New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-04

cause they were anxiou, to secure the anneXa-
ton of Cuba and to divide it into three save
States to reinforce the Southern states IN the
Union Now there are no American soldiers OF
fortune Il be recruited for campaign in Cuba.
FIJI busc ing hrs b CONE indetd a LOST an III
a land where il Cncc iourshcd. William ak
CT was perhaps the last aS he was certainly inc
most pic uie.quc, figure in the group OF Amef-
can adventures whose restless activity was as
PLAYED in tropical America. While he pos
Sos ell a high order Of military talent and I'M
doubted administrative capacity, he had also
commanding force as a di,ciplinaran, creative
power in great crises. and 50 blind faith IN
his destiny that he could smother his humane
impulses and commit crimes under Inc pea OF
impriilus necessity. He was swaycd by ianlt-
zeal zeal for the extension of slavery, and com
mandcd strong political support from the South :;
vet he wa, defeated in the end by Marcy 5
9iplomlc,. During the patriot war in Cuba
there was a temporary revival OF iIlbuS'erihg
activity. but the forces of international law
were ma>scd against it. The Nrginlus mas
sacre was catastrophe which caused tenn
porary rccoil of horror and resentment in the
United States but the awful doom OF the IN
s,lrgcrts was waning that Spain would fight
TO the end with medieval cruelty and bar
bali>m for the retention of its last stronghold
in the New World.
FilibuStcring has declined. not because there
is any lack Of American sympathy with coln-
tries suffer- z under oppressive rule, but be-
cause the obligations of national comfy and
neutrality law are clearly recognized Inter
national restraints which impelled Marcy to
interfere with Walkers ambitious schemes and
his native alliances in Central America have
now even greater binding force. The time has
been when the Government could afford 10
neglect precautions and to allow iIibuSterlng
EXPEDITIONS to set out from New-OIlcans and
other Southern ports; but conn!yance with
illegal campaigning from an American base OF
supplies is now mpracticable. Every Admin
i,tration is compelled by international usage
and by public opinion 10 prevent by armed
force the invasion Of foreign territory, whether
on the Rio Grandc or in the Antilles. Neglect
or failure to do this would not be tolerated
even by Americans who sympathizc kccnly with
Cuba in its struggle against adverse economic
conditions and rapaciOuS disagreement.
The redemption of the island cannot in truth
talk in high key and embrace one another IN
the cafes of Key West or hold back stairs con-
ferences in Newly orli with the gas Jets turned
down. 1t can only be through union OF the
Spanish ard native population Of the island
under the pressure of economic burdens too
heavy to be longer endured that the battle OF
political liberty can be successfully fought
The Cubans have their dc,tncs i'll their own
keeping. Commercially they have little TO do
with Europe. All their material interests are
centred in the great Northern Republic. 10
whose ports their rich produce is shipped. They
have only to bury ont of sight the race fcudS
which have divided them int hostile camps
and no foreign garrison can offer resistance TO
their will Insurgents III the backwoods, like
od-timc flbu>tcing generals. may be pictu-
re.quc figures but il NUT be a united Cuba
that will win it, freedom.