The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-05-01

by him as reason for war with Max.
leo. Indeed, he has made no resa.
ence to them. What is the provac.
ton he assigns? 1t is what is know,
as the Tampico incident, and viii %
INTO history under that name. VIVA,
is this incident upon which We arr
asked to make fight against Victor,
ano Huerta, who is at least the de fac.
to president of Mexico? I read frou
our presidents message for the an.
swer which fully furnishes the do.
scriDtion:
"On the 9th of April a paymasts-
of the u. S. s. Dolphin landed AZ tba
Iturbide Bridge landing at Tamnico
with a whaleboat and boats crew h
take off certain supplies needed INV
his ship, and while engaged in load.
ing the boat was arrested by an Off
Ger and squad of men of the army Of
Gen. Huerta. Neither the paymaster
nor anyone of the boats crew was
armed Two of the men were in the
boat when the arrest took place and
were obliged to leave it and submit
to be taken into custody, notwith.
standing the fact that the boat car.
ried, both at her bow and at her stern.
the flag of the United States. The Of
ficer who made the arrest was bro.
ceeding up one of the streets of the
town with his prisoners when met BY
an officer of higher authority, who or
dered him to return TO the landing
and await orders: and within an hour
and a half from the time of the arrest
orders were received from the COM
mander of the Huertista forces at
Tampico for the release of the pay
master and his men. The release was
followed bv apologies from the COM
mander and later by an expression Of
regret by Gen. Huerta himself
Here is the provocation which the
president asks us to justify him in the
use of the armed forces Of the Unit
ed States. Here is the situation which
Huerta must be thrashed to accept
Has he not expressed his regret for
the mistake that was made? Has he
not placed the officer under arrest
who made it? But Admiral Mayo Or
ders him to salute the American flag.
To this Huerta will not agree. The
only dispute is to the character of the
apology. It is true that the arrest of
our seamen constituted an offense
against our nation, but 1t is one for
which an apology can be offered and
accepted. / will admit that obedience
to our demand for salute would have
ended the incident. We would have
preferred the salute, but it being de-
MED by Huerta, are we justified in
making war upon him in person?
Mr.. Speaker, the president gave US
three instances upon which we are
to base this resolution. The
one of which l have spoken is the only
one of moment. Let no man be mis-
taken; this means the shedding OF
human blood. This means an increase
in the work of the coffin makers OF
the United States and much employ
ment for the grave diggers. Gentle
men who vote for it must accept the
Probably the country
will not understand-for one l do not
understand-why the apology made
by Huerta was not sufficient It's
character certainly does not warrant
Us in making the sacrifice of human
life, and it does not justify the awful
drain upon our resources. Let me
repeat, these sailors were upon
ground where they were denied to go,
according to the statement of the
president. When they were arrested
he officer who arrested them was in
structed to discharge them, which he
lid, and apologized for having arrest
ed them. What happened? The pres
dent himself says that the release
was followed by apologies from the
and later by an express
sion of regret from Gen. Huerta him
self. 1t seems to me, sir, that this has
'ipened into a question as to the char
icter of apology that should be made.
rhe country will not stand for war for
such a reason. We must deal with
he Mexican as a Mexican, and not
light him because his apology is not
n accord with the rules of a higher
| am not opposed to
armed conflict when the Droyocation
demands it. l do not find it here. |
10 not believe we are justified in pass
ng this resolution for the reasons as
signed. Patriotism can be found in
he faithful and conscientious per-
ormance of duty. Let me make the
statement here, if the administration
discovers that we cannot maintain
'ur American dignity without war,
md war has to come, | will stand by
he president and by the country, let