New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-18
THE PRESIDENTS CUBAN POLICY.

THE PRESIDENTS CUBAN POLICY.
The Presidents reported action in the case of
Cuba. feeble and hating though it is, is yet
tribute TO Congress. 1t was not expected
neither is 1t in accord with the advice and recon-
mendation of Congress. The recently adopted
resolutions favor recognition of bclgerency. and
an offer Of mediation for the attainment OF Gu
ban independence The President declined to
recognize the belligerency Of the insurgents. and
the mediation CT whatever 1t is, he offers ap
parently has for its aim not the independence
of Cuba. but the institution Of such reforms by
the Spanish Government as will reconcile the
Cubans to remain under Spanish rule. The sig
nificant fact is. however. that the President
takes this action Immediately after the adop-
ton Of these resolutions by Congress. So far
as the state Of affairs in Cuba Is concerned.
there seems no reason why he should do so now,
instead of having done so weeks or months ago.
The fact that he does act at just this time. with
no other visible or conceivable impulse than the
recent proceedings Of Congress, will be accepted
as conclusive evidence that it was those proceed
ngs of Congress that convinced him that some
thing must be done and impelled him to try
TO do it,
So far as now appears, the President has re
| ceived no intimatiOn Of the manner in which
his overtures are likely to be regarded. The only
basis for Judgment that subject Is afforded by
| the past experience of this Government In It's
| negotiations with Spain concerning Cuban al
| fairs That experience, it must be confessed
| does not make the present outlook hopeful When
| President Polk proposed to purchase Cuba out
right for cash Spain resented the offer as an in
| suit That was, Of course, a more extreme pro
| posal than the present one. In the early part
| of the Ten Years War Of 1S6S'7S President
| Grant rendered to the Spanish Government the
good offices Of the United States for the purpose
of effecting by peaceful negotiations the scpa-
ration Of Cuba from Spain, and thus OF putting
| an end to that cruel and devastating conflict
That offer was promptly and somewhat indig-
nanty rejected The war was prosecuted with
! increased severity, and the attitude OF Spain
| toward the United States, as shown In the in
| famous Virgnus affair was distinctly less
| friendly than before Again, few years later,
President Grant, in connection with other Pow
| ers, expressed 10 Spain an earnest desire that
| the war should be brought TO a close by the In
stitution Of such reforms in the administration
of the island as would satisfy the reasonable
demands of the people. But neither was this
action effective Spain promised the reforms
| But the war was continued for several years
| thereafter and finally was ended without tho
| least regard to the representations OF this Gov
| eminent During the present conflict the tone
of the Spanish Government, as well as OF the
press and people, has not been such as TO IN
dictate frame Of mind one whit more amenabl'
TO American influences Indeed, Simultaneous!
with the announcement Of the President
action came the other announcement that thu
Spanish Government was resolved to push TIT
war to the bitter end, and to listen TO no appeals
for reform until the insurgents are crushed
Since then there has been some talk abou
granting autonomy to Cuba. But the proposal
made are on the lines Of that tricky "Hom
Rule" bill Of year or more ago, which was tn
chief provocation Of the present war.
Neither is there any convincing reason to sup
pose the Presidents offer will prove acceptable
to the Cuban patriots They are fighting for In
dependence, and nothing less. 1t Is not to b
supposed that they will be satisfied with less
especially since they have now, az the Presden
himself declares, made greater progress than Il
; any former insurrection, and have so far wo
their cause as to have practical control OF til
, whole island, excepting Havana and It's immed
ate envrons. This offer Of mediation look
, merely to the granting Of certain reforms b
Spain, and the consequent retention OF Cub
| as a Spanish province. But Cuban patriots ar
not bereft Of memory. They still have In min
J.. most keenly the promises which Spain made
them in 1878 Those promises were made
h the name Of the Spanish Government by Ma
n tnez de Campos Trusting to the personal il
q tegrIty of that gallant soldier and high-minde
|. gentleman, the Cubans accepted them. and lai
) down their arms But those promises wei
| do Con
. of the reforms was put into effect, any mol
than were those promised to the United STATE
wears before The crushing burdens of unju
g taxation were increased. Representation In Il
a Cortes CONSTITUENCIES was made hopele
!. mockery, as to-day's travesty upon an electiC
= most clearly shows Is 1t supposable that Il
10 men who were so shamefully tricked and
n trayed only eighteen years ago will now pla
a renewed confidence in their betrayer! Perhal
- they might, II the United States were to guara
:. tee the execution of the reforms which it mi
n prevail upon Spain to promise. But it Is scare
al " conceivable that the President has in min
10 or that this Nation would approve the assum
"A ton Of any such embarrassing and perilous oh
" cations.
Perhaps the most satisfactory feature OF q
whole case Is that the President has at La
I'd after long delay, and under the importuna
ve urgings of Congress, committed himself to sol
&c definite action. 1t Is not the action COngre
I'd suggested. 1t Is probably not the action I
or mass Of the American people would like to 81
Of 1t may prove wholly Intellectual But at ba
I'd 1t Is something more than supine Indifferent
nd Moreover 1t commits the Government to son
ed thing further, in case this shall fail Of Its
on tended object The President has put his ha
at 10 the plough. and he can scarcely turn ba