New-York tribune., 1910-01-15
Literary Nesvs and Criticism

gerous, and last OF all the Monroe Doc
trine Thus, in half a dozen years the
antagonism between Spain and America
was developed in all directions TO what
seemed the utmost degree compatible
with the maintenance of peace.
Then a change occurred. The 'pecul-
lar institution" was at that time dom
inant in American politics. The revolted
provinces &C Spain, on establishing their
independence, had abolished slavery,
while Spain still retained ii i'm Cuba and
Porto Rico. The sympathies of pro-
slavery America, therefore. were trans
ferred from the new republics to their
former lord. and became for many years
the bulwark OF Spain's power in the re-
naming remnant of her American en-
pire. There can be no doubt that it was
on that ground that Congress practically
nullified Adams's wise policy in the mat
ter Of the Panama Congress, and thus
began that course Of aloofness from and
disregard for the Central American
states which has been discreditable and
improbable to US and almost infinitely
mischievous for them. When Polk and
they did so largely through apprehen-
sion lest Great Britain or France would
get that island and abolish slavery there.
The American guarantee of Spanish pos
session of Cuba, which probably saved
that island to Spain and which invested
this country with a peculiar privilege of
remonstrance and advice to Spain there
after. was doubtless in part inspired by
the same motive. And SO to the end of
the rule of the pro-slavery faction at
Washington the hostility between Amer
lea and Spain was held in abeyance
Promptly thereafter II again became
acute. Our author reviews in detail and
with judicial fairness the attitude Of this
country toward the various Cuban insur-
Iections and especially commends that
OF the Grant administration during the
Ten Years War. Beyond doubt the
United States was used as a source OF
supplies and as a base of operations. but
our government was never voluntarily
or consciously party to violations OF
neutrality. Spain had no more cause for
complaint against us than she had Tor
identical reasons against France ana
England during the Carlist war. The
Cuban Junta, in New York had it's close
parallel in the Carlist Committee in Lon
don. Moreover, for such success as the
Junta and the filibusters and the supply
expeditions had Spain was herself chiefly
to blame. OF seventy-seven expeditions
from the United States in the last Cuban
revolution Spain stopped only five. while
+5,5,
Had the Spanish patrol of the Cuban
coast been as efficient as our guardian
ship of ours, the insurgents would have
got no supplies from the United States.
Yet Spain bitterly blamed this country.
and in her resentment OF what she
enormously imagined to be our breach OF
neutrality she exercised extreme severity
toward American citizens in Cuba, espe-
cially those of Cuban birth or parentage,
and thus, of course, provoked answering
resentment on our side.
The crisis came in 1896. Mr.. Olney's
note to Mr.. De LONE was, in Admiral
Chadwick's estimation, not only very i'm
portant but also temperate, wise and
abounding in good counsel 1t was in
tended for the good OF both Spain and
Cuba and contemplated the maintenance
Of Spanish sovereignty in the island
under conditions OF good government
which would be acceptable to the Cuban
people and also to the legitimate inter
national interests of the United States.
The aim was To avert the menace Of
needed intervention, which was then
looming ominousIy upon the horizon, and
United States could not with compla-
cency contemplate another ten years war;
with all it's injurious ana disturbing in
cidents. The Spanish answer ceremo-
! niously acknowledged the good spirit of
the American note, but insisted that
Spain must be permitted to fight the
matter out in her own way. That, says
Admiral Chadwick, was the turning point
of the affairs of Spain. Traditional Span
ish pride would not brook interference
particularly by that nation which since
1888 had been Spains favorite antip-
athy. But Intervention was bound to
come, either friendly or unfriendly. Mr.
Olney's offer of friendship was rejected
in the fall Of that same year President
CleveIand's annual message distinctly
foreshadowed impending intervention
forcible and unfriendly
Before 1t was necessary for that inter-
vention TO be realized President McKin-
ley succeeded President Cleveland and
succeeded to his Cuban policy. There was
need. that he should do the latter, for
under the concentration system, with its
appalling results, the condition of Cuba
was becoming worse and was verging
upon the intolerable. In his message to
Congress President Mckinley charac-
Z. terjzed the concentration system as an
abuse Of tho rights Of war. In that it
may be conceded that he erred through
the revolt of his humane disposition
against the horrors which concentration
involved. There are American and Brit
ish examples Of similar practices, and
an American commission few wears
after the war declared that General
Weyler's policy had been legally justi-
fable. The charge that the Spanish vio-
lated tho laws of nations was no more
TO be sustained than was Spain's def
milton of piracy as applied to the Cuban
supply expeditions. Moreover, the in
surgcnts We're pursuing a policy of dew
astation which was less easy OF justi1-