, 1875-11-13
SPAIN AMI G u B A
From tie Times

It seems almost superhuous that a prompt
denial should have been given under official
inspiration at Washington to reports, emanat-
ing, it is said, from Paris, and possibly con-
cocted for Stock exchange purposes, which
attributed to the American Government the IN
tention of provoking an immediate rupture with
Spain on the ground offered by the Cuban
difficulty. The statement was that the United
States had automatically threatened to re-
" oognize tne belIigerent rights of the Cuban
" Insurgents if ho%slilities were not closed ON
I" the 1st Of January next" But, in fact, there
never was q time in which the American pe0-
pie were less disposed to meddle in their
neighbours %affai1s. 1t is not that the United
States are afraid of Spain, feeble as she IS,
distracted by a rebellion at home, aud over
whelmed with debt, The Americans think
that they could sweep the Spaniards out OF the
Antilles in O month. Very probably they are
justified in believing this, nor do they conceal
their belief. But, though they feel thus conf
dent in their strength if war should %untortt-
nately be forced upon them, they are not, in
one sense, prepared for war, and are decidedly
not S~trepared in any sense for the complication
of difficulties, political and social, which, even
after a war crowned with all imaginable sue
cesSes, would meet them in Cuba. The for.
bearance with Which the Government of Wash
ington las treated Spain during the long pro-
v%0cations of the Cuban difficulty is, therefore
easily to be explained, though 1t contrasts
sharply with the language Of sympathy when
The popular organs Of American opinion employ
in speaking of the Insurrection, and not less
with the notorious ambition of the Southern
States in years gone by. a..
Yet, though General GRANTS Admiaiatra'
ton has good reasons for Fastening to contra
Aict a rumour which might bring the United
States into collision with Spain, the American
people will not be sorry IL hear that the Gov
eminent at Madrid has received a warning,
though only by mistake. The Cuban Rebel
lion is Q scandal to Spain, but it is, moreover, a
nuisance to the neighbours Of the unfortunate
Colony which Spain is seemingly unable either
to conquer or to abandon. Every country
which. has commercial relations with the
Antilles is voxed and hampered by this tedious
strife our own West Indian possessions have
grave reason to complain, but the greatest an
noyance is inflicted on the United States, at
whose very doors the Spaniards and Cubans
have been slowly and savagely exchanging
brutalities for six or seven years. More than
once the war-Which those who wage it pretend
not to recognize as war-has gone near to in
volving Spain in trouble, and probably, if she
mad been less pttlaOly feeOle, she WOulu OeIOfe
now have drawn upon her the anger of one of
the maritime Powers by her reckless and as yet
futile efforts to suppress the resistance of her
Cuban subjects. The affair of The Virginius
has not yet passed out of recollection, and its
significance has been revived by the seizure of
q passenger on board an English mail steamer
at Puerto Rico a couple Of months ago. The
latter circumstance afforded no grounds for an
international grievance, but it drew attention
forcibly to some of the perils of the state of
turmoil in which the Antilles have been kept
by the combined incompetence and f%erocity
oftbe Spanish Government. The. recent muir
der, as has been alleged, of a French gentleman,
the owner of a sugar plantation in Cuba. by the
Spanish volunteers" is another illustration of
the complications incident to such a condition
of things. Diplomatic explanations have re.
moved, in the difficulties which have hitherto
occurred, the necessity of an appeal to force,
but some day diplomacy may, fail In %reconciI-
ing Spanish pride to the concessions required
by, the just anger Of an. injured State. More.
over though the miserable spectacle Cuba has
presented for the last half7dozen years would
not ofitself. give a title to interfere, it tends to
produce among foreign, States an ,indisposition
to mike light of offences to themselves arising
from I" The enormous expenditure of human