The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-03-29
The United States and Cuba.

Fons the ", Y. HorId.
Mr.. Beecher, in his impetuous advocacy of
Cuban independence, at Steinway Hall, was
hurried by the warmth OF his feelings to utter
some sentiments which we fear he will not
stand by when applied to a similar case. He
asserts for the Cubans the right to independ-
ence, to the free adoption of their form of
government and the choice of their rulers.
Cuba is territorially of the same size as the
State of Georgia, and contains a population
somewhat larger, consisting of whites and
blacks in about the same proportion. Now,
since Mr.. Beecher so warmly asserts for the
Cubans the right to adopt their own form of
government and choose their own rulers, free
from outside oonstraipt, we wish he had told
his audience why the same right does not
equally belong to the people of the State
of Georgia. The two are so nearly alike in
area, so nearly equal in population, so similar
in the relative proportions of the two races,
that Georgia ought to be as capable as Cuba
of governing herself wisely. She ought, in
deed, to be much more capable; for she is su-
perior in education and has had the advantage
of a long training in self-government. 1t does
not become Mr.. Beecher, nor nybody who
acts in the same party with him, to flame up
in jealous championship of Cuban self-gov-
ernmert, while trampling this right into the
dust in our own Southern States.
American sympathies are naturally on the
side of Cuba in her struggle for independence,
as they have uniformly been on the side of all
the Spanish colonies in their revolt from the
mother country. But history has taught
rejecting men to rejoice with trembling. The
mere throwing OFT Of foreign yoke is not
benefit worth the blood it costs, unless the
insurgent people possess sufficient wisdom,
virtue, and steadiness to establish tolerably
good government for their own protection,
and to uphold and perpetuate it when estab-
lished. Unfortunately, experience does not
justify any very sanguine belief in the capacity
of the Spanish race on this continent to main
tain order by means of free institutions. II
Cuba should exchange her recent condition
for the anarchy which has so long prevailed in
Mexico and the Spanish-American republics,
considerate men would hesitate to congratulate
her on her independence. II the present
population of Georgia, blacks and whites, were
located on the island of Cuba in place of the
present inhabitants, We should feel no mis-
giving respecting the practical benefits of in
dependence, if it could be achieved. The
people would be competent to preserve order,
administer justice, protect industry and COM
merce, and maintain proper international re-
latiOns. But republican institutions have not
Yet had any such success among the revOlted
colODists OF Spain in this hemisphere as should
encourage our Government to take any very
| active part in behalf of the Cuban insurgents,
even if We were restrained by no obligations
! of international law.
! MIR. Beecher, in addressing the meeting at
Steipway Hall, disclaimed, with much fervor
Of asseveratiou, any intention on the part of
| the American friends OF the CuOans to make
! the independence OF the island a step towards
acquiring it ourselves. Such asseverations
! have no tendency to raise our estimate Of Mr..
Beecber's iDgenuOusness and sincerity. No
! wellintormed man Can doubt that the Ameri-
can people have long desired Cuba, nor that
they confidently expect that it will some day
be ours The geographical reasons Tor its ac-
QUESTION are very strong, aud nothing but the
fact that Spain was too imbecile power to use
the island Tor our annoyance has prevented
our seiziug a possession which she has
repeatedly refused to sell. 1t has long
been the settled and boldly-proolaimed
/ purpose OF our Government that Cuba
shall never pass from Spain to any
| other power than ourselves, except to become
independent. The island stretches along seVe-
raj hundred miles facing our coast, separated
from IT by channel OF no great width, through
which our vast ooasting trade between the
Gulf and the Atlantic cities must pass, as
well as the coasting trade between our Allan
TIC and Pacific States, which, whenever the
Dsflen Canal shall be completed, will be enor-
nous. Cuba abounds in good harbors, and
IN the hands of a strong naval power, 1t could
be used as a position for annihilating our
ooasting trade and shutting US out from any
intercourse by water between the Atlantic and
the Gulf. Every well.infOrmed American has
long regarded the possession of Cuba as an
ultimate geographical necessity. Its acquisi-
tion has been postponed partly for temporary