The advocate., 1896-12-09

us as to be hardly separated from our territory.
| Our actual pecuniAry interest in IL Is second
only to that Of the people and governments Of
| Spain. 1t Is reasonably estimated that ut least
from CSC, 10000 to 8i0,0O,O00 OF American cap
ital are invested In plantations and In railroad,
mining and other business enterprises on the
island. The volume Of trade between the
| United States and Cuba, which in 1889 amount
ed 70 about S64,0O0,OOO rose in 1893 to about
SlOS, 100000, and In 1884, the year before the in
surrection broke out, amounted to nearly &Dd,-
OOO,OCO. Besides this large pecuniary stake In
the fortunes Of Cuba, the United States finds
Itself inextricably involved In the present con.
| test In other ways, both vexatlous and costly
Many Cubans reside in this country and directly
promote the insurrectiOn through the press by
public meetings, by the purchase and shipment
of arms by the raising Of funds and by other
means which the spirit OF our institutions and
the tenor OF our laws do not permit to be made
the subject Of criminal prosecution. Some OF
| them, though Cubans at heart and In all their
feelings In interests, have taken out papers as
naturalized citizens Of the United States, a
proceeding resorted to with view to possible
protection by this government and not unnatu-
rally regarded with much indignation by the
country Of their origin.
These inevitable entangleme OF the
United States with the rebellion In Cuba the
large American property interests affected
and considerations OF philanthropy and hui
manity In general have led to vehement de-
mand In various quarters for some sort OF pos
tive Intervention on the part OF the United
States 10 was at first proposed that beliiger-
ent rights should be accorded to the insur-
gents-s proposition no longer urged because
untimely and In practical operation clearly
nnA I'D, kn
interests. 1t has since been and
is now sometimes contended that the
independence OF the insurgents should be
recognized, But imperfect and restricted as
the Spanish government OF the island may be,
no other exists there, unless the will OF the
military oficer In temporary command OF
particular district can be dignified as
species OF government. Il Is now suggested
that the United States should buy the island, q
suggestion possibly worthy OF consideration II
there were any evidence Of o desire or
willingness on the part Of Spain to en-
tertain such proposal It Is urged. finally,
that all other methods failing, the existing in
terneclne strife In Cuba should be terminated
by our Intervention, even at the cost Of war
between the United States and Spain, war
which It's advocates confidently prophecy could
be neither large in its proportions nor doubtful
in its issue. The correctness OF this forecast
need be either affirmed nor denied The United
States has nevertheless the character to main
tain as a nation, which plainly dictates that
right and might should be the rule OF its con-
duct
1t would seem that II Spain should Offer to
Cuba genuine autonomy, measure Of home
rule whichwhile preserving the sovereignty OF
Spain would satisfy all ratiOnal requirements
Of her Spanish subjects, there should be no
just reason why the paciheatlon Of the island
might not be effected on that basis. II was In
timated by this government to the government
Of Spain some months ago that II satisfac-
tory measure OF home rule were rendered
the Cuban insurgents and would be Rc-
cepted by them upon q guaranty Of It's
execution the United States would en-
deavOr TO find way not objection
able to Spain Of furnishing such guaranty.
II should be added that 1t cannot be reasonably
assumed that the hitherto eXpectant attitude
OF the United States will be indefinitely main
talned While we are anxious to accord all
due respect TO the sovereignty OF Spain. we
cannot view the pending conflict In all its
features, and properly apprehend our inevta-
BILE relations to II and its possible results with
out considering that by the course Of events
we may be drawn into such an unusual and
unprecedented condition as will Ak limit TO
our patient waiting for Spain TO end
the contest, either alone and In
her own way, or with our friendly cooperation
When the inability OF Spain TO deal success
fully with the lnsurrectlon has become mani
fest and II is demonstrated that her sover-
eighty Is extinct In Cuba for all purposes OF its
rightful existence, and when hopeless strug-
gle for its re-establishment has deRenerated
into a strife which means nothing more thar
the useless sacrifice OF human life and then
utter obstruction OF the very subject matter oi
the cOndi & situation win be presented In