New-York tribune., 1872-03-30
THE CUBAN PROSPECT.

to frightcn wall Street WIN u ulspayeu hc"u
line announcing "War with Spain" The effort
WAS gallantly made and well sustained by
yociferous newsbOys. But the brokers looked
ot their gold-indicatOrs and saw no movement
in the price of that metal, which is more
sensitive to a change in the moral atmosphere
than quicksilver is to the shifting currents OF
the air we breathe. There seems to be q
breath of premontion going before great
events which affects the value of gold before
they can be known. The furry begins before
the State Department has fairly deciphered
its sinister dispatches. The fact that the Tx
change is not frightened by the sailing OF a
man-of-war to Aspnwall goes far to show she
is charged with no OminOus business.
There is no necessity of any trouble with
Spain. The Cabinet of King Amadeus do not
desire war. While it might produce momen-
tary truce of parties at home, the resulting en-
barrassments would destroy the party, and per-
haps the dynasty, which began it. We certainly
do not desire anything of the kind. While we
take it for granted we would win in the end,
it would not be all plain sailing from the out
set. The military and naval preparations
which such an event would render necessary
| would take Il great deal of time and money.
| While the war lasted, there would be increased
expenditure, diminished income, no more pay
| mcntS Of the national debt, general derange-
mont of business and interruption OF exchange.
| And in the event of "a completely successful
close of our campaign, we would be con-
| frontcd ly a problem which Will come soon
enough. and which requires the gravest con-
sideration. Those volatile people who in
Spain and in New-YorlI talk lightly about the
possibility of such a collision are trifling with
| q subject of the most serious concern for both
nations
| 1t would be going too far to say that therc
| is no possibility of a misunderstanding.
| 1t is true that at Washington and at Madrid
| there exist the strongest reasons and the most
| earnest desires for peace. But Cuba has almost
entirely ceased to belong to Spain. The
Volunteers of Havana have been three years
in gaining the wcll-nigh absolute power which
they now wicld. An open rupture has been
repeatedly prevented by timely submission
of the Home Government to the demands of
the Peninsulars of the Island. 1t required all
the nerve and tact of Sickles and of Prim to
get out of the Lloyd Aspinwall case withouta
fight. The present ministry is under the lead
Of q man of great courage and great ability,
DuJ an aDSOlulc IdCh VI HOIltItdi tobo'iCh'C'
He appears to have thrown in his lot decidedly
with the party of reaction in Spain, who
give their sympathy and support to the Penn
sular party of Cuba 1t is now evident that
the reforms promised so faithfully to the
United States and to England are not to be
kept. The series of laws for abolishing Slav-
cry and for giving to the Antilles modified
autonomy. which were prepared with the
greatest care, debated with great heat and
prolixity in the COrtes, and finally passed by
Ministerial majOrities, are not yet executed !;
and it is universally understood that they arc
not to be carried into effect In cOntcmptuous
defiance of those solemn enactments, by
which Spain sought to cOnciliate the good
will of civilization two years ago, Slavery
eDioys at this moment in the Island of Cuba
as robust life as ever. Good farm hands
sell o-day in the markets of Havana at from
81 900 to 81 ,2OO-a price equal to the best paid
a dozen years ago. when Slavery seemed I'M
prcgnabe throughout the hemisphere. These
things prove there is no hope OF reform among
the members of the Government i'll Spain 10
intention of allowing reform among the leading
and influential Pennsulars Of Cuba. The war
drags ON its endless length. Neither side can
conquer the other. The flower of the Spanish
army is annually wasted in disease and obscure
adventures. But 40 Spanish Ministry could
dare to face the strIm of popular fury which
| would be aroused by proposition OF compro-
mise. The war has lasted since the Autumn
of 1868. There is nothing to prevent its lasting
as much longer. And while it lasts the con-
| dition of lawlcssness and anarchy in the Island
will be continually growing worse, and the
possibility of sudden complications with foreign
Powers continually increasing. If we have no
war; we shall not at least lack rumors Of war.
THE JUDGES IND THE CRIMINALS.
I, Loa bccn urpcd by the few journals