The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-12-03
Gae @essenger.
WILL THE CONGRESS DECLARE
FOR CUBAN INDEPENDENCE

1t is noticeable what a change has
1Asen place in regard to Cuba within
n month or less. 1t is very certain
shat the article in the North American
Review by Hon. Hannis Taylor, ex-
minister to Spain, and his subsequent
speech in New York state. have had a
decided influence over numbers Of the
congress, and perhaps the cabinet.
He was abused for writing the paper
referred to and a certain class OF or
K2nB INDUCED in captious and very free
criticism, but he vas not moved. The
truth Is he voiced the sentiments and
reflected the feelings of a large element
0( Americans who were neither plottcrs
nor limoges" They had grown tired
Of the butcheries of men and women
and the ruin Of a rich island lying so
close to the American coast, and they
wanted the cruelties stopped. For a
long time all that most Of the friends OF
Cuba ventured to favor or demand was
recognition OF belligerency by the
american government. But quite re-
Gently all this is changed, and the cry
NOW is for a more aggressive attitude
to recognize the independence OF
Cuba It Is very probable that this
will come before six months pass. 1t
may come before the first session OF the
new congress ends. We notice that
Senate Mason of Illinois, republican.
md Senator Mills. democrat. Of Texas,
stand for the favoring independence.
Senator Gallinger, Of New Hampshire,
republican. favors belligerency only;
Senator Teller, populist, favors bellig-
~rency and more, while Jeter Pritchard,
N North Carolina, by way Of Tennes-
see. has not come to a conclusion, be-
yond belligerency. The recognition OF
s,elligerency at this stage OF the game
will be practically Of but little advant-
age- The picture that ex-Minister Tay-
For gives Of Spain and the reform 1T
promises, in his address at Cornell I'm
tyersity, ought to have real effect upon
American legislation as it must have
upon the people who shall read what
he says. He is showing himself a de-
cidedly able man in public address as
had before proved himself in diplomacy,
and lac years ago in his most memori
able work on the British constitution.
A mar Of character, Of acquisition, of
rare abilities, of courage of conviction
the Spanish sympathizing press a not
howl him down.. He chose to use his
large observation, his knowledge
gained while in Spain representing his
country in an official capacity, and he
was bounced upon all around for bad
faith, bad etc. His speeches
<two in number) have impressed even
some who were swift to censure him
for his contribution to the North Amer
lcan Review. OF the reform-so called
-meditated by Spain for Cuba, Mr..
Taylor said this at Cornell:
Cuba, in the agony of an economic
crisis had appealed to Spain to give
her the power to SO regulate her own
affairs as to make bread; the reply
was a stone in the form Of the sham
Abarzuza law, which was to worthless
TO excite even the flattery Of hope. The
only thing like a local legislature that
law proposed was a council Of admins
tration, one half Of whose members
the Crown could appoint, and whose
presiding officer was the governor gen.
eral, who was not only authorized to
suspend the council as a whole, but
also to suspend individual members Of
the council Of administration as long
AS a number OF councillors sufflclent
TO form a quorum remains.
That phantom body. which the
Vice Royal patron could set aside at
will, was only endowed with advisory
powers. And yet I desire to impress
upon you the fact that that is the only
form of a local legislature that Spain
has so far offered to Cuba under the
sanction Of national law Why, then,
should anybody wonder that the
Abarzuza law hould have been con-
temptuously set aside at the beginning
OF the recent conflict as unworthy OF
consideration? Such was the condition
OF things when Senior Sagasta was
called upon to put down the present
revolt at the point Of the sword"
That surely is another instance of
Juggling with methods of relief n
offering a scorpion when Cubans sued
for blessings. What intelligent, patri-
otto Cuban could be deceived with such
a pretense or be satisfied to await the
Issue Of such a false offering? Mark
you Mr.. Taylor is not only a close OBJ
server, an able writer, but he has had
the peculiar advantages Of four years
sturdy in the Spanish court. He is
thoroughly posted. OF the real situa-
eion now the ex-minister says this:
During the last three years Spain
mas expended in the Cuban war twice
as much money and has sent to the
island twice as many soldiers as Great
Britain employed during our entire
revolutionary struggle. The result is
THAT the military and pecuniary re-
sources of Spain have been exhausted
without results.
lou Of the 200, 900 men she has sent
to the island, not over 0,000 are now
effective, and if she attempts to force
a large body of fresh soldiers to go
from the peninsula, there will be
xnutiny and resistance. She has al