New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-19
SENATOR PROCTOR on CUBA.

Senator Proctor has spoken. Coming from
amid the shadows of one Of the greatest TRACE
dies man may know. bis utterances are invested
not only with seriousness but with solemnty.
The note Of absolute sincerity rings true IN
every word. Nor is there lack OF detailed ana
specific information. The Senator knows CUBA.
He has seen It In peace and he has seen II ID
what some call war and some deny to be war;
and which he himself describes as neither peace
nor war. but something more horrible thai
either comprehends He has spoken not for
sensation nor for political advantage or effect
but from a compelling sense OF humane duty.
His words are not the first that have been
spoken to the point, nor will they be the last
But no others are more entitled to earnest con-
sideration, and no others are likely TO exercise
a more convincing force than they.
War. said General Sherman, is hell. The
state Of Cuba to-day Is ,desolation worse than
war. 1t u.s. at any rate, worse than any MOD
ern warfare between civilized nations; worse
than ANYTHING since the days Of Alva and
Tilly. The awful work was begun by Weyler
in hts concentration order Marshal Blanco
has nominally adopted more humane sys-
tenn. But he cannot effectively do 80 without
yielding to the Insurgents great military advan-
uatIon. Either the people of Cuba-men. WON
en- and children-must be herded wholesale IN
prlson-pens, TO die OF disease and starvation, or
the insurgents must be allowed to win the day.
On the one hand, extermination; on the other
the loss of Cuba to Spain. Marshal Blanco'
humane and amable gentleman as he Is, the
very reverse in all respects OF his perhdious
and savage predecessor, Is forced against bis
will, by the eXigencles Of the military situation
and by the Will Of Spain. TO choose e1termlna-
ton And that choice Is being executed ruth
lessly so that -combatants who recently
were prosperous now worse than paupers
dying Of starvation by the roadside and In the
market-place by tens Of thousands every week
That Is the hideous fact made clear by Senator
Proctor beyond dispute.
Another point made clear Is that the people
Of Cuba are practically unanimous In their de-
mand for separation from Spain. Marshal
Blanco Is honestly trying 10 establish au-
tonomy but the Cubans will have none OF It,
1t Is too late, they say, for compromise. The
island cannot remain under Spanish soyer-
eighty. There are many classed as Autono-
mists Scratch one and you find Separatist
If there be any genuine Autonomists left they
are too few TO count. Practically all Cubans
are for entire separation. and all Spaniards-
the army and the ofilceholdcrs- are for the
old system Of Spanish despotism. Between the
two parties the lines of demarcation are sngu-
lary straight and clean-cut. Among them
selves the Cubans are divided IN opinion. Some
favor independence some United States pro-
tectorate, some outright annexation Many
were at first not in favor Of the insurrection,
being business men whose interests called for
peace rather than war, but they say IT Is now
too late to restore peace on any terms snort OF
complete severance OF the Spanish connection.
Senator Proctor makes no attempt to dictate
the policy 10 be pursued by the United States
Government. He does not demand interven-
ton He is not in favor of immediate annexa-
tlon as millions Of thoughtful Americans are
| not for obvious and impressive reasons. But
| he makes no argument pro or con. He does
not even seek to point the moral Of his dreadful
tale. most dreadful Of all in It's indubitable
truthfnness. In his own words he merely de
scribes the symptoms Of the case, without at
tempting 10 prescribe the remedy. But his
diagnosis is one that cannot lightly be passed
by II may not form the basis Of immediate
official action of any kind. 1t was not intended
so to do II will, we confidently believe be
generally accepted by the civilized world as an
authentic and authoritative statement of the
case, almost unique in It's transparent honesty
and IN its convincing force. In making 1t Sen
ator Proctor has performed n service Of the
highest character TO his country and TO the
cause Of humanity, and has contributed
powerful and permanent factor 10 the vexed
problem, to affect the opinions OF the American
people and to help materially to determine that
ultimate Government action which will be the
concrete expression OF the peoples will.