The New York herald., 1876-03-01
THE WAR IN CUBA.
ENGLISH OPINION OF SPANISH RULE IN THE
ANTILLEs-ALFoNso SHOULD PREPARE ron
THE INEVITABLE CONCLUSION


ANTILLEs-ALFoNso SHOULD PREPARE ron
THE INEVITABLE CONCLUSION.
From the London Times Feb III
King Alfonso opened the Spanish Cortes at a iortrh
nate moment couple of days before he delivered his
speech from the throne General Quesada and Genera.
Moroues gained such victories over the Carists as
must be important and may be decisive On
Sunday Don Carlos driven from strong positions at
Rlgueta and he Is said to have ned toward Villareal
and Zumarraga General Moriones has taken by sur
prise heights commanding Aya and Cestona. Ii would
be rash TO assume that now the war is about to
end, and, in another column, a telegram from corr
respondent with the Carlsts says that on the l4th
the Aionssts sustained a repulse. Still the
prospects of the royal troops have certainly never
before been promising. and the King himself
may luihl his promise to visit the Bscay Provinces
with some hope of being able 'to contribute to the
restoration OF peace" His references to the rebellion
In Cuba are less satisfactory and cannot congratu
late his Ministers on the force OF their long and
elaborate answer 10 the complaints OF the United
States If their reply, which printed in Paris
correspondence OF Tuesday proves anything proves
too much. The insurgents are made out to be so in
significant that II Is difficult to understand why they
not crushed years ago. The damage done by the
struggle Is assumed to be small that
the complaints OF America appear not
as il she had not merely been guiltless OF op-
preston, but had treated the island with generosity
and altogether forced TO infer that n people
which has fought against good protector for
than seven years with pdescrbabe bitterness be
unparalleled compound OF stupidity and wickedness
Such a line OF argument lacks the first element Of good
advocacy, for IL IS not even plausible very slight
knowledge OF human nature, OF Spanish history and
OF colonial life would suffice to show that 1t must be
fatally incomplete. When we test II by the real Facts
OF the case II is found TO omit the circumstances
which make the origin and the continuance of the con-
test intelligible.
1t was governed as If IL existed merely for the sake
OF the mother country The import duties, for exan>
pie dictated by an ignorant wish TO keep as much
OF the possible in the hands OF Spaniards and
although that device failed conspcuously as protec-
ZIONIST usually do, II arnicIaly imposed an
immense loss the planters and the free worklnen.
The natural market OF Cuba America and England,
and by Tar the OF the sugar to those
tries in spte of the protective duties imposed by tho
United States in retaliation for the heavy taxes levied
the articles they sent to Havana Nevertheless the
Cuban planters bitterly resented system
serve the ends OF Spanish merchants and
manufacturers The selhshness OF Spain was tho
island absolutely free TO sell and buy In the best
markets OF the world The Spanish government says
nothing about system which forced the coloniss "a
purchase Spanish commodities at an artificial price,
and thus indamed them with of injustice Nof
docs II even refer to cause OF perhaps still deepeA
dsaffection. Cuba was administered by officials rom
SPAN. Governors, military commanders officials,
soldiers were all sent from the mother coun
try. Very often they were men who had been iound
turbulent at home and had been despatched
to Havana TO prevent them from being
troublesome in Madrid They naturally gave
tho to imperous tempers when set
over powerless colonsts AT the distance OF
thousands of miles from the capital; and, com.
ing into collision with people as proud ~
themselves, they often stirred up moro bitterness by
their insults than the government did by its unjust
fiscal laws At the time the Cubans had 10 pay
the officials whom they we're not permitted 10 choose
They had also to furnish direct contributions 10 the
mother country; and, the people were not allowed
to control the expenditure OF their own money 1t wai
spent reckiessly The governments forced paper cur.
on tkla md nla n Of
thus the coIonists were plllaged Indirectly well
directly. Such facts render the Of the insurrec
tion little more ntelligible than II Is made by the
Spanish note. II s wonder, indeed, that the plant
ers, the freedmen and the slaves bore the selfish
ness OF Spain so long No doubt there was,
and Is, q Spanish party IN Cuba, just az
throughout tho Revolutionary war there waf
English party in the colonies which are now
the United States IL is clear, at least, that
Cuba will be pacined by such means Spain ha5
hitherto employed Even If AN end were put TO all
open resistance the island would remain In state OF
suppressed civil long II Is ruled in the old
way. II, indeed, Spain should abolish slavery, make
trade free, give most OF the public posts to Cubans,
grant them sefgovernment and spend every shilling
of their revenue within their own shores the island
might perhaps, become as peaceful as an English
colony But IL would need robust faith TO believe
that Spain will display such proofs OF capacity
TO rule dependencies. The prospect Is the lesf
hopeful because the note says that she has ''mads
more concessions than any European government has
given colonies" This means, presume that the
Cubans allowed 10 send considerable number OF
deploraby mistaken they fancy that these powerless
votes equivalent to self-govcrnmcnt A Canadian,
a New Zealandcr or an Australian would laugh at tha
idea of exchanging the right to manage his alairG
House Of Commons who would DO swamped In any
great DIVISION. Spain must give her coonsts far mora
ornamental seats In the Cortes Hitherto she has
governed her colonies by Of state OF siege enc
country seeks interfere by force with her possess
Of Cuba; but she cannot govern II. she would
do well consider how she could best prepare " iof
the freedom which always follows colonial m ~xHws