The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-04-02
The Cuber Question la Icurope.

From the extracts from the London Tunes
and the Paris journals given elsewhere, it is
manifest that The people of Europe are at last
arriving at some degree Of consciousness Of the
true bearings of the Caban question. In Spain,
at all events, and we presume in England also,
General Concha's report on the late rebellion
win have opened mems eyes. Those vino douot-
ed the correctness of our statements in refer
ence to the Creole population, aud ascrioed
them to the influence OF filibuster spirit, will
DOW, seeing them confirmed by the highest Spa
nish authority, abate somewhat OF their conf
dence in Spanish supremacy, and will likewise,
1t is to be hoped, recall the harsh language in
which they have been accustomed to discuss
the policy Of the United States. When General
,Concha states that the island is not to be gov
'erned as heretofore, and that nothing short of
standing garrison oftwenty thousand men will
retain it in subsection to the mother country,
man need not be a flibustere to fortell It's ul-
innate liberation. Light has been slow in COM
ing, but it has come at last and the members
Of the tripartite league now know what they
have to expect, and what tohope in their efforts
to maintain the statu quo in Cuba. TIE ques-
ton 10 narrowed down to the merest nutshell
Can Spain sustain garrison of twenty thou
sand men in Cuba, or can she regain the loyal
ty Of the Creoles by new colonial policy? If
che can answer for the one or the other, Cuba
may possibly be saved from Creole revolu-
ton. But the former requires money to begin
with, and Spain is bankrupt. II Is only few
weeks since the Spanish bondhoider In Eng
land presented Lord Howden with testimonial
in acknowledgment of his obtaining for them
some small fraction of their overdue interest.
At the present moment the greatest difficulty
against which the new Spanish government has
to struggle is the absolute wont of money.
Cuba used to be Q source Of revenue; it is
already source Of outlay greater than the
treasury can bear; is it possible that that out
lay could be increased to the sum required to
support 10000 soldiers in the island? Let
military men answer.
But Concha thinks liberal institutions might
answer the purpose as well as an army, and
quotes the case of Canada in 1887 as an example
to be followed. He advises colonial represen-
tation in the COrtes. This latter expedient
may be soon disposed of. The representation
of distant colonies in the councils of the mother
the colonial history Of this country, and at g
later period in that of the present British
American colonies On every occasion it was
fully discussed and unhesitatingly abandoned
by all statesmen of judgment and experience.
The holder theorists of France have actually
made the experiment: with what success every
one who witnessed the helplessness and pain
fully ridiculous failure of the French colonial
deputies in the republican Assembly can amply
attest. Equally futile would be any endeavor
to pacify the creoles by allowing three or four
Cubans to submerge themselves in the Cortes
at Madrid, where they could be OF no use to
any one, and burthen to themselves.
1t is of course, strictly speaking, possible
for Spain to bestow upon Cuba liberal con-
stitution. But would it not be wise, first, to
secure one permanently for herself? Not to
speak Of ephemersl shifts, Spain has had within
the past forty odd years, at least three liberal
constitutions, not one of which has existed
over ten years. What security could the
Creoles feel in any charter Of freedom the
Cortes might grant, when history so plainly
shows that those Cortes cannot rely upon the
permanence Of the charter by which they them:
selves exist? At best, such concession to the
popular demands in Cuba would only be put
ting of the evil day devolving upon the
Creoles the task of rising at some indefinite
future period, when perhaps they may be
worse prepared for it than they are now.
There are laws in the political as well as in
the physical world, laws established by nature
and immutable but which nothing but an as
sured intellect dealing with vast mass of
precedents can hope to evolve One of these
laws is positive against the indefinite duration
of the colonial State. 1t is quite clear now
that though nothing had ever been heard OF the
Stamp Act, and no British soldiers had ever
been quartered in American cities, this country
would still have thrown Off the colonial yoke
at some time or other. Canada at the
present moment retains her connection
with England simply because she is prac-
tically Independent and has the power to
declare herself SO at any time The South and
Central American colonies of Spain could not
havebeen retained by any possible line ofpolicy.
Nor can Cuba. Spanish officials or British lords
may heap ialsehood on falsehood, but they
cannot alter the tact, which grimly stares
them in the face whenever tkey come to deal
tsngibly with the island. They may hang,
they may shoot, they may imprison: none of
these things ever suppressed rebellion or
quenched the spark of freedom; but they al
ways gave disafection heart They may pass
laws Of this or that kind; but these will only
delay the fatal moment did not Great Britain
repeal the Stamp Act? They may send SOL
diers, as England did when this country was in
Cuba's position but every fresh man from
Spain will add fuel to the disloyal fame in the
Creole breast There is no contravening law