The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-09

After many conferences with the leaders
Of the Conservative, Liberal, and Dlssident-
Conservative parties the Queen Regent Of
Spain has requested Sefor CANovAs DEL
CASTILLO to resume the office Of Prime
Minister, and he has consented to do 30.
Meanwhile, the Cortes having been pro-
rogued, the Liberals are cut of from re-
newing the impressive demonstrations by
which they startled the public mind, and
forced the Premier to bow before the rising
storm of disapproval. We refer, of course,
to the refusal of the Liberal Deputies to oc-
cupy their seats In the legislative chamber,
owing to the assault committed on one of
their members by the Duke Of TETUAN, one
of Sehor CANovAs's colleagues.
The insult, which gave such offence to the
Liberals and to the country, would have
been redressed 1ttingly had Sefor SA-
GAsrA accepted the Queen Regents invita-
tion TO form a Cabinet. The veteran chief
of the Liberals could not, indeed, have gov
erned with the existing Cortes except by
an embarrassing combination with the
Dissident.C Conservatives; but, in accordance
with presidents, a dissolution of Parlia-
ment could nave been substituted for the
present propagation, and, in the actual
state of public feeling, he would have ound
1t easy to obtain a large majority ut the
ballot box. Why Is it that neither Sehor
SAGAsTA nor Marshal MARTINEZ CAMPos
has been willing to take a place of RESPONSE
bility at this conjuncture? Because neither
of them considers that the recent Conserve
tive captain of the ship of State has any
business to drop the helm and shout for a
pilot when he has already driven the vessel
on the rocks. Let CANovAs, they practi-
cally say, stand by his repeated public as
s~ertions that he accepts the whole accounta-
bility for the systematic devastation and
butchery practised by Gen WEYLER, whose
avowed policy it is to make of Cuba a soli-
tude and call it peace. 1t is. in truth, the
programme of CANovAs, which is carried
out ferociously in the central and west
ern departments of the island wherever
WEYLER's columns dare to penetrate, n pro-
gramme the single aim of which is the ami
hilation of property and life. 1t is too late
for WEYLER's principal to disavow the hell
ish plan which he has eulogized he has
mixed the cup and he must drain 1t.
One can understand Mr.. LINCoLN's OBJ
lection to swapping horses when crossing a
stream, but it is natural that harnessed
horses, swept off their feet by a torrent,
should whinny with desire to be cut loose.
The yearning evinced last week by Senior
CANovAs to retire to private life is intelli-
gible, il we assume him to have been
warned by Senior DUPUY DE LONE that the
hour of reckoning Is close ut and From
the moment that the merchants and bank
ers of New York discovered that their
business interests were indistinguisha-
BILE from the promptings of the pop
ular heart and the dictates of human
ity, it seemed likely that the hesitation
of the Executive would quickly cease and
that the destruction of Cuba would be
stopped. For many months, as has been
attested by trustworthy organs of European
opinion, we have been expected by on
looking nations to interpose in the name
of our own commerce wasted and of civil
iZation outraged. We have waited long
enough to satisfy the most inordinate
claims of comfy; we have left too long I'M
needed the appeals to justice and compass
sion. II now we signify to Spain that she
has passed the limit of endurance, and that
her devilish rule in Cuba must come to an
end, not n voice will be heard from Europe
In protest, not a hand will be lifted to re
sist. For intervening to rescue what is left
of the Cuban population and of their islands
resources from extinction, we shall have
the moral mandate of mankind.
By proclaiming that every act Of WEY'
LER's has deserved not only commentator
but applause, Senior CANovAs has forfeited
every title to forbcarance and to pity. Ht
has sown the seed now let him reap thu
harvest. 1t is seemly that history SHOULD
record that in the Canovas administratio
Spain, through her own misconduct, losI
the last and once most Respondent jewel II
the carcanet of her American possessions.