The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-03-17


ligerents, and setting forth in temperate,
dignifed, and impressive manner the princi-
pies involved in their present contest with
Spain. This memorisl is entitled to the re-
speotiul consideration OF the Government and
people of the United States, and there does
not appear to be any good reason why all
that the revOlutionists ask at our hands should
not be granted. So strict is the consor
ship exercised by the Spanish authori-
ties, that 1t is almost impossible to get
any reliable news from Cuba; and
the dispatches announcing Spanish
victories and successes are so contradictory
and unreliable that they are entitled to but
little credit, while, on the contrary, the mesgre
information which We are able TO obtain from
the other side indicates that the rebellion has
assumed the most formidable proportions, and
that the cause of Cuban independence is far
from hopeless. This is q matter that directly
interests us of the United States, for If Cuba
sewers her connection with Spain, her next
move will probably he to Geek admission into
the great family of free American States, and
few timely exhibitions Of goodwill on our
part will make it more easy for us to obtain
possession of this great prize fcW years
hence.
The revolutiopists set forth as their rea-
sons for claiming the recognition Of the
United States Government, that nineteen
twentieths of the people of the island are in
avor of independence and are only kept in
subsection by force of arms; that there is an
army OF 20, 900 men in the field, ofioered,
disciplined, and governed by the principles of
civilized warfare, and that the prisoners
whom they take-and SO far, it is stated, they
have taken three times as many as their op-
ponents-are treated In every respect as
prisoners OF war are treated by the most OWL
lied nations on the earth, while, on the con-
trary, the Spanish authorities have almost in
variably brutslly murdered all the revolution.
lists that have fallen into their hands; that the
commercial and financial interests of the two
countries are largely identical; that
the arms and authority of the
revolutionists now extend over two
thirds of the entire geographical area of the
island, and because in this movement the
Cubans are only following in the footsteps of
the Spanisrds Themselves, in endeavoring to
Danish tyrannioal rulers aud to place in their
stead rulers of their own choice. With much
delioacy the memorialists call the attention o.
the President to the tact that the Cuban revo.
luton is something very different from the
late Shareholders Rebellion in the United
States, and their lang usge on this point is well
worth quotiDg:-
"Al ow us 10 add, wi h the greatest difidencs
aud sensllVeaess, that the ulHerence between
the Rebellion Ia the United = States and the pre-
sent revolution In Cuoa Is simply tnat In the
former small minority reDelled against laws
which they had a voice la making anu the
privilege Ui repeating, while In the case of Cuba
we are resisting q foreign power in crushing
us to The enrth. as they have done for centu
ris with 10 appea! but that OF arms open to
as, and appointing, without our knowledge.
voice, advice, or consent, tyrannicsl citizens of
their own country To rule us and eat out our
substance"
The Cubaps claim, in fact, that the contest
in which they are now engaged is identical in
spirit and purport TO that which the Ameri-
can colonies wsged with Great Britain during
the war of the Revolution, which secured their
independence and established great free
nation on the North American continent. They
assert that the people of Cuba have tenfold
more absolute and potent right to rebel than
Spain had, because the rulers of Cuba are sent
without her voice or consent by a foreign
country, and accompspiedby swarms OF Off
eials to fill various offices created only for their
individual profit, drawing their sustenance
and support from the hard earnings of
the natives of the soil. Cuba is too rich
prize to be allowed to slip through our fingers
by an Indifference to the claims OF the revolu-
tlonists; and if they are as strong and as
likely to succeed as ia asserted, they should
at least be recognized as belligerents. II is
rumored that President Grant favors their
claims, and that the Spanish embassy at
Washington, frightened at the probability of
any encouragement being given to them by
the United States, have prepared formal
protest against any interference. The Wash
ington dispatches OF this morning state that
the President has ordered our squadron in
the Cuban waters to be largely increased, and
that the feet will be reinforced by two of the
iron clads. This is proper move to make,
for we should have a sufficient force on hand
to protect American citizens and American
interests, and TO take advantage of anything
that may turn up in our favor.
THE INDIAN WAR, despite recent assurances
to the contrary, is not yet ended. The red
skins have captured General Custer, according
to despatch from Denver, and have renewed
their murderous dspredations in Arizona aud
the interior OF California. This capture OF
Custer is bad piece Of business. If they