Middletown transcript., 1901-02-09
thus ordained and remit Cuha u
ifc own fCv1fwr.J oo1 IL

It's own control.
"But it IS vital that hotb u,
poses shall be fulfilled. and flla,I
led acceptably. Neither mart ! = -
the work can be completed ana
made final until both are COW o,,u
pleted. The relations between
Cuba and the United States mTst i
be determined and adjusted a.
certainly as the Constitntiono oSo
must be perfected. It is con
tended in some quarters that tho
United States has nothing to do
in the matter except to receive
the Constitution that NAV besnh-
mitted and turn Cuba over to the
government for which II nro-
vides; that we have no power
over the Constitution Of a for
eign country; that we are pled-
ged by the Teller resolution to
withdraw as soon as pacifcation
is accomplished, and that the in
dependence we have promised is
irreconcilable with any super
visory authority on our part.
This contention disregards the
fundamental conditions of the
case.
'If we had no moral obliga-
tions and if there were no future
consequences, it would be far the
easiest and simplest thing to ac-
cept this view, and, upon the pre-
sentation of the Constitution, to
Withdraw from all further re-
sponsibility and participation in
Cuba. Ii we were thinking only
Of our immediate interests and
comfort, this is what we should
do. The United States is seek
ing nothing in Cuba for itself.
We don't want arnextion. We
don't want exploitation. We
have less need of Cuba than Cub
for us. It would be for our pre-
sent relief to wash our hands Of
Cuba and leave the island to go
it alone.
"But there are two decisive
reasons why this cannot be done.
In the first place, we are under
the obligations Of a great and
sacred trust which imposes upon
US the duty to Cuba and to the
world, of guaranteeing peace,
security and justice. In the sec
ond place, we cannot afford to
purchase present ease at the cost
Of future risk and peril. We in
tervened in Cuba in 1898 because
we asserted the right and the
duty to stop misrude and wrong
in this adjacent territory. The
right that commanded our inter
ference then warrants our watch
full care now. By the treaty of
Paris, by our occupation, by our
redemption Of Cuba, we are
trustees for the island, and the
obligations of that trusteeship
cannot be discharged until they
are satisfied in elemental and en-
during safeguards of public and
personal safety. We have no
reason to doubt that Cuba is. en-
tirely ready to offer these safe
guards. We take this for grant
ed. They must be satisfactory
to the United States and will in
volve the relations of Cuba with
the United States. If there were
failure at this point, it would be
followed by hazards which would
compel interposition at no distant
day with all it's increased diff
culties. We cannot absolve our
selves from responsibilities which
are not changed by the Teller re-
solution, and present evasion of
duty will only bring greater
troubles hereafter.
ut remains, then, to await the
completion and submission of
the work O. the constitutional con
vention of Cuba; to expect that
it will embrace not only a Con-
stitution but a frank and salts
factory determination Of rela-
tions with the United States; to
deal candidly and unreservedly
with any shortcomings, if there
should be any; to to seek an ar
rangement which shall be fair to
the United States and honorable
to Cuba; to assume that Congress
will share with the President the
responsibility Of the settlement,
and to ask whether if there is no
delay on the part of the Cubans,
there ought not to be an avoid
ance Of delay on the part of the
United States, even if it invol-