The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-05-29
THE GREATEST THING IN HISTORY.

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1t is the American mission to do things
on much higher plane than any other
people. but we have never done anything
which will read better in history than our
generous delivery of Cuba to the Cubans,
with all the conditions on the island UNI
speakably improved by our Intervention
and trusteeship.
No people in the world ever did so much
| for another people on such an exalted
plane of generous unseifishness. For a
century and in more ways than one Cuba
had been grievous ulcer on the American
body polite.
Its people were misgoverned, oppressed
and robbed in a way that was crying
scandal to our boosted 10Th century civil
| ization. When they resisted the crushing
| tyranny, they were murdered by thou
| sands. The Spanish Government admitted
that during the Ten Years War. ending in
1878. more than $4,000 prisoners had been
executed. Even worse than this occurred
in the last struggle for independence. when
hundreds of thousands persisted miscrably
in the RECOMMENDATION camps.
At the same time Cuba was n breeding
ground for pcstilences which mcnaced the
rest of the world. Spanish misgovernment
was even more evidenced by its gross vio-
latiOn of sanitary laws than by its viola
tons of the most sacred laws of justice
and human rights.
Never was any country in such
wretched plight as Cuba when the United
States decided to intervene. This inter-
vention meant at once a war with one
which was still regarded as among the
great powers of the world, with navy
superior to our own. Consequently, war
involved momentouS contingencies to us.
1t WAS not Improbable thai it would lead
to Il coalition against us OF all the powers
of Eura!c. WHO we're jealous of our rapid
growth aud fearful of tie spread of Re
publican ideas 1t would give them pre-
text and an opportunity to curb and hui
initiate U.s. possibly to do US greater in
jury.
Nevertheless. we proclaimed war for
pure humanitys sake, at which Europe
Sneered, and we drew the sword. We haZ-
arded an immensely upon the arbitrament
of war solely for the benefit of another
people. illeH Ill rate
The result of the war was glorious to
orr arms, and increased the National
prestige UNNECESSARILY.
AS a war for lme humanity, we might
well have stopped with driving the OPP
pressor from the island and handing it
over to its own people. We might prop
erly have asked the Cubans to reimburse
fnr ipcurrnd in
the war, but we did not. We relieved them
of the incubus of an enormous debt which
the Spaniards attempted TO saddle upon
the island, and which would have kept
them in financial bondage for an unknown
number of years. We went still farther.
We established firm, stable Government
on the island, reduced everything to a
sound, honest, working system, and gave
them object-lessons in the management of
and practically abolished the dreaded
scourge of yellow fever.
Finally. after having done all this, we
handed the island over to the full and
complete control of its own people. making
the most insignificant reservations, which
were as much for the good of the Cubans
as ourselves.
There is simply nothing in history which
parallel to this astonishing
No other Nation ever did
so much. haZarded so much, and gave so
much to another people. This, too, TO
people with whom they had no affiliations
of race, language, religion, history or in
situations.
And all this without thought of recon-
uense.