National Republican., 1875-08-03

hances the credit OF our currency and the
integrity Of our Government, will serve TO
rally all the sound.thinkIng and clear.
reasoning people Of the country to Its sup
port Too much prominence cannot be
given to It, however, by frequent discus
sions of its merits before Congress meets.
CUBA AGAIN.
An article printed in these columns about
q fortnight ago, showing the necessity, or
adyisability, if no4 the possibility, of q
change in the Cuban policy of this Gov
ernment, has developed considerable dis
cussion, the invariable tone of which be.
trays the warmest and most earnest sym
pathy of the press, regardless of politics,
for the Cuban insurgents. We reproduce
several extracts from our exchanges in this
issue, which are sfair sample of the whole
They breathe the true spirit of American
sympathy for people who have been
struggling for seven long and weary years
against tyranny tenfold greater than the
one against which the American colonies
febelled hundred years ago. During
that hundred years, it must be remembered,
these island neighbors of ours have watched
the birth, growth and progress of our
people as nation, and the firm establish
ment of Republican forms of government
throughout our broad area of territory.
Notwithstanding the successful efforts Of
the Madrid Government to prevent recip-
rocal commercial relations between them
and this country, strong bond of political
sympathy has always existed, and the ma
tive Cubans have for generations lovingly
looked to the United Ststes for succor.
They have looked in vain, however. as
the inexorable requirements of interna-
tionsl law have prevented the Government
from extending any aid to then, until now,
when, having aided themselves, it is posi-
BILE that they may be entitled to receive aid
from others.
Meanwhile the adventurous spirit of GER
tain classes of Americans, combined with
natural aspirations to drive from contiguous
territory every vestige Of king power. has
resulted in the organization Of filibustering
expeditions which have always been at
tended with disastrous results. In this way
Cuba has become the mausoleum of Ameri-
can ambitions and desires to benefit suffer
ing fellow beings. The executions attend
ant upon the fatal results of these expedi-
tons have always been illustrated by the
most barbarous exhibitions of Spanish
cruelty. At no time have the protests Of
our Government, and, for that matter, of
other Governments, against those exhibi-
tions been received by the Spaniards with
heedful respect, but the garrote, the volley
of the platoon, or the shortShrit and quick
rope have been the answer. Appeals that
would have melted hearts of stone have
been replied to with the rude declaration
that the law must take its course, and on no
occasion have the Spanish authorities
evinced desire to cultivate friendly feel
ing, or sppease the enmity of our people
by showing proper appreciation Of merci-
full leniency. And it must be remembered
that when these executions haye occa-
sionally been postponed in response to de-
mands for trial, the postponements have
been accompanied by the most vicious and
brutal imprisonments.
While these facts serve to kindle the
fame of animosity in the hearts of our
people against the Spaniards,' and to show
the unfriendly disposition of the latter to
our Government, there are others to prove
that in the future, as in the past, we have
no reason to expect at the hands Of Spain
anything like justice. Tolerant as We
have bee n, and forgiYing, during the attempt
Of the Spanish people to establish Re-
public, it Is now evident that our kindness
has been misplaced. The Spanish Repub-
lie has vanished to appear no more, during
our generation at least, and the only vital
spark of republicanism now existing under
Spanish rule to attract our sympathy is that
which lights up the path of the Cuban
Patriots. The peaceful assertion of either
the Carlists or the Alfonsists to the throne
at Madrid would not remove the present
condition of affairs, and the certain pros
pect would be presented of continuation
Of the discriminating customs duties which
now compel the merchants and consumers
of Cuban products in this country to pay
an odious tribute for the support of the
Spanish Government. No one would OBJ.
ject to the payment Of reasonable duties,
port fees, or other accustomed charges, but
as matters now stand, they are 50 extortion.
ate as to amount to q direct tax upon Amer
ican industry. For example, barrel Of
hsur shipped from one of our ports b
Cadiz, in Spain, may be reshipped thence
to Havana free of duty, the Spanish mid
dle-men resping the profit, while barrel
shipped directly to Havana is subjected to
duties which are prohibitory, and preclude
the possibility Of American merchants COM
peting with those middle.men in the
Havana markets. The tax upon agricul-
tural implements and manufactured ma
chinery Of all kinds is of similar charac.
ter. In short, the policy of Spain has been
to make the islanders dependent upon
Spanish traders for all their necessities, and
at the same time to enable those traders to
make extravsgant profits out of their COM
merce with American producers.
Direct trade between Cuba and the
United States has thus been partially pre-
vented; but it has been sufficiently de-
veloped to show that under encouraging
reciprocal relations it would grow to man.
moth proportions. When we stop to re-
feet that the Cubans are solely producing
and not manufacturing people, the pros
pect of such changed condition of rela-