity and following many histori-
cal precedents where neighboring
states have interfered to check the
hopeless sacrifices of life by intcrne-
cine conflicts beyond their borders, Is
justifiable on rational grounds. It in
wolves, however, hostile cons raint
upon both the parties to the contest.
as well as to enforce truce as to
guide the eventual settlement.
The grounds for such intervention
mey De briefly Summarized as follows
First-In the cause of humanity and
to put an end to the barparities, blood
shed, starvation and horrible miseries
now existing there, and which the par
ties to the conflict are either unable or
unwilling to stop or mitigate. 1t is no
answer to say this is all in another
country, belonging to anotehr nation.
and is, therefore, none Of our business.
1t Is specially our duty, for 1t Ia right
at our door.
Second-We owe 1t to our citizens in
Cuba to afford them that protection
end indemnity for life and prope-ty
which no government there can or will
afford, and to that end to terminate the
conditions that deprive them of legal
protet tion.
Third-The right to intervene may
be justified by the very serious injury
to the commerce, trade and bushes of
our people and by the wanton destruc-
on of property and devastation Of
the islands.
Fourth-And which is Of the utmost
Importance. The present condition of
affairs of Cuba is a constant menace to
our peace, and entails upon the gov
ernment an enormous expense. With
such a conflict waged for years in an
island so near us and with which our
people have such trade and business re-
lations, when the lives and liberty of
our citizens are in constant danger and
their property destroyed and them
selves ruined, where our trading YES
sells are liable to seizure and are seized
at our very door by warships Of a for
eign nation. the expeditions of filibus-
tering that we are powerless altogether
to prevent, and the irritating questions
and entanglements thus arising, all
these and others that l need not men
ton, with the resulting strained rela-
tions, are a constant menace to our
peace and compel us to keep on semi
war footing with nation with which
we are at peace.