The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-08-13

whelming majority to the cortes in ia
vor of the policy of his cabinet, al
though the opposition charged that the
ministerialists carried many of the
election districts by gross fraud.
HIS RECENT RESIGNATION.
June End last Senior Canovas pre-
scented the resignation of the cabinet
owing to the difficulty ministers had in
carrying on the overn in view of
the parliamentary situation caused by
the refusal of the liberals to take part
in the deliberations OF the cortes. This
attitude of the liberals was due to a
personal encounter between the duke
of Tetuan, minister of foreign affairs,
and Professor Comas, a distinguished
liberal senator, on May 21st, when the
duke slapped the face of the professor
after a heated debate on the Morgan
belligerency resolution adopted by the
United States senate. After four days
Of conferences with the leaders of all
political parties, the queen regent re-
Quested Canovas to withdraw the res
ignation OF the cabinet, and he did SO,
being confirmed by the crown in his
ministerial powers with the personnel
and policy OF the cabinet unchanged.
SECRETARY SHERMAN'S VIEW.
Washington, August s.-This govern
ment probably has already received
the IOTUldi uOLlIlcdIlOu OI Tue dSSdSSl-
nation Of Premier Canovas, but if so
it is locked up with other dispatches in
the state department, and will not be
known until Secretary Sherman
reaches the department tomorrow
morning. Immediately the state de-
partment, according to it's usual Gus
tom, will announce the event to the
president, and the latter will, in some
way, make formal and public express
-s-- -~ro~1;-- H. 1A1o
regret. Just in what form this express
sion will be couched is not known, for
precedents differ, but it doubtless will
be a dispatch to the Spanish govern
ment, simple and sympathetic in it's
terms.
Secretary of State Sherman received
the news through an unofficial source
tonight. He expressed deep interest in
the details and said: This deplorable
event will have some effect, Of course,
on the political affairs of Spain, but
to what extent I cannot say. The
| death of one man is not necessarily
going to change the sentiment of the
whole country. Spain is a very tena-
cious country. Her money is gone, her
| u have been exhausted, but she
means, evidently, to hold on to Cuba.
Just how she can do it, under these
circumstances, I cannot see, yet she is
opposed to yielding a point.
THE EFFECT ON CUBA.
Premier Canovas was a strong par
tisan. He was the chief exponent Of
the element which vas determined to
keep the Islands at all hazards. Seem
ingly Spain is almost a unit on this.
Canovas was a strong factor in the
government of Spain, but it is not i'm
possible that another will be found to
replace him in that important office
having similar views and the same
pronounced ideas. How it may be in
this case I am not able to say, but the
effects, politically, of such an event are
! not essentially far-reaching and have
not always produced radical develop
| ment.
LAS to the consequences on the con-
fict in Cuba I do not care to talk. I
have no official information of the as
! sassinatiOn, n must refrain from
| v%enturing guesses as to how it may af-
feet the future." Asked as to how long
he now thought the Cuban insurrec-
ton might last, he replied that was
! problematical and he did not care to
discuss it.
He added that he had heard various
names of prominent leaders in Spain
mentioned, but he was not we'll inform
ed as to them, and there was nothing
on which he could base a prediction as
to Canovas' probable successor.
SENATOR MORGAN'S VIEWS.
Senator Morgan, of Alabama, a men,
Der Of the foreign affairs committee
of the senate, and the champion Of Gu
ba in that body, said the assassination
might be the forerunner of a COM
| plete change of government, a republic
replacing the monarchy. This, he
thought, was h present tendency,
and today's event he regarded as an
evidence of the disintegration of the
Spanish government. He added:
This affair is going to create a COM
plete revulsion throughout the whole
of Spain. That country is now in a very
shaky condition. 1t is doubtless true
that today's assassin was an anarchist,
but the act is representative of a feel
ing that exists all over the country.
A republican party has already attain
ed great strength, though, Of course
operations have to be largely conceal
ed. The the universal testimony is
/ that the bulk of the Spanish army in
| Cuba is made up Of young men. This
has broken up families all over the
land, and their dispatch to the island
to be led by Weyler has developed a
powerful sentiment in Spain. Why are
the veterans kept at home?
Look at this powerful republican ell
ement hat has grown up, the effect of
denuding the country of it's young men
and the personal a~ntagonism thus en-
gendered; the proximity of Spain to the
broad, liberal influences Of the French
republic, where there are ties of mu-
tual affection and the government ex-
erts itself to hold it's citizens. The act
does not mean a personal prejudice
against Canovas, but against his polit-
ical stand Ind views and the extreme
| element he represents. 1t was the we'll
| developed symptom Of the most deep
| seated antagonism to the creed Of the
Canovas party. The Barcelona incl
lent gave evidence of the tremendous
anti-administration operations and the
stricken premier's Endorsement Of Wey-
Ter, putting him in command of Bar
| celona after that affair. greatly added
to Canovas' u~npopularity. The indica-
tons point to the assassination as a re-
suit Of that Barcelona incident.
Il believe that the administration
will realize the overwhelming influence