New-York tribune., 1870-12-05
THE PROrONSUL or CUBA.

| The resignation of CaballCrO de ROdas, Cap
! tain General of Cuba, has at last been ac-
ccptcd 10y the Cabinet of Madrid, and he is
expected to sail from the Havana on the Goth of
this month for Spain. There is rs yet no
announcement of his successor and it is under
stood that Count NamaSeda will remain, tenn
porarily, at least, in command of the island.
We have heard frequent mention made of
Gen. de COrdova, DirectOr-G General of Infan-
try, to fill the vacant position. IL would
be singular mistake if this veteran officer,
who was twenty years ago Captain-General,
and sixty years ago a subaltcrn, should accept
this thanklcss and difficult post which has
been of recent years the grave of Span
ish regulations He has not the youth and
tact of Caballero, nor the dull, stolid brutality
of Valmaseda which have enabled these two
chiefs not only to retain the obedience, but
also to gain something like the confidence and
affection of the Volunteers. A man long
trained in honorable wars will have difficulty
in cOnciliatng the violent and blood-thirsty
janizaries of Spain that have for the past two
years controlled the course Of the Colonial
Government IL would be useless to attempt
to moderate their cruel and savage zeal. This
would simply result in bringing the pretended
authority of Spain into contempt, and prOba-
bly, in provoking the Volunteers to ship the
| tepid PrOcOnsu back to Madrid as in the case
of Gen. Dulce to mediate at leisure the dan
gers of justice and decency in revolutionary
times.
1t would be especially difficult for any honor
able or conscientious officer to succeed to the
Captaincy- General of Cuba, after Count Val
maseda has even temporarily discharged the
duties of that Office. This energetic partisan
has completely won the hearts of the Volun-
teers. In cruelty, in ayarce, in brutal dis
regard of law and Justice he is the peer of
any Catalan of them all. He filled the path of
CaballerO with stumbling blocks, rs long as
the Captain-Gencral tried faithfully to repre-
sent the Government at Madrid. But de ROdas
soon wcared of the tiresOme task, and sub
mttcd to all the eXigencies of the Volunteers
fearing that, if he did his duty, his mutinOus
subordinate would gain the popularity he was
losing. Nalmaseda is the unanimous choice of
the Peninsrlars of Cuba for the succession-so
much ferocity and so little conscience form Il
rare combination of qualities for Captain
General whose chief duties will he plumber
and murder. The insurrection has shown but
too plainly its inability to achieve the indcpcnd-
ence OF the island Ii is equally evident that the
Spanish forces are unable to reduce the scat
tered elements of revolt 10 submission. I'm
the present condition of affairs in Spain there
Is little hope of IN equitable compromise, which
shall respect the punctilo of Spain andIthe le-
glilmate aspirations of the crcOcs. So that
Tor some time to come as for many months
past, the serious work of Captain General
VIII be to send false reports of victory, To pill
lage plantations. and sign the death warrants
oi prisoners. This is business which could
not be put in better hands than the already
crimson ones of Valmaseda. 1t would be Ia
mentable 10 see so venerable soldier and so
true gentleman as COrdOya engaged in such
work. 1t ia even doubtful if the Peninsulars
would permit their cherished cOmrade to be
superseded by the lukewarm delegate of the
Central Government they have 50 long insulted
and dclcd
SO long ~ the Cabinet of Madrid pursues its
present policy ol timid expedients, afraid to