The advocate., 1896-12-09

situation Of affairs as depicted in my last an
nual message has In the least improved. I
Spain still holds Havana and the seapOrts ant
Rll considerable towns, the insurgents still
roam at will over at least two-thirds OF the in
land country. If the determination OF Spail
to put down the insurrectiOn seems but {,
strengthen with the lapse Of time and Il
evidenced by her unhesitating devotion
Of largely increased military and nRva
forces to the task, there is much rea
son to believe that the insurgents have gaineC
In point Of numbers, and character, anC
resources, and are none the less infexible II
their resolve not to succumb, without practl
Cally securing the great project for which they
took up arms II Spain has not yet re-estab
lished her authority, neither have the insur
gents yet made good their title to be regarded
as an independent state Indeed as the con
test has gone on, the pretense that civil gov
ernment exists on the island, except so far o,
Spain is able to maintain 1t, has been practi-
cally abandoned Spain does keep on foot such
a government, more or less imperfectly, In the
large towns and their immediate suburbs
But that exception being made, the entire
country is either given over to an
archy or is subject to the mill
tary occupation Of one or the othel
party. 1t is reported, indeed, on reliable au.
thority that. at the demand Of the commander.
in-chief Of the insurgeRt army, the putativC
Cuban government has now given up all at
tempt To exercise It's functions, leaving tha
government confessedly (what there is tht
best reason for suppOsing IL always to have
been in fact) governments merely on paper
Were the Spanish armies able to meet their
antagonists in the open, or in pitched battle
prompt and decisive results might be
looked for and the immense superiority
OF the Spanish forces in numbers
discipline and equipment, could hardly
fail to tell greatly to their advantage
But they are called upon to face a foe thai
shuns general engagements, that can choose
and does choose its own ground, that from the
nature Of the country is visible or invisible al
,!sRsure and that fights only from ambuscade
and when all the advantages OF position and
numbers are on its side. In country where
all that is indispensable to life in the way Of
food clothing and shelter Is so easily obtain
able especially by those born and bred on the
soil it is obvious that there is hardly limit tC
the time during which hostilities OF this sort
may be prolonged. Meanwhile, as in all
cases OF protracted civil strife, the pas
sions OF the combatants grow more and
more inflamed and excesses on both sides
become more frequent and more deplorable.
They also are participated in by bands OF
marauders, who now in the name OF one party
and now in the name OF the other as may best
suit the occasion, harry the country at will
and plunder it's wretched inhabitants for their
own advantage. Such o condition Of things
would inevitably entail immense destruction
of property even II 1t we're the policy OF both
parties TO prevent 1t as far as practicable. But
while such seemed to be the original policy Of
the Spanish government IL has now apparent
ly abandoned 1t. and is acting upon the same
theory as the insurgents namely, that the ex-
igencies OF the contest require the wholesale
annihilatlon Of property, that II may not
prove OF use and advantage TO the enemy.
Il is to the same end that in pursuance OF gen.
eral orders. Spanish garrlsons are now being
Withdrawn from plantations and the rural pop
ulation required to concentrate itself in the
towns. The sure result would seem TO be that
the Industrial value Of the island Is fast di-
minishing and unless there is q speedy and
radical change in existing conditions, IL will
soon disappear altogether That value con-
sists very largely, Of course, In its capacity to
produce sugars capacity already much re-
duced by the interruption TO tlllage, which
have taken place during the last two years
II is reliably asserted that should these In
terruptions continue during the currant year,
and practically extend, as 1t is now threat
ened, 10 the entire sugar producing territory
OF the island, so much time and so much
money will be required to restore the land TO
It's normal productlveness that it IL extremity
doubtful II capital can be induced TO even
make the attempt The spectacle Of the utter
ruin OF an adjoining country, by nature one Of
the most fertile and charming on the globe
would engage the serious attention OF the gov
ernment and people OF the United States under
any circumstances In point Of fact, they
have . concern with It which Is by
no means Of . wholly sentimental