The Portland daily press., 1896-12-08

guerilla warfare of the interior so thai
VEG insurgents, being relieved OF tine nee. M
Vi maintaining and garrisoning polnt'
upon The coast, are effectively aDle u
uIlllze a considerable pars OF u hs ooua
SION Offers, to communicate Wlth 6ne ou1
side world and to receive clandest1ne sup
piles OF men and ammunition.
| The situation in that quarter, as re,
CARDS the case of surreptious access anu 9.
the difficulty of reprsssing illicle tralno, ~
nnos not unapt parallel in fhaG oi wy
cornish and Welsh coasts OF hngiamu a,'
| ana Scottish highlands In the last oen
tury, where few adyenturers were aple
to smuggle supplies and lana repei
emissaries or forces, battling the watch
OF the maritime forces much areatar Cnai' 9i
those maintained by Spain along 1he III
versif1ed shores of Cuba.
| While thus in fact controlling tne grehI-
er part Of the internal arena OF the Wnoie
island of Cuba, from Cape San antonio
to Cape Maisl, and enJoining practlcally
Unlimited use of an equally large part OF
| the coast, the revolutionary forces are
| scattered, being now here unlted Iof any
length of time to form an army capable
of attack or seige, and 1T to take 5he
defensive in pitched battle. L.
| So far as our information shows, Ghere
| is not oily no effective local government
\ by the insurgents in the territories they
overrun, but there is not even tangible
pretense to estab blished administration
anywhere. THERE organization. confined TO
| the shifting xigencies of the military
operations of the hour, is nomadio. WITH
| out definite centres and ATTACKING 6he
most elementary feature of municipal
| government.
There nowhere appears the nucleus OF
statehood. The machinery for exerois,
| ing the legitimate rights and powers OF
| sovereignty and responding TO the opll-
cations which de facto sovereignty en-
tails In the face of equal rights OF other
states is conspicuously lacking.
tbs not possible to discern a homoge-
neous political entity, possessing and ex-
ercising the functions of administration
and capable, If left to itself, of maintain
| ing orderly government in it's own terri
| tory and sustaining normal relations
with the external family of governments.
| In opposition to the nomadic control
| of the interior and the undefended coast
| by tine Insurgents, the Spanish authority
continues In the capital cities and sea-
ports. It's garrisOns are there esta bl1shed I;
| from them it's naval operations are direct
ed, and executed. Most of its functions
proceed as in the time of peace. Its
customs and municipal revenues are
regularly collected. and with the excep-
tion of the temporary restraints, alleged
to be due to the admitted existence OF a
state of hostilities, foreign commerce
with the island is kept up, although
| largely diminished by the natural con-
traction of the Cuban market Of supply
and demand.
| AS to those parts of the island with
which this country and its citizens main
tain legitimately normal intercourse, the
! Spanish power is supreme, although b
l nffQr oyprCiaad In "a UaxatIQu1 and arDt-
trary way, calling for just remonstrance.
The only apparent aim on either side is
| to cripple the adversary by indiscriml-
nate destruction, of all that by any
change may benefit them. The populous
and wealthy districts of the centre and
the west, which have escaped harm in.
| former contests, are now ravaged and
laid waste by the blind fury OF the re-
| spective partisans.
The rinoiples of civilized warfare, &C.
cor irg TO the code made sacred by the
univel AL aequieseenoe of nations, are
only $40 often violated with impunity by
| irresponsible su bofdinateS, acting at a
distance from the central authority and
able to shield themselves from just cen
sure or punishment base or falsified
| versions of the facta.
| The effect upon the personal security
| of our citizens in Cuba is not the only
alhTluluS l6htufo Ul bu0 reign oI al v. uIfsI y
| anarchy in the island. It's influence upon
| the fortune of those who have invested
| their capital and enterprise there on the
assumed assurance of respect for law and
| treaty rights, is no less in point. In the
nature of things and having regard to
| the normal productions and trade of the
| island, most of these ventures have been
made In the sugar and tobacco growing
and stock raising districts now given
| over to civil war.
A gross estimate of $50, 900. 600 would
be more likely to fall under than over
| the mark. A large proportion OF these
| Investments is now exposed to the ex-
| csptional vioissitudes of the war. Estates
have been isolated and crops destroyed by
the insurgents and Spaniards alike.
From whatever point of view we regard
the matter, it is impossible not to dis
| Germ that state of things exists at our
| doors alike dangerous to good relations,
destructive Of legitimate oOmmerce, fatal
60 the Internal resources of Cuba, and
most vexatious and trying. because en-
| failing upon this government excessive
burdens in its adm inistratlon and in its
outward returns. This situation cannot
indefinitely continue without growing
still worse, and the time may not be far
distant when the United States must
seriously consider whether its rights and
interests as well as It's international
duties in view of It's peculiar relations on
the island don't call for some decided
| change in the policy hitherto pursued.
In April last the Competitor, small
schooner of American registry, eluded
the vigilance of the federal authorities,
took on board men and supplies, pre-
| sumahly intended to aid the Cuban in
surgents, and reached the coast OF that
island near San Cayetaao. Being dis
covered by the Spanish coast guard. a
conflict ensued, resulting in the cap
ture of a number of those on board as
we'll as the seizure of the vessel. The
prisoners, among them several American
citizens were subjected to summary
military trial which, although conduot-
ed by the admiralty court, alleged to be
competent, appeared to have lacked the
essential safeguards of the procedure
| stipulated Ivy existing conventions be-
tween the United States and Spain.
sThis government promptly INTERVIEWED
to secure for it's implicated citizens all
the rights to which they We're clsarly en-
titled, including an appeal from tho pro-
nounced ssntence of death. Their cases
were subsequently carried to the higher
tribunal at Madrid. which has set con-
viction aside and remanded the cases for
re trial.
This government has been constrained