The record-union., 1898-03-01
EX-SENATOR EDMUNDS
Discusses the Maine Disaster as
Affected by international Law.

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 2S,-Former
United States Senator Edmunds, in dis
cussing the status of the Maine diSas
| ter. as affected by interna tional law,
said:
Above all, it seems to me that Amer
| lean chivalry demands that we exer-
else our finest and incest sense of honor
and dignity, and impute nothing evil 10
| the Government OF Spain, unless the
most incontrovertible facts demonstrate
! such a necessity.
! Our own Government is not without
precedent of her own making in the
matter. At the time of the Malta riots
| in the State of Louisiana, some years
ago, you Will remember that the then
Secretary Of State. James G. Blaine,
contended, and think rightly, that the
death of a number of Italian subjects
was brought about by circumstances 50
extraordinary that the Government
could not be expected to have foreseen
their danger, and therefore could not
| have prevented it.
II, i'll view of these facts, the United
States sought out the real offenders and
brought them to the fullest justice, he
further insisted that all had been done
erly demand
| The Offenders We're found, and an
attempt was made to bring them TO JUS
| tice, but the conditions We're such and
the public opinion was so prejudiced
| that it even affected the State Courts
of louisiana and it was impossible to
bring them to justice. The President
was authorized by Congress to indem-
he Il
| Italians who We're killed This case and
that of the Maine disaster are anala-
| gous in their effect.
| "A great wrong has been done this
nation, and many families have been
sadly broken. The battleship was on a
friendly visit to a friendly port, and all
propriety demands that fullest restitu-
| ton shall be made. If some wicked per-
son or persons We're instrumental in
| bringing about an explosion which cost
so many lives, then the Government Of
Spain must find them, and mete out 20
them the most severe punishment which
| so cowardly a crime demands. If she
does this, she has done her duty. in my
opinion. If she fail to do SO, then our
national dignity will force US to compel
something else.
ms, Oh course, Is upon the aSSufnp-
| ton that Spain as a Government was
neither instrumental nor had any knowl-
| edge Of the impending catastrophe.
THE dignity and chivalry of the Uni
| ted States forbid dealing in suspicious.
An efficient board of inquiry is investi-
| eating the matter in an orderly and
commendable manner, and when they
have announced their finding we must
accept it as the truth
| Asked as to what would be the prob
abel result if the inquiry should show
| that the Spanish Government officials
were implicated in plot to destroy the
Maine, Mr.. Edmunds replied that such
| an assumption was too horrible to think
about, unless it was finally shown to be
necessary.
Spain could not afford to do any
such thing" he said. She would for
ever lose all honor among the nations
Of the earth. The strained relations
| which have existed between the United
States and Spain made it incumbent
upon Spain TO take the greatest pre-
cautions against accidents to our ships
when they visited the port of Havana,
and it is only fair to assume that Spain
did her duty. Until more facts are OBJ
| tainable from an unquestionable source
| we must be content TO hope for the
best"