The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-12-24
THE CUBAN QUESTION.

Washington Telegram to New York Tribune.l
The last note received from the Span
ish Government by Minister Cushing,
and forwarded to Secretary Fish,
reached here the middle OF last
week, as has already been announced,
and was read in the Cabinet meeting on
Friday. II was very long, discussing the
question mt issue between the two Gov
ernments in very friendly and concili-
atory spirit, and shows manifest de-
sire on the part of the present Spanish
Administration to accede, M far as 1t
is able to do, to the requests which
the President. through Mr.. Fish, had
made.
1t is understood that the Spanish Gov
eminent renews its assurances that 1T Will
remove the Just cause of complaint by
the United States growing out of dis
regard of the rights of person and prop
erty.of our citizens. 1t is well known
that there have for long time been no
serious differences of opinion between
the two Governments as to what ought
to be done in this matter the trouble
has been that the natural tendency of the
Spaniards TO promise and postpone has
been greatly increased by The weakness
of the Home Government and the disre-
gard by the authorities III Cuba OF its
DEGREES. Touching the question of
slavery in Cuba, for instance, the United
States and Spain are in accord SO far as
the diplomatic correspondence goes.
Spain has made decree of emancipa-
ton what President Grant complains
of is that she does not enforce that de-
cree, and, from present appearances, it is
difficult to believe that she will be able
70 enforce it in the near future. Many
other questions are In almost the same
condition. If the Spanish Government
was able to accomplish what it promises,
the United States would have little
ground for complaint.
1t has been suggested within the past
few DAYS that the President, having fully
considered the question in all its rela-
tons, and reached the conclusion that
the present condition of affairs in Cuba
is not such as to Justify either a recog
milton of the insurgents as Independent,
or the granting to them Of the rights OF
a belligerent, he was looking toward an
int: vention which would result either
in the acquisition of the island by the
United States and its annexation, or the
establishment of a protectorate by our
Government. There is very high au-
thority to deny that the President con-
templates any such policy. 1t is be-
lieved, indeed, that he has given this
phase of the subject some careful
thought, and has come to the conclusion
that no solution of the Cuban question
could possibly be more disastrous to us
than one that should result in its annex
alton to the United States. OF its pop
ulation of million and half, very few,
comparatively, speak our language; 700,-
600 are negroes, n large proportion OF
whom are natives of Africa, and are mere
savage pagans who do not even under
stand the Spanish language. The grant
ing of American citizenship, with all its
attendant privileges and responsibilities,
would be n far severer strain upon our
free institutions than the emancipation
and acknowledgements of the slaves of the
South, and would hardly be in harmony
with the Presidents views on the subject
of educated suffrage which he put forth
in his late message.
The annexation of Cuba would also
deprive us of a large revenue now col
lected upon our imports from that island,
while there would be no hope of COM
pensating for it by the imposition of any
large internal tax. At the same time the
geography of the island is so admirably
adapted for smuggling that we should
probably either be obliged to submit to
a great loss of revenue on light foreign
goods which would be shipped to Brit
ish and Spanish islands in the neigh
borhood and then shipped into Cuba,
whence they would be reshipped to the
United States free of duty, or to sur
round the island with revenue cutters,
the maintenance of which would be i'm
mensely expensive. All of these facts
and many more directly affecting this
phase of the subject have been fully
considered by the President and have
caused him to reach the conclusion al
ready indicated.
How would the President like to see
the Cuban question settled He is con-
WINGED, it is believed, that az long as the
attempt to govern the island from Madrid
as q province is continued, peace and
quiet can hardly be hoped for. The most
feasible plan that has been suggested is
an Independent Government of the
island by the Cubans under Spanish
protectorate, the relations between the
Government of Cuba and that of Spain
being similar to those which now exist
between Canada and Great Britain. By
such an adjustment as this, the national
pride of Spain would not be wounded as
1t would by the complete loss of the
island, or by any other solution that has
been suggested. The President would
even be pleased TO see number of the
West Indian Islands, including all those
now possessed by Spain, and Us many
others AZ could be induced to join, form
a confederation, either independent or
maintaining such relations to their
home Governments as have been already
described. Such solution as that sug-
gested would, it is thought, be not only
the best for Spain and Cuba, but also for
the United States.
With tho power to make their own Laws
the Cubans would probably so arrange
their tariffs as to encourage trade with the
United States, and then much of our
trade with the island, which now has to
be done indirectly through Spain, or is
lost entirely to this country, would be
conducted directly with our own ports.
1t may be authoritatively denied that
4 l.. 4 II