New-York tribune., 1901-02-14
pELATIONS WITH CUBA.
rur ISLAND IN REALITY A DEPEND
ENcY OF THE UNITED STATES.
=, the Editor Of The Tribune.


lam of the Administration at Washington and its
enle representatives, both within and without ,bs
cabinet That the problem has again assumed a,
,re form. preceding let US hope its approx,
rstely hnal settlement, must be admitted as simply
N the nature Of an historical sequence and can
- the cause Of surprise TO no one who NAV have
given the subject even superficial attention
IN view OF the importance 10 ourselves ~ she
ouestons involved, some little retrospect OF IN.
noltical history OF Cuba may not be out OF place
FOR the logical position Of fits people toward the
United States well the rest OF the world Is
certainly the question Of the hour Cuba then till
recently was province of Spain desperatelv ana
hopeessy misgoVerned by the mother country as
had been all the provinces of Spain since first she
set foot In the Western Hemisphere some four
hundred odd years ago. Centuries Of oppression
had produced their natural result and during the
last hundred years the vast occidental empire of
Spain fell away from her, Only 20 form the little
so-called republics with whose intestine disorders
we are only too familiar
But this disintegration OF her Western posses
sions left 10 Spain at least apparent advantage
she could then afford 10 concentrate her energies
upon the one dependency that was left and three
wears age Cuba was as hopelessly under the iron
heel OF the Spaniard she had ever been since
Columbus first planted the cross upon her shores
and took possession in the name OF his sovereigns
across the sea.
When. on April %, 1898 the United States de-
cared war against Spain, the much vaunted
strength OF the insurrection was suddenly dis
closed - the astonshed gaze OF the American people
as hollow mockery, and then IL was perceived that
the rowing native guerilla bands. largely composed
OF negroes and halfbreeds which the fairy tales OF
the Cuban Junta had magnihed into an imposing
army were only struggling disturbers OF the peace
IN the presence OF the nearly two hundred thousand
more less unruly troops OF SPAIN badly trained
and led they
The evil genius OF weyler was IN the ascendant
and the insurrection was upon the point of being
starved into sullcn submission. Except for our
intervention the story OF the ten years war would
have been repeated Again would elusive reforms
have been attempted, but definite, tangible
permanent Improvement possible. The Span
sh theory and practice Of colonial therapeutics
we're beyond hope. Spain would have been but a
superannuated herb doctor at the side OF a patient
dying Of yellow fever. The only hope for Cuba
the absolute annihiation OF the political domi-
nation OF Spain. and the great. sound body OF the
plain people OF America irrespective OF party. had
the keenness TO appreciate the situation and the
nerve to act upon their convictions.
But in the midst OF the excitement incident 10 the
declaration OF war hysterical feature. and only
one was allowed 10 mar the craftsmanship OF the
who successfully conducted US through the
trying period OF the Spanish-American War. and
that was permitted TO creep in only against the
vigorous protest Of the more thoughtful element
among our people.
To with any sense OF historical proportion #
was seen then and is patent the wayfaring
man, that the so-called Teller amendment was
entirely unnecessary piece OF world buncombe.
Cuba did not ask fer IL, she party 10 il,
1t in any way called for or expected the
result OF that decent respect for the opinions
OF mankind" which often leads a struggling
people 10 appeal TO the sympathes Of its neghbors.
On the contrary. this amendment hailed
with delight by our Continental enemies, but only
because their greater experience in such matters
enabled them TO gloat the certainty OF our
ultimate embarrassment and inevitable somersault
Throughout the drama OF the Spanish-American
War :he Teller amendment was the one act that
gave genuine pleasure to Continental Europe
whining hypocrites" was the terse II somewhat
unparliamentary phrase into which France and
Germany condensed the expression OF their unal-
tersble views And yet. after all, fl was but the
honest incapacity OF a few leaders OF a powerful
minority in the Senate 10 grasp the situation and
not hypocrisy, that led TO the insertion OF this
fortunate declaration.
But that have il the question is what to
do with IT, AS natural. two parties have arisen.
The would stick 10 the letter. the other would
penetrate the bark. The literal party can
nothing but the Teller amendment. They belong 10
that class who imagine the world be ruled by
resolutions and declarations, failing 20 compre-
hend that all resolutions forceful only when
they are in accord with and represent actual facts
and conditions. Our own Fifteenth Amendment is
q case in point Though backed for years by the
whole power OF the Federal Government, IL has
niserahly failed because II attempted the impos-
sible, and is accepted a dead letter by the
political descendants OF the very men who most
ardenty and successfully advocated it's adoption
Even the solemn, learned and altogether legal
judgments OF the most august judicial tribunal OF
The world have been known 10 go down before
stubborn facts. Though denied the right OF testi-
mony IN his day and generation. Dred Scott could
80 testify IN Federal Court to-day.
In the modern scheme OF political and economic
development the result of new and overwhelm-
Ing forces constantly at work, there is now TO
place for brand little sovereign State at our
very doors. especially IL never has had. has
now. and never will have any OF the inherent at
tributes of full-hedged efficient sovereignty the
Teller amendment the contrary Notwithstanding.
In the political less than in the industrial world
changed economic conditions tend toward concen-
uauon rather than segregation OF relationships.
Absolute independence conferred by gift by
great Nation upon a weakling neighbor who,
through Ignorance and incapacity, may well prove
even more troublesome IN the future than In the
past Is a novelty, and anomaly in international
law which should certainly not commend itself
70 an intelligent and practical community. The
seni-panic that has naturally seized the property
owning and business community OF Cuba the
very prospect OF the entire withdrawal OF the
thorty OF the United States from island should
N itself be sufficient 10 make pause in
Smental and impracticable scheme OF forthwith
hsncing over the government OF Cuba 10 the abso-
lne control OF ignorant and untried electorate.
IN our relations with Cuba the duty Of the United
states presents many awkward but not essentially
oifhcult problems with which TO deal Let Congress
insist that the Cuban Constitutional Convention in
seu such provisions the American people.
through their accredited representatives. may deem
necessary 10 secure the happiness and prosperity OF
me inhabitants OF both countries. II SEN
ttve 10 foreign criticism. let console ourselves
with the thought that outside OF England and Rus
ta the preponderating European sentiment will be
nut a sneer at whatever do. and that England
tno Russia, though for different reasons. will cor
NlaIN ~ ,naf rre