The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-02-18
SPIRIT or THE PRESS.
EDITORIAL OPINIONS OF THE LEADING JOURNALS
uPoN CURRENT ToPIcs-CoMPILRD EVERY
DAY FOR TIRE EVENING TBLEGRAPH
The Future OF Cuba,

Nom ne N. T. Tribune.
Tbere are this day in the United States
saveral thousands of CubanS, and the number
10 daily increasing. Some OF these were driven
bither bv stress OF revelation, as more will
no Nearly all are of the more fortunate
elasa-that is, they have been educated are
cenerally above want, and have more than
sverape intelligence. We See no reason to
donbt that they fairly represent the gre,
bodv of the white and IL, ariy white natives of
the "ever faithful" isle.
Now. when we say that ninety nine in
ovarv hundred of these Cubaus are intensely
bostiIe to the subsection of their isle to the
,pother oountry, and anxiOusly desire its
sneedv and utter overthrow, we know that we
are entirely within the truth Aud we see no
reason TO doubt their assurances that the en-
tire mass of the native white Cubans feel and
hone as they dO-that they not merely desire
independence Of SPAN, but pasSionately insist
ON it.
This is not a freak. The feeling has been
strong and steadily growing tor years. The
Cnbans feel that pain has been step mo ther
to their bOunteous isle-that she has regularly
mlked it, and heeoed it, and squeezed it, first
through her selfish, one sided laws and edicts;
next through her locust horde OF needy aud
greedy officials 1t is quite moderate to esti-
mate at twenty millions per annum the money
drawn from Cuba by Spaniards for services
to do without.
The consequences of this rapacious policy
were:-l, RemonstranCe; 2. Distrust; 3. Allie
nation; A. Repugnance; g. Intense, implacable
hate. If the people Of Cuba were to-day re-
quired to determine by vote whether to re-
main Spanish or become Turkish, hard as the
alternative would be, they would decide at all
events not to remain Spanish. And civil war
is daily aggravating their hostility to Spanish
rule.
Time was, and not long ago, when Spain
might have held Cuba by earning aud winning
the confidence and gratitude OF her cOlored in
habtaDts. Had the Provisional Government
at the outset abolished slavery and affirmed
the equal rights of all men, Spain would
have retained powerful party in Cuba; but
she let slip the golden moment, allowing the
insurgents to precede her in declaring slavery
no more; and even now We only fear that the
Provisional Government will recommend to the
Constituent Cortes that slavery be abolished
and precluded. "Thapk you for nothing"
is the inevitable response of the long
trampled race, already freed by decree OF
the insurgent chiefs, and enrolled in the
ranks of their armies.
We cannot say what may be the result of
this springs campaign or of next summers
yellow fever. Dulce may possibly overrun
the island and report the insurrection utterly
crushed. Cuba may soon have a mockery of
representation in the Cortes itself No one
can safely say what day, a year, may bring
forth. We hold this, however, to be morally
certain: the Cubans are forever estranged
from their mother country; it will crst more
to keep their island under Spanish rule thar
the Spaniards can squeeze out Of it; 30 the
establishment and Iecogni ion of its independ
enCe are questions of time only.