The weekly clarion., 1875-12-01
che Spanish Question

a rom the St Louis Republican,
Notwithstanding the exceedingly peace.
ii ton. of recent Washington telegrams,
49, zee no reason to change as yet the
eai,ion expressed yesterday in regard to
N III probabilities Of a war with Spain.
IT, E Soanish note-if We may trust the
-ornary furnished by the New York
I1raId-is an admirable diplomatic doc
'-,oent and very we'll calculated to con-
E SC the not remarkably brilliant mind
-rb;ch Dresides over the State Depart
,asnt But 1t touches so lightly upon the
3 --.in poiuts Of the ultimatum transmitted
i .Ir,ugh Minister Gushing, that it can
II LARGELY be considered in any sense Of the
H,rord an answer thereto. According to
i #tbs abstract forwarded by the Associated
4 press some days since, these are the chief
#f.stures of the ultimatum: The sangui-
#rary accompanments Of the Cuban re.
.beIiion have aroused great Indignation in
#tbe United States, and public sentiment
demands that they shall be speedily
#Irauoht to an end They can end only
vitb the insurrection itself, and the in
sprraction must terminate in the indie
nandeuce of Cuba The fundamental
60 Of the whole difficulty is the insti-
+Ution of slavery, which Spain maintains
In Cuba. Cuban slavery cannot con
+ioue because the slaves in the adjacent
Islands and in the United States have
A. ernancipated The United States
Ia hoped that Spain would
Id her Cuban troubles with
eut any advice or assistance from
other nations, and is not satisfied with
tbe present aspect of affairs. The United
ktates is not prepared to recognize any
kettlement which does not involve the
Abolition of Cuban slavery and the recog-
bition of Cuban independence. The
United States does not desire to annex
Tuba, but desires her to be can indepen-
hent republic of freemen, in harmony
kith ourselves and the other republics of
America" The attitude of the United !
States is one Of expectancy, but liable at
Sny moment to take more decisive |
md serious shape.
4 This is the sum and substance Of what |
Bur government has said to Spain, and |
he fail to see how the explanation and |
discussion of Article VII, of the treaty |
III 1895, no matter how exhaustive they
hay be, can be "eminently satisfactory"
Ia the authors of the ultimatum. Spain |
boes not say she will stop fighting the
Cuban rebels, or that she will abolish |
tlavery, or that she will at any time or
Is any conceivable circumstances recog-
lie Cuban independence. In fact, her re-
.ponse to what the London Times rightly |
Alls cone of the most peremptory mes
hges ever sent to a State even of the
econd or third rank" practically |
mounts to nothing. If, then, our gov
rnment is really content with the Span
Dh note, and will press the business no
nrther, it has made one of the most as
bnishing ''back-dOwns" recorded in |
Aistory. Either President Grant and |
is cabinet have crawled out of a very
nall hole, covering themselves and the
buntry with disgrace thereby, or the
panish note means war and not peace;
hr Spain makes no concessions, no apol- |
sges, no promises. Her language is
paciliatory, indeed, but at the same time
rm and dignifed. She is evidently |
nxious to avoid a quarrel, if possible, |
but intimates no intention of abandoning
Aer rights in any contingency.