The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-09-28

the Treasury not knowing his own mind,
and changing it with a suddenness which
baffled calculation. BY standing aloof until
after the speculation eliminated, he COM
PEELED those who had duties to pay within
the ensuing three weeks TO buy gold at ex-
travagant prices; and by interfering then he
enabled rival importers to monopolize all the
profits The effect of Mr. Boutwell's manage
ment is, that some merchants have to pay
thirty per cent. higher duties than others.
He cannot shift the blame from his own
shoulders by laying it to the speculators for
he permitted the speculation to go on, stub
bornly refusing to give any intimation that
he would check it, when nothing was easier
than for him to have nipped it in the bud.
SENATOR SUMNER AND CUBA.
From the NJ y. Times
Mr.. Senator Sumner thinks the Cubans are
in no sense entitled to be treated rs bellige-
rents, and that in reference to Spain ''the
true rule for us is non-intervention, except in
the way of good offices" We are not pre-
pared to contest the soundness of this conclu-
sion, which, like every deliberate expression of
that statesman, is entitled to great respect
Assuming his view to be correct, it would
have been a source of great satisfaction to
the many thousands who perused his speech
if he had helped them over some of the diff
culties which beset the path of noninterven-
ton which he indicates
1t is true that Cuba has no government nor
territory occupied by her armies And yet it
is not disputed that the entire creole popula-
tion is more unanimous in its hostility to the
Madrid Government than the population of
the United States is at this moment in their
loyalty to the Government at Washington.
Again, Cuba has precisely the same grounds
for revolving against Spain that some of the
other American colonies, Massachusetts Bay
L. l,,1
England - taxation without representation.
Now does MI. Sumner think France trans
gressed the line of duty in acknowledging the
independence of the American colonies at
time when they were far less unanimous for
emancipation from the European thrall than
the people of Cuba are now? Again, the
Cubans have had reason to expect before this
either their independence or representation
in the Government. In resenting its refusal
to them, they but follow in the line traced
out for them by the leading statesmen of
Spain. In memoir written by General Jose
de la Concha, on the political condition and
| Government of the Island of Cuba, in 1851,
| he wrote:-
'If the Government did not count upon strong
conservative elements among the population; if it
were bound to consider the latter entirely hostile
and ready to revolt at the first favorable moment,
| far would it be from me TO recommend the least
| effort to uphold Spanish rule there. On the con-
| trary, would only raise my voice to advise the
Government to give its attention at to procure
| some settlement which saving the national honor
would avoid the immense sacrifices and the sad con-
sequences of state Of things wherein the support
OF the Spanish flag would depend exclusively on the
| material force OF arms"
No one pretends that the state of things
has not arrived when the recommendation
! General Concha promised should be made;
and 1t is notorious that offers of mediation
have been made by the United States to Spain
by which a settlement of her difficulties with
the colonies could have been effected with a
due regard for the national honor To these
offers Spain says-''Let the Cubans Law
down their arms, and then we will discuss
your proposals for settlement, not before. "
Such are Spain's notions of the require
ments of national honor.
But there is higher authority for the hopes
| which Cuba has been encouraged to enter
tain, and which she is now trying to realize
| by arms.
The present Regent, Serrano. only two
| short years ago, in report to his Govern
ment about Cuba of which he was Governor
| General, wrote as follows
'1t seems to me that understand we'll the actual
| tendencies of the Cubans; l endeayored to gain
their friendship and to listen with tmpartiality to
their complaints and aspirations cannot but say
to the Government Of her Majesty influenced by the
loyalty OF my character and the most sincere con-
victlon that the grievances Of the Cubans are just
that their aspirations lawful, that tnere Is NO
| reason why, Spaniards like ourselves, they should
not have free press, nor proper representation III
| government, and all those CONSTITUTIONAL guaran-
tees to which the Spanlards OF the peninsula nave
| right; That there is no reason why a mlltary auu
absolute government, from the hlgnest 10 tne low
est grades in the scale, should be the only regime fo
| the Antilles; and that the moment mas now pre-
csey arrived let not the Government forget 1t, u
take advantage OF the internal and external clrcu
stances which favor political reform. urgently de
manded by the Spaniards of the Antilles, and Whlcl
it is just and prudent to grant without delay"
Further on in the same document the Re
gent says:-
sin the present state of civilization, we canno
conceive any country resignng itself to be gOVerne
by an absolute power and still less can we conceiv
that any province should resign itself to be arb
trarily and absolutely governed by the represents
ton OF her sister provinces, for here there is nc
only the want OF guarantees and securities ths
exist under an absolute regime, but the humiatio
OF being placed under people Of the same country
The man who only two years ago wrote thi
} brief but pregnant statement of all-sufficieu
reasons for the Cubans declaring themselye
free and independent, is the present chic
magistrate of Spain.
Now, assuming what the highest politics
: authority in Spain comedies, that the Cuban
s had right to revolt; that they are PRACTICAL
Q unanimous; and that Spain has not of herse
I, the requisite force to reduce them to submi
v sion, the question which it would have bee
e highly satisfactory to us and the public
It have had treated by Mr.. Sumner if he felt
: liberty to treat this ubject at all is, what
0 our duty as Americans? What is the duty ,
Q the Government at Washington in view of I'll
Q various considerations we have presented
1t Shall they say to the Cubans ''We are sorl
10 for you, but these gunboats are sold at goc
Is nrica and we cant interfara ,n,;tI +I,o