The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-08

J ltttlt can re QAs tttlHl eto q AENiN1 "a 81
! eminent II y now also suggested that
| the United States should buy the island
\ "a suggestion possibly worthy of consid-
Grafton, II there were any evidence OF q
| desire or willingness on the parttof Spain
| 10 entertain such a proposal lis urged,
! finally, that all other methods railing, the
existing intcrnecine strife III Cuba should
be terminated by our Intervention, even
at the cost Of a war between the United
States and Spaiu-a war which its advo-
Gates confidently prophesy could be neii her
large in its proportions nor doubtful IN
its issue. The correctness of this forecast
need be neither affirmed nor denied. The
United States has, nevertheless, char
acter to maintain as a nation, which
plainly dictates that right and not might,
should be the rule of its conduct. Fur
Their, though the United States is not a
nation to which peace is a necessity, 1t
is in truth the most pacific of powers,
and desires nothing so much as to live
in amity with all the world. It's own am
pie and diversified domains satisfy all pos
sible lodgings for territory, preclude all
dreams Of conquest and prevent any cast
ing of covetous eyes upon neishboring re-
gions however attractive. That our con-
duct toward Spain and her dominions has
constituted no exception to this national
disposition is made manifest by the course
of cur government not only thus far
during the present instruction, but dur
ing the ten years that followed the rising
at Yara IN 1868. No other great power,
it may safely be said, under circum
stances of similar perpleXtty, would have
manifested the same restraint and the
same patient endurance. 1t may also be
said that this persistent attitude of the
United States toward Spain in connection
with Cuba, unquestionably evnces no
slight respect and regard for Spain on
the part of the American people They
in truth do not forget her connection with
the discovery of the western hemisphere,
nor do they underestimate the great quail
ties of the Spanish people, nor fail to
fully recognize their splendid patriotism
and their chivalrous devotion to the ma
tional honor. They view with wonder and
admiration the cheerful resolution with
which vast bodies Of men are sent across
thousands of miles of ocean, and an enor-
nous debt accumulated that the costly
possession of the Gem of the Antilles may
still hold its place in the Spanish crown.
And yet neither the government nor the
people Of the United States have shut
their eyes to the course of events in Cuba
or have failed to realize the existence of
conceded grievances, which have led to
the present revolt from the authority of
Spain-grieVances recognized by the queen
regent and sby the cortes, voiced by the
most patriotic and enlightened of Span
isb statesmen, without regard to party,
and demonstrated by reforms proposed
by the executive and approved by the leg
isative branch OF the Spanish govern
ment 1t is in the assumed temper and
disposition of the Spanish government to
remedy these grievances fortified by in
dlcations of influential public opinion
in Spain that this government
has hoped to discover the most promising
and effective means of composing the pres
ent strife, with honor and advantage 10
Spain and with the achievement OF all
the reasonable objects of the insurrec-
ton. 1t would seem that if Spain should
offer to Cuba genuine autonomy-a meas
ure of home rule which, while preserving
the sovereignty Of Spain, would satisfy
all rational requirements of her Spanish
subjects-there should be no just reason
why the pacification of the island might
not be effected on that basis Such re-
suit would appear to be in the true inter-
est of all concerned. 1T would at once
stop the conflict which is now consuming
the resources of the island and making it
worthless for whichever party may ulti-
mately prevail. 1t would keep intact the
possessions of Spain without touching her
honor, which will be consulted, rather
than impugned, by the adequate redress
OF admitted grievances. 1t would put
the prosperity of the island and the for
tunes of its inhabitants within their own
control without severng the natural and
ancient ties which bind them to the mother
country, and would yet enable them to
test their capacity for self government
under the most favorable conditions. IL
has been objected on the one side
that Spain should not promise autonomy
until her insurgent subjects lay down their
arms On the other side, that promised
autonomy, however liberal, is insufficient
because without assurance of the prom
Use being fulfilled, but the reasonableness
of a requirement by Spain of the uncon>
ditional surrender on the part of the in-
surgent Cubans before their autonomy IS
conceded is not altogether apparent. 1t
ignores important features of the situa-
tion-the stability two years duration has
given to the Instruction, the feasibility
of its indefinite prolongation in the ma
ture of things, and as shown by past ex-
perience, the utter and imminent ruin of
the island, unless the present strife is
speedily composed, above all, the rank
abuses which all parties in SPAIN all
branches of her government, and all her
leading public men concede to exist and
profess a desire to remove
Facing such circumstances, to withhold
the proffer of needed reforms until the
parties demanding them put themselves at
mercy by throwing down their arms. has
the appearance of neglecting the gravest
of perils and inviting suspicion as to the
sincerity of any professed willingness to
grant reforms. The objection on behalf
of the insurgents--that promised reforms
cannot be relied upon-must of course be
considered, though we have no right to
assume, and no reason for assuming, that
anything Spain undertakes to do for the
relief of Cuba will not be done according
to both the spirit and the letter of the I'M
dertalking. Nevertheless, realizing that
suspicious and precautions on the part OF
the weaker of two combatants are al
ways natural and not always unjustifiable
being sincerely DESTROYS in the interest oil
both as well as on its own account that
the Cuban problem should be solved with
the least possible delay-it was intimated
by this government to the government OF
Spain some months ago, that If a salts
factory measure of home rule were ten
dered the Cuban insurgents, and would be
accepted by them upon the guaranty oil
It's execution the United States would
endeavor to find a way not Objectionable
to Spain, of furnishing such guaranty
While no definite response to this init.
nation has yet been received from the
| Spanish government, 1t is believed not al.
| together unwecome, while, as already
suggested, not reason Is perceived why
it should not be approved by the insur
gents. Neither party can fail TO see the
importance of early action and both mus