The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-01-06
SUMTER. S. c.. WEDNESDAY. JANUARY g. 1897

are passionately calling on Senor
Canovas to appeal to Europe and defy
the Americans.
Last night senor Salma on, leader
of the Republican party and once
President of the Republic. left
Madrid to fire the Cataonian heart
against the Government. | saw him
while he was taking leave of his
friends He told me that this was a
critical moment in Spanish history.
Sagasta's !ieutenants are arousing the
public mind to the necessity of i'm
mediateIy granting local self govern
ment to Cuba in order to avoid war
with the United States.
Every hour the excitement in
creases All seem to feel that the
existence of the present Spanish dy
nasty is involved in supreme peril.
Canovas is firm as rock. As he
said to me, he is determined not to
yield an inch to the sentiment of the
civilized world until the Cubans are
beaten to the earth.
But while the death of Maceo has
served to deceive the common mind,
the Prime Minister knows that the
Cubans are stronger than ever and
that Weyler's campaign is failure
There is no braver nor more pa
triotic Spaniard than Canovas, but
the tide is rising at home and abroad
He tried to negotiate a war loan in
france and failed He succeeded in
raising domestic war loan of about
S64,0Oo,0o0 in gold. but within
three months the money will be ex-
hausted, and then where can the Gov
ernment look for funds !?
The revolution in the Philippines
is spreading f; the war in Cuba be-
comes more expensive every month
a strong garrison must be kept in
Spain. for the Carlists are armed to
the teeth and strongly organized,
and no man can say when the Span
ish Pretender may change his attl.
tude and give the signal from Italy
for revolution
Meanwhile the hatred for Ameri-
cans increases and the position of the
American Minister in Madrid grows
more painful The guard of soldiers
at his door protects him from actual
violence, but it cannot save him
from social ostracism.
The cry for an appeal to armed
Europe rises clear and distinct above
all other sounds in this mighty con-
fict Cuba must be crushed and the
United States humiliated So far
Canovas has resisted the pressure to
invite war. but it is hard to say at
what moment his strong heart may
fail him. He knows that Spain is
unequal to an armed struggle with
the United States, and he fears to ap
proach the European powers for as
sistance lest he might offend the
American people and hurry his coun
try into instant war.
The situation is grave beyond the
power of words to express Only a
few months ago Spain prepared an
appeal to Europe against the United
States, but was checked by the sud
den and bold action of the American
Minister Although Mr.. Taylor and
the State Department have declined
to make the facts public. the whole
story has leaked out in diplomatic
circles. and. to-day / am in possession
of nearly all the facts.
The surprising thing is that Con-
gress and the American public Lave
been kept in ignorance of an event
so tremendous that but for an acci
dental discovery by Minister Taylor,
followed by his instant protest, the
United States might have been forced
to. face hostile coalition of European
nations, compared to which the
Holy Alliance, which Monroe de6ed,
was insignificant.
give the following facts to the
American public upor authority
which is beyond dispute
Last July the Spanish Court moved
to its Summer quarters at San Sebas
tian, accompanied by the whole diplc
matte corps A few weeks before the
the Spanish Minister of Foreign Af
fairs, the Duck of Tetuan, held con.
ferences with the six European Am
bassadors.
He informed them that it was the
purpose of the Queen Regent to send
an identical note to the six first class
powers, asking them to address
note of advice and warning to the
United States on the subject of
American interference in Cuban af-
fairs Mr.. Taylor knew nothing
IL "A &l,.a So..:al,