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Show A 'diLoR of.thb Earth. . 11 '' Wheriori'Jaejsday next the United States turns the Island of Cuba back to the rule of f IH its own people, withdrawing its own soyer- H eignty; furling the flag of the Great Repub- H lie and giving with its retiring guns, a solemn 11 salute to the flag of what is to be a new H Republic, all civilized lands will be thrilled. H No other such magnificent spectacle has H ever been witnessed through all the rolling H ages of the past; no other such stately his- H tory has ever been written; in no other H instance have the effects of the workings of MR free government upon a nation been so man- u9 ifested to a wondering world. H When years of cruelty on the part of old H Spain culminated in the destruction of a friendly warship of the Great Republic, and H her devoted crew in the harbor of Havana -H a destruction which had all the sinister fea ,H tures of a monstrous assassination; and when a public opinion, which could not be '.H restrained, demanded the avenging of that JM tragedy in a manner which should be for- ever a notice to the nations of the earth that H the American flag and American citizenship were things which the world, to its remotest 'M bound, must respect; even while from every H state and territory was heard the ominous, H measured tread of volunteers pressing for- ward to a common center, eager to take M part in a bloody vindication of the insulted H majesty of the flag and the barbarous mur- H der of American sailors; the Senate of the H United States spread upon its records a 'H notice to mankind, that no lust of conquest H was behind the tremendous movement, and .H coupled with it was a promise that, when redeemed, Cuba should be given back to her H own people. H At this the minions of kings sneered; the world's diplomats doubted; a hostile press H scoffed; through all the lands of Latin H America there were tremblings, lest indeed H the Great Republic was about entering upon H a career of absorption, which under one or 'H another excuse would never cease until the :H continent should be subdued. 'SM That was but four years ago. A short but fH decisive war' succeeded, in which the arm H of Spain was broken on land, while on the H sea her fleets disappeared in flame and H wreck and the flag of the Republic took on H a glory indescribable. 1H The war over, millions of wretches were wH found starving, the Republic fed them, thou- . 2H sands were found sick, the Republic built HH hospitals and supplied them nurses, physi- cians and medicines. Every city was a IfB breeding place for the pestilence; the Re- nflI public compelled their sanitation and forced " ffH the pestilence to poise its black wings and HP Bj fly away. Tens of thousands of children B were growing up in ignorance; for these - B' schoolhouses Were "built and teachers :sent Bj to them. B The rule of violence and disorder was H crushed and an example of the blessings; ; B which follow when just laysare kindly bib H firmly enforced was gjye'n; the' people,, , B, This has cost majiy!& 'glorious life 'and Hf millions and tensb'miliip.ns.of treasute, '. H but the work beingcomplet'e'd:trieRepubliG. B will next week fulfill its promise and with- B draw. Already along the blue lines of the B soldiers, the songs of home are being sung; B within sound of where the Maine and her B heroes sleep in the ooze, the seamen on the j ships of the Kepublic are singing Sweet M Home. H Whatever may succeed in the years to Bh come, this history will be finished on Tues- M j day next. M It is worth all that it has cost. It is a H page of completed history and the splendor B of it causes all the great achievements of all H other nations since the beginning of the H world to seem mean and poor by compari- H i son. H It gives to the Greal Republic new grace Hj and majesty; it gives to the Monroe Doc- H trine a new meaning and dignity; it gives to H T the flag of the Republic a splendor which H dims all the eagles and standards of Rome, H even when Rome in her almightiness ruled H the world. |