The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-20


soon be entirely subdued. Accounts that
reach this country. however. from unprej-
udiced sources give an entirely different
impression Of the situation. The insur-
gents are many thousands strong. Able
leaders are coming forward. and the scat
tered bands are being formed into arm
les and prepared for effective service
There does not seem 10 be a lack OF arms
or ammunition. The reason for this Is
that the Cubane have been preparing for
years for this uprising. Arms have been
shipped TO them concealed in all sorts
Of packages. and a large amount Of
money has been collected for war pur-
poses. The Cubans In New York and
Florida have been extremely liberal in
making contributions. Therefore the in
surgents are better prepared than ever be
fore for a struggle for freedom.
And they are clearly determined to
make the struggle a notable one. They
understand that IL they fail now It will
be years before they will be as well pre-
pared to make another attempt. They
have been successful in several of the
enga gements which they have had with
the Spanish troops. if recent reports from
Cuba are to be relied upon. and. therefore,
are much encouraged. II they can pro
long the struggle until summer the eli
mate may help them greatly. because It
will DO as much damage TO fresh troops
from Spain as the bullets Of the insur-
gents.
The outcome Of the little trouble be-
tween this country and Spain may be
helpful to them. 1t is no doubt the pur-
pose of our government to have full sat
isfaction for the Alliance affair, and the
disposition of the captain of the Span
ish warship that committed the outrage
appears to be to shirk the responsibility
which he has incurred by making
statement wholly at variance with that
Of the captain Of the American steamer.
There is so much sympathy for the Cubans
in this country that our government will
not readily make concessions to Spain
in order to avoid further trouble. The
interview with Senator Hale I'm Washing
ton, on Sunday is in a measure, an indi-
cation OF the feeling in this country in re-
spect to Cuba. He said: 1T is but ques-
ton Of time when the United States must
take possession of tho island of Cuba.
1t not only is a very desirable piece of
property, but 1t naturally belongs to
this country. 1t would be worth fully
$685. 600 to the United States. 1t would
never do for Spain to try to dispose of it
to some other nation. for the United
States would not permit such negotiations
to be consummated. The United States
should take early steps to acquire pos
session of Cuba, either by annexation or
otherwise"
The Cubans are not anxious for an
nexation to the United States. They want
independence. but they would much
prefer annexation TO contin-
uance of Spanish rule. The out
come Of the revolt and of the little
affair between this country and Spain
is not in sight What 1t will be no one
can foretell with any degree of certainty.
The fate of the Reina Regente, accord
ing to our dispatches this morning, is
settled. She is at the bottom of the sea,
and the superstition is that all of her
crew went down with her. She was not
so large a vessel as the British warship
Victoria, which was year or so ago ac-
cidentally rammed and sunk off Tangier
by her companion ship, the Camperdown.
nor was the commander OF the Reina Re
genie so prominent a man as Admiral Sir
George Tryon. who was lost with the Vic
toria; nevertheless the wreck of the Span
ish ship will be recorded among the great
marine disasters of this century Apart
from the terrible loss of life which attend
ed the wreck of the Reina Itegente. the
Spanish navy has been materially weak
ened by the disaster. The ship was one of
the fastest and strongest in the navy.
She was less than eight years old, and at
the time of her first official trial of speed,
after receiving her armament. was CON
coded to be the fastest seagoing vessel
afloat. Since that time faster vessels have
been added to several navies, still the
Spanish ship was a modern and terrible
fighting machine.
Tho literary efforts of Messrs. Brown
and Stahlman in the matter of their West
ern and Atlantic railroad attorneyship
disDlite must he very rattfvdnP In