The herald., 1896-12-08
ANGELES TUESDAY MORNING. DECEMBER

to our own interest 1t has since been
and IL 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 government
exists there, unless the will Of a military
officer in temporary command Of a par
ticular district can be dignified as
species of government. 1t is now also
suggested that the United States should
buy the island, a suggestion possibly
worthy Of consideration. were there any
evidence of desire or willingness on the
part of Spain to entertain such por-
posal. 1t is urged, finally that all other
methods failing, the existing internecine
strife in Cuba should be terminated by
our intervention, even at the cost of a
war between the United States and
Spain-a war which its advocates conf.
IDENTIFY prOphesy could be neither large in
its proportions nor doubtful In its issue.
The correctness of this forecast need be
reither affirmed nor denied.
The United States has nevertheless a
character to maintain as a nation, which
plainly dictates that right and not might
should be the rule of it's conduct. Fur
tner. though the United States is not Il
nation to which peace is necessity: 1t
is In truth the most pacific of powers
and desires nothing SO mucn as to live
in amity with all the world. Its own
ample and diversified domains satisfy all
possible longings for territory, preclud-
ing all dreams of conquest and prevent
any casting of covetouS eyes upon neigh
boring regions, however attractive. That
our conduct toward Spain and her do
minions has shown no exception to this
national disposition, Is made manifest
by the course Of our government not on
ly thus far during the present insurrec-
ton, but during the ten years that fol-
lowed the rising at Yara in 1868.
No other great power, it may safely
be said. under circumstances of similar
perplexity, would have manifested the
same restraint and the same patient en-
durance. 1t may also be said that this
persistent attitude of the United States
towards Spain in connection with the
Cuban question unQuestionably evinces
no slight respect and regard for Spain
on the part of the American people. They
in truth do not forget her connection with
the discovery of the western hemis-
phere, nor do they underestimate the
great qualities of the Spanish people,
nor fail fully to recognize their splendid
patriotism and their chivalrous devo-
tion to the national honor. They view
with wonder and admiration the cheer
ful resolution with which vast bodies Of
men are sent across thousands of miles
OF ocean and an enormous debt accu-
mulated that the costly possession of
the Gem of the Antilles may still hold
its place in the Spanish crown. And
yet neither the government nor the
people in the United States have shut
their eyes to the course of events in
Cuba or have failed to realize the extent
or conceded grievances which have led
to the present revolt from the authority
OF Spain-grievances recognized by the
queen regent and by the coltes, voiced
by the most patriotic and enlightened of
ov-J -,
party. and demonstrated by reforms
proposed by the executive and approved
by the legislative branch of the Span
ish government. 1t is in the assumed
temper and disposition of the Spanish
government to remedy these grievances
opinion In Spain, that this gov
ernment has hoped to discover
the most promising and effective means
OF composing the present strife with
honor and advantage to Spain and with
the achievement of all the reasonable
objects of insurrection.
1t would seem that IL Spain would Of
fer Cuba autonomy, measure of home
rule. while preserving the sovereignty
OF Spain. would satisfy all rational re-
quirements of her Spanish subjects,
there should be no just reason why the
pacification of the island might not be
effected on that basis.
true interest of all concerned. 1t would
at once stop the conflict which is now
consuming the resources of the island,
and making 1t worthless for whichever
party may ultimately prevail. 1t would
keep intact the possessions Of Spain
without touching her honor. which will
be consulted rather than impugned by
the adequate redress of admitted griev-
ances.
MT thnv ritz Nf no. tel
and and the fortunes of It's inha bitants
within their own control, without sever
ing the national and ancient ties which
bind them to the mother country, and
would yet enable them to test their ca
pacity for se1f-government under the
most favorable conditions. 1t has been
objected on the one side that Spain
would not promise autonomy until her
insurgent subjects lay down their arms,
on the other side that promised autOno-
my, however liberal, is insufficient be-
cause without assurance of the promise
being fulfilled; but the reasonabeness
of the requirement by Spain, of uncondi-
tional surrender on the part of the insur-
gent Cubans before their autonomy is
conceded, is not altogether apparent.
1t ignores important features of the sit
uaton, the stability two years dura-
tion has given to the insurrection, the
feasibility of its indefinite prolongation,
as in the nature of things and as is
shown by past experience; the utter and
imminent ruin of the island unless the
present strife Is speedily composed;
above all, the rank abuses all parties in
Spain, all branches of her government
and all her leading public men concede
to exist and profess a desire to remove.
Failing such circumstances, to with
hold the proffer of needed reforms until
the parties demanding them put them
selves at mercy by throwing down their
arms has the appearance of neglecting
the gravest of perils and inviting sus-
picion as to the sincerity of any pro-
fessed willingness to grant reforms
The objection on behalf of the insur-
gents-that promised reforms cannot
be relied upon-must of course be con-
sidered, though we have no right to as
sumo and no reason for assuming that
anything Spain undertakes to do for the
relief of Cuba will not be done according
to both the spirit and the letter of the
undertaking.
Nevertheless, realizing that suspicious
and precautions on the part of the weak
er of the two combatants are always
natural and not always unjustifiable-
being sincerely desirous in the inter-
ests Of both, as well as on it's own ac-
count, that the Cuban problem should be
solved with the least possible delay-it
was intimated by this government to
the government of Spain some months
ago that If satisfactory measures of
home rule were rendered the Cuban in
n,rJI ho tod n t1,av,,