The New York herald., 1870-06-04
The Report Of the Committee on Foreign
ARnirs ON Cuba.

doubt, the very able report OF General Banks
from the House Committee on Foreign Affairs
relative to Cuba, which we published yester-
day. This important document will be pre-
sented to Congress, it is said, next Monday
week. 1t is one of the most statesmaniikc,
comprehensive and exhaustive public papers
ever prepared for Congress or submitted to the
people. There seemed to have been unneces-
sary delay in working up this matter in the
committee, and both the House of Represen-
tatives and the public became impatient.
There has been some dissatisfaction mani
tested toward General Banks even for delay
ing to make the report. But every one will see
now that great care and labor have been
bestowed in preparing the matter and putting
it in shape, and that General Banks comes up
fully to the expectations of the country.
There will be, undoubtedly an interesting
debate on the subject when the report is sub
mitted to Congress, and the House, probably,
will pass some resolution in accordance with
the facts and views presented.
The report is complete refntation Of the
mendacious and constantly reiterated state
ments of the Spanish authorities at Cuba and
Madrid and the Spanish agents here about the
Csban insurrection being on its last legs. For
nearly two years the American people and the
world have been hearing these falsehoods.
Being unable to put down the insurrection by
arms the policy Of the Spaniards has been to
deceive the world, and particularly the Ameri-
can people and government, by the grossest
and most persistent Misrepresentation. The
very fact that the war has continued so long
shows how utterly unreliable the statements,
been. We shall continue to hear, no doubt,
the same old story-for the Spaniards have
unbounded faith in the credulity and gullibility
of the rest of mankind-but who after this will
believe them? Indeed, no intelligent and
unprejudiced American has believed their
statements about affairs in Cuba.
And what are the facts? In October, 1863
the Cubans began the war for independence
with less than two hundred armed men. In
one month after they had nearly ten thousand,
and in two months twelve thousand. They
have now twenty thousand well armed men.
There are sixty thousand enrolled and drilled
and waiting for arms. The Cubans claim that
with a supply of arms they can put into the
field, if necessary, three times that force, and
all the reports from those who have been
engaged in the struggle or know the state of
things in Cuba show that this claim is well
founded There is scarcely native Cuban
who does not earnestly desire independence or
who would not fight for it if he had the oppor-
tunity. The negroes as well as the whites,
and even the Chinese, are animated by the
same feeling. It would be strange, indeed, if
this were not so; for there never was worse
dsspotism than that of Spain over Cuba, or
more bloody and ferocious war than the
Spaniards are waging against the Cubans.
The patriots have never lost sight of the
object they have in view, and, to
use the words of General Banks in
his report, ''from the declaration of Cuban
independence at Yara to this hour there has
not been week, and scarcely day, which
has not been marked In the calendar of war
by fierce and bloody contests. No revolution
presents more constant and determined
struggle" 1t is a record of long continued
existence of civil war. But, more than that
it is war that has shown in remarkable
manner the military skill and fighting qualities
of the Cubans. At the time the Spanish gov
ernment and officials in Cuba were promising
speedy termination Of the war the Cubans
defeated their best generals-Puello and
Goyeneche-in o concerted campaign under
IL 4
men and Goyeneche two thousand seven
hundred. Surely this is evidence enough, as
General Banks says in his report, ''of the
spirit and capacity of the Cubans for successful
warfare" What other proofs do we want of q
state of war in which the insurgents are a
respectable bellgerent power with good
chance of success
Has not the Spanish campaign in Cuba thus
| far failed General Sickles, our Minister at
Madrid, writes to the Secretary of State at
home and proclaims this fact. This was about
the time the Spanish gunboats were being pre-
pared in our ports to suppress the insurrec-
ton. After telling Mr.. Fish the campaign was
a failure he adds, ''Their Che SpaniardsO
great reliance is now on the gunboats from the
United States" What humiliating confess
sion What stain upon this free and repub-
lican country that the only hope of Spain to
crush the rising liberties of an American
people was in the gunboats which this coun-
try supplied! But the gunboats have done
their best, and still the insurrection survives
and has better prospect than ever. No
other facts are needed to show that the Cubans
are entitled, according to the practice and
law of nations, to recognition as belligerent
power.
But there are other considerations which
should have weight with Congress and the
administration at Washington. The war, as
conducted by the Spaniards, is brutal in the
! Iha;r aard,,at af = a,,txat To ,ala