The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1901-02-27
Cuba and the United States.


of Cuba, during the times of its war
fare against Spain, one Salvador Cis-
neros, refused to sign the Cuban con-
stitution framed by the convention at
Havana. He could see no reason for
sending the constitution to the United
States for acceptance. He denied the
right of this government to pass upon
the document. He invited war with
the United States, and suggested that
however Cubans might be divided now,
"when the time comes to fight the
Americans, we will fight them togeth-
err" That time this incendiary saw
approaching. "Tne Americans" he
added, fare like monkeys. When the
monkey closes its paw on thing it
never wants to let CO."
1t lie clear that "the psci6cstion of
Cuba" has not been accomplished.
Cisneros' words and sentiments had
sympathetic and approving, though 81
lent, indorsers among his fellow dele
gates of the convention. The Good
Samaritan rescued the man who had
fallen among thieves. The rescuer did
not deem it necessary to put conditions
upon his benevolence, He did not ex-
pect that the victim OF murderous vio-
lepce, when clothed again, his wounds
healed, his stomach fed, would turn
upon him. Nor did the Good Samar-
itan deem it necessary to protest to
the world the disinterestednes of his
benevolence, or to tie his hands or 9TH
erwise render himself defenceless
against attack or malevolence from the
object of his charity. In this respect
he was wiser than the Congress of the
United States when formulating its
declaration of war against Spain in the
spring of 1898.
But the United States is both fore
warned and forearmed. If the object
of it's benevolent interference in 1898,
at the cost of some thousands of lives,
the wounding, mutilating and invalid.
ing of some tens of thousands more,
and the expenditure of some hun.
dreds of millions of dollars in money,
now that it is clothed again, its
wounds healed, its furnishing inhabi-
tants fed, its hotbeds of pestilence puri.
fed, proposes to turn, like the adder
warmed to life again in the bosom oi
incautious and mistaken humanity, and
sting its savior, the law of self-protec-
ton is far above the law of the Teller
resolution and will be invoked. Cuba
will not be given chance to assail the
United States, or an opportunity to be-
come the basis, by any foreign power
of menace to the United States. Full
Observance of the spirit of the Teller
resolution is entirely consistent with a
full forefending of the rights and in
terests of the United States. A spssm
of hysterical sentimentality foisted q
piece of folly upon the United States in
the statement OF its purposes with re-
spect TO Cuba. No similar false senti-
mentality should permit this lapse in
sense and reason to lead to other errors
fatal alike to the peace of nations and
the best welfare of Cuba herself.
No sham "paciication", no lull in the
storm of internal strife under the
wholesome influence of the orderly
presence of the United States in the
island, can be mistaken for the real pa
cdcation upon which shall be builded
stable government, founded on the
rock that shall defy the floods and fury
of the ingrates and incendiaries of the
Cisneros type. The stability of gov
eminent of State of the American
Union, not of Latin conglom crate OF
Central or South America, alone will
supply the conditions of the term in re.
spect of the government of Cuba. The
United States has a right to insist that
the Cuban constitution shall answer
this condition, and that it shall be but.
tressed by satisfactory guarantees.