Evening star., 1896-12-07
7 H E M E S S A G E
CONTINUED from First Page)

those who seek to avoid the periis which
threaten them IN Turkish dominions.
Our recently appointed consul to Erzerou!ll
is at his post and discharging the duties
of his office, though for some unaccounta-
BILE reason. his formal exequatur from the
sultan has not been issued. GO not De-
lieIe that the present somber prospect
in Turkey will be long permitted to offend
the sight of Christendom. 1t so mars
the humane ard enlightened civilization
that belongs to the close of the nineteenth
century that it seems hardly possible that
the earnest demand of coed people
throughout the Christian world for its
corrective treatment will remain unan-
swered.
THE STRUGGLE IN CUBA.
The insurrect.on in Cuba still continues
with all it's perplexities. 1t is difficult to
perceive that any progress has thus far
teen made towards the pacifcation of the
island or that the situation of affairs as de-
picteI in my last annual message has in
the least improved. If Spain st.ll holds
Havana and the seaports and all the con-
siderable towns, the insurgents still roam
at will over at least two-thirds of the in
land country.
If the determination of Spain to put down
with the lspse of time. and is evinced by
her unhesitat!ng devotion of largely in
creased military and naval forces to the
task, there is much reason to believe that
the Insurgents have gained in point of
numbers, and character, and resources, and
are none the less infieXible in their resolve
not to succumb, without practically Secur-
ing the great objects for which they took
Up arms. If Spain has not yet re-establsh-
ed her authority neither have the insur-
sents yet made good their title to be re-
garded an indepe ndent state. Indeed as
the contest has gone on the pTetense that
civil government exists on the island, eX-
cept 50 far Spain is able to mainta it,
has been practically abandoned. Spain does
keep on foot such a government, more or
less imperfectly. in the large towns and
their immediate suburbs But. that excep-
ton being made, the entire country is
either given over to anarchy Or IS subject
to the military occupation of or the
other party. 1t is reported, indeed. on re-
Hablt authority that, at the demand of the
comnander-in-chief of the insurgent army.
the putative Cuban government has now
given up all attempt to exercise it's func-
tioas leaving that government confessedly
(what there is the best reason for suppos-
ing it always to have been in facD a gov
eminent merely on paper.
An Ambuscnded Enemy.
Were the Spanish armies able to meet
their antagonists in the open in pitched
hattie prompt and decisive results might be
looked for, ard 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 foe that shuns gen
eral engagements. that can choose and
does choose lis ground, that from the
nature of the country is visible or invisible
al pleasure, and that fights only from am
busc;tce and when all the advantages CT
position and numbers on its side. In
country where all that is Indispensable to
life in the way of food. clothing and shelter
is easily Ob;ainafle. especially by those
horn and bred On the soil. ii is obvious that
there is hardly limit to the tine during
which hostilities of this sort may be pro-
lcngel. Meanwhile, as in all cases of pro-
tracted civil strife, the passions of the
Con5atantS grow more and more infiamed
and eXceSSeS both sides become more
frequent and more deplorable. They are
also participated in by bands of nlarauders
"hc- now IN the name of one party and
now IN the name of the other. may best
suit the occasion, harry the country at will
and pluIder its wretched inhabitants for
the4r own advantage Such condition of
things would inevitably entail immense de-
struct-on of property. even if it were the
poilcy OF both parties to prevent it as far as
practicable. But while such seemed to be
the original policy Of the Spanish govern
hleht 1t has now apparently abandoned it
and Is acting upon the same theory as the
insurgents, namely. that the exigencies of
the contest require the wholesale annihiIa-
to'i OF the property that it may no. prove
Vi use and advantage to the enemy
Destruction of Sugar interests.
1t is TO tie same end thar IN n;,rsn,noa
CT general orders, Spanish ga-risons are
now being Withdrawn from plantations and
the rural population required to concea-
trSte Itself in the towEs. The sure result
woul. seem To be that the industrial value
oil the island is fast diminishing and that
Unless there is speedy and RADICAL change
IN existing conditions. it will soon disap-
pear altogether. That value consists yery
largely, Of course, in its capacity to pro-
ducc sugar-a capacity already much re-
duced by the interruptions 10 tiliage which
have taken place during the last two wears
Ii is reliably asserted that should tn .s..
interruptions continue during the current
year. and practically extend as is now
threatened, TO the entire sugar product IL
territory of the island. so much time and
so much money will be required to re-
store the land TO its normal productiveness
that 1t is extremely doubtful if capital can
be induced TO even make the attempt
The spectacle of the utter Iuin of an ad-
joining country, by nature one of the most
fertile and charming on the globe would
engage the serious attention of the gov
Crnment and people of the United Sta tes
in any circumstances. In point OF fact
they have a concern with il which is by 20
means OF a wholly sentimental or phil ln-
thropic character. 1t lies SO near to US IS
to be hardly separated from territory
our actual pecuniary interest ia it is second
only to that of the people and government I
of Spain 1t is reasonably estimated that
at least from SiOcUsU to S5DOgiUOO of
American capital invested in pla lta-
tions and in railroad. mining and other
business enterprises the island. The
volume of trade between the United States
and Cuba, which in 1889 amounted to about
$64OOO,WO, rose in 1s?3 to about S103 100000
in 1891, the year before the present insur-
rection broke out, amounted to nearly $685.
OOO.GN. Besides this large pecuniary stake
in the fortunes of Cuba the United States
finds itself inextriC ably involved in the