Page:Speeches, correspondence and political papers of Carl Schurz, Volume 5.djvu/482

458 into your confidence by a solemn word of warning with the assurance that a large majority of the thinking men will at once be on your side, and the rest will soon come to their senses.

Permit me another word. It would very grievously hurt this Republic in the opinion of mankind, which after all is of high importance to all of us, if the suspicion were permitted to grow up that the ultimate annexation of Cuba was a secret motive of our action. In my humble opinion, such an impression cannot be too carefully guarded against.

Pardon another suggestion. I fear some of your friends in Congress are doing you a bad service by representing the coming war, if it should come, as a political party matter. There has been some very reckless talk of this kind the effect of which is bad, and which does you great injustice.

Believe me, dear Mr. President, faithfully and anxiously yours. 



&emsp; My dear Carl Schurz: You and I took our seats in the Senate in March, 1869, so that well-nigh thirty years have passed with all the chances and changes of life in this growing and active country, and I want to say another word of respect, admiration and sympathy for the part you have here borne and happily are now taking in the interests of good government and the higher civilization of the country of which we are both citizens. The impelling cause of these lines is the present crisis in our international affairs and the wise and just counsel you are giving to our countrymen in relation to the true status of our relations to Spain, and the unhappy island which is the cause and theater of so much that is inexpressibly horrible and sorrowful. 