Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-12-08
Some Plain Suggestions AS To Cuba'S
Revolution and Turkish Atrocities.
Then Uncle Sam May Recognize the Beligerents-Is
Financial Recommendations House Adourns
Out of Respect to Crisp.

will be omitted to bring about their
prompt settlement.
number of Armenian refugees hav-
Ing arrived at our ports, an order has
lately been obtained from the Turkish
government permitting the wives and
children of such refugees to join them
here. 1t is hoped that hereafter no OBJ
stacle will be interposed to prevent the
escape of all those who seek to avoid tha
perils which threaten them in Turkish
dominions.
Our recently appointed consul to Erze-
rum is at the post and discharging the
duties of his Office, though for some
unaccountable reason, his formal exc
quator from the sultan has not been
Issued do not believe that the present
sombre prospect in Turkey will be long
permitted to offend the sight of Christen-
dom. 1t so mars the humane and en-
lightened civilization that belongs to the
close of the nineteenth century that it
seems hardly possible that the demand
of good people throughout the Christian
world for its corrective treatment will
remain unanswered.
THE CUBAN QUESTION.
The insurreetion in Cuba still contin-
ues with all its perplexities
1t is difficult to perceive that any prog
ress has thus far been made toward the
pacification Of the island or that the sit
uation of affairs as depicted in my last
annual message has improved. If Spain
still holds Havana and the seaports and
all the considerable towns, the insurgents
still roam al will over at least wo-thirds
of the inland country. If the determine
tion of Spain to put down the insurrec-
ton seems but to strengthen with the
lapse of time, and Is evinced by her un-
hesitating devotion of largely increased
military and naval forces to the task
there is much reason to believe that the
insurgents have gained in point of num-
bers and character, and resources, and
are none the less inhexible in their
resolve not to succumb without practi-
cally securing the great objects for which
they took up arms If Spain has not yet
re-establshed her authority, neither
have the insurgents yet made good their
title to be regarded as an Independent
state.
Indeed as the contest has gone on, the
pretense that civil government exists on
the island, except so far as Spain is able
to maintain it, has been practically
abandoned. Spain does keep on foot
such government more or less imper-
fectly, in the large towns and their i'm
mediate suburbs but, that exception be-
ing made, the entire country is either
given over to anarchy or is subject to the
military occupation of one or the other
party.
GOVERNMENT ON PAPER.
1t is reported, indeed on reliable au-
thority that, at the demand of the COM
Hldnucr-lH-cHdISeO Oh the lnSurSenC army
the putative Cuban government has now
given up all attempt to exercise it's func
tions, leaving that government confess
edly what there Is the best reason for sup
posing 1t always to have been in fact,
government merely on paper. Were the
Spanish armies able to meet their an
tagonis.s in the open, or in pitched bat
tie, prompt and decisive results might
be looked for and the immense superior
ity of the Spanish forces in numbers,
discipline and equipment, could hardly
fail to tell greatly to their advantage,
but they are called to face foe that
shuns general engagements, that can
choose and does choose it's own ground,
that from the nature of the country is
visible or invisible at pleasure, and that
fights only from ambuscade and when
all the advantages of position and num-
bers are on its side. In country where
all that is indispensable to life in the
way of food, clothing and shelter is so
easily obtainable especially by those born
and bred on the soil 1t is obvious that
there is hardly a limit to the time dur
ing which hostilities of this sort may be
prolonged. Meanwhile as in all cases
of protracted civil strife, the passions of
the combatants grow more and more
infiamed and excesses on both sides be-
come more frequent and more deplorable.
They are also 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, har-
rass the country at will and plunder its
wretched inhabitants for their advan-
tage. Such a condition of things would
inevitably entail immense destruction OF
property even IL it were the policy Of
both parties to prevent 1t as far as prac-
ticable. But while such seemed to be
the original policy of the Spanish govern
ment it has now apparently abandoned 1T
and is acting upon the same theory as the
insurgents, namely that the exigencies of
the contest require the wholesale annihil-
alton of property, that 1t may not prove of
use and advantage to the enemy.
DESTRUCTION OF THE ISLAND.
1t is to this same end that in pursu-
ance of general orders, Spanish garrisons
are now being withdrawn from the plan
tations and the rural population required
to concentrate itself in the towns. The
sure result would seem to be that the in
dustrial value of the island Is fast di-
minishing, and that unless there is
speedy and radical change in existing
conditions it will soon disappear alto
gether. That value consists very largely,
of course, in its capacity, already much
reduced by the interruptions to tillage
which have taken place during the last
two years. 1t is reliably asserted that
should these Interruptions continue dur
ing the current year, and practically ex-
tend. as is now threatened, to the en-
tire sugar producing territory of the
will be required to restore the land to
its normal productiveness that 1t is ex-
tremeiy doubtful IL capital can be In
duced to even make the attempt.
HOW IT AFFEcTs US.
The spectacle 5f the utter ruin Of an
adjoining country, by nature one Of the
most fertile and charming on the globe,