Can any consideration of mere policy, of our own interests, or our own ease and comfort, free us from that solemn responsibility which we have voluntarily assumed, and for which we have lavishly spilled American and Spanish blood?
Whitelaw Reid
The Public Record
Whitelaw Reid was an American politician, diplomat and newspaper editor, as well as the author of Ohio in the War, a popular work of history.
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Is it for that pitiful result that a civilized and Christian people is giving up its sons and pouring out blood and treasure in Cuba?
It is morally bound to secure to Cuba such a government, even if forced by circumstances to furnish it itself.
We now know how far Congress was misled as to the organization and power of the alleged Cuban government, the strength of the revolt, and the character of the war the insurgents were waging.
It is certainly true that when the war began neither Congress nor the people of the United States cherished an intention to hold Cuba permanently, or had any further thought than to pacify it and turn it over to its own people.
But they must pacify it before they turn it over; and, from present indications, to do that thoroughly may be the work of years.
Even then they are still responsible to the world for the establishment of a better government than the one they destroy.
If the last state of that island should be worse than the first, the fault and the crime must be solely that of the United States.
She intervened too, under far less provocation, it must be admitted, and for a cause rather more commercial than humanitarian.
We are not taking possession of them, as we are of Cuba, with the avowed purpose of giving them a better government.
We are conquering them because we are at war with Spain, which has been holding and governing them very much as she has Cuba; and we must strike Spain wherever and as hard as we can.
It will make an end forever of Spain in this hemisphere.