The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-08-25
SPAIN.
Reasons why She should Sell Cuba TO the
United States, According to English Views.

Why she shSHId Sell sno. GSpS the
From the London Post Aug 81.
Whether there be any foundation or not for
the report that the Government of the United
States have been in negotiation for the purchase
of Cuba, there are certainly variety of circum-
stances which invest ii with an air of great pro-
bability That the United States are anxious to
acquire ''the pearl of the Antilles" there can be
no doubt, and the present relationship between
Spain and her colony is just of that nature
which would suggest the idea of "a deal to
hard-headed Yankee statesmen America for
the Americans has been favorite sentiment
on the other side of the Atlantic from the days
of President Monroe, and since the ter
mination of the civil war the Govern
ment of the republic have on more than
one occasion proved the earnestness of their
desire to give to it the practical effect 1t must,
however, be said of the Americans that if they
seek to extend their dominion it Is by the most
commonplace and busine5s-like of modes. An
ncXation in the sense in which that term has
been too often employed in Europe has not yet
found place in the American vocabulary. If
the Americans so far violate the decaloguC as to
coyet their nGighbors property, they at least
offer fair equivalent for its acquisition, and do
not, after the manner of some OF the older States
of the Eastern hemisphere, avail themselves OF
superior strength to effect the desired transfer
1t is unnecessary to refer with any particularly
to the circumstances under which the Danish
Island of St. Thomas, in the West Indies, and the
Russian possessions in the northwestern corner
of the American continent, passed under the
dominion of the Government at Washington
st. Thomas was undoubtedly needed, because
the American Government were deslrous OF
| having u station for their ships of war in the
| West 1ndies but Alaska was purchased appa-
| rently with no other object than that OF dlmln-
! ishing the number of foreign powers holding
possessions on the American continent. In both
| cases the transaction was of a purely pecuniary
| kind, and was concluded as we may presume,
| to the satisfaction of all concerned. Denmark
| htrr oit1in N
a small island at the opposite side of the At
| lantic, and the little encouragement she
received in defending her more substan-
| tial possessions in Europe doubtless eXer-
| cised no little influence in inducing her to
sell colony which she would have been power
| less to defend As to Alaska, the Gar was very
| glad to obtain good round sum for barren
| tract of territory extending into the frozen
| regions and which, by no possibility, could ever
be worth third of the sum for which it was
| sold That the Americans their side are
| equally cOntented we may rest assured; and
| having thus ousted two powers from any plea
| for Intervention in American affairs or any eX-
cuse for trading on American soil, they no doubt
desire to push still further that policy which
until now has proved so successful,
1t will no doubt be in the recollection of the
| public that some months ago, aud Immediately
| after the accession of President Grant, we called
attention to what seemed to be an intention on
the part of the Government OF the United States
| to intervene in the Cuban insurrection Many
| mise and no secret was made by the President
| ard his advisers of their desire to see Cuba ad-
mitted within the American Union. Sufficiently
| close to the mainland to admit OF being regarded
| as in American waters, the Monroe doctrine un-
| questOnably pointed to its acquisition, If such
acquisition were possible. Under these cir
cumstances we pointed out that, although
the property of Spain, France and England
had direct interest in preventing Cuba
being wrested from its present possesSors,
and that any attack on it would in
| effect be an attack on Jamaica and Martinique.
| If an excuse were made to-day for appropriate
ing the Spanish colony, it was reasonable to
assume that at no distant day preteXt would
be found for laying hands on these islands which
now owe allegiance to Great Britain and France
Without for one moment suggesting that the In
.tentions ofthe Cabinet at Washington were Other
than perfectly honest, or that they were in any
degree modified by the prospect OF this contln'
gency it is sufficient to say that no attempt al
Interference in Cuban affairs was made by the
American Government, and the strlctest neu
trality was observed by the United States aE
between the established Government in Cuba ant
the insurgents. Thus matters continued till the
other day, when it was currently reported tina
the Government of the United States had Offered
to purchase Cuba from the Spanlards Tor tht
round sum of E20, 600, 600.
Dismissing for the moment all notice of the
somewhat equiVocal contradiction winch I'M
allegation has met with, we may at once stat
what our opinion of the transaction would be
assuming that it has in fact been contemplate
by the two powers. If Spain chooses to sci
Cuba she has, of course, the same undoubtet
right TO do so that Denmark had to part witt
+ st. Thomas, and we can only say that in tn
event of the sale we hope we shall continue ol
/, as neighborly and friendly terms with TIL
Cubans under the new Government as we hay
been with them under the old sovereignty.
| the United States have n desire to purchase n
many of the outlying islands on the America
| coast as the present possessors are wiling t
part with, they are perfectly welcome, so far a
4 | WEI are concerned, to do so. Th
ACQUISITION of those islands under such circum
stances would furnish no color for an al
tempt to annex by violent means any {
= our colonies, and we can therefore afford I
watch with indifference transactions in whic
y for all practical purposes we are uninterestet
! AS to Spain, we entertain a shrewd suspiclO
p that the best thing she can do is to close wit
the American Government Not only does sh
gain nothing by Cuba in its present unsette
. state but she loses annually sums which she ca
> i'll afford. Apparently not strong enough I
; stamp out the insurrectiOn, she is nevertheless
: obliged by a false sentiment Of honor to cor
= tinue attempts as costly as they are unayaluns
Y Even if she were able to restore tranquility
the island, a considerable time would elaps
=, before she would reap the full fruits OF her SUI
u cess, and probably before that result had bee
: attained the flames of rebellion would break OF
., | afresh These are considerations which, if "
= mistake not, will have weight with the Goyer
II ment to which the destnies of Spain are for tt
y | moment entrusted and, Notwithstanding IL
" | dement, which the rumor in question has m
y | with we should not be surprised at hearing e
- | long that the purchase and sale of Cuba ha'
~ been effected.