The record-union., 1897-11-16
GEN. s1cKLEs ON SPAIN.
He Makes Sharp Answer to Senior
Castelar,

CASTELAR,.
| General Daniel E Sickles. United
| States Minister to Spain srom 1863 10
1874, makes an interesting contribution
| to the New York Herald" in the con-
| troverSy over the Cuban question.
| which Hannis Taylor has done so much
| to enliven. In upholding that gentle
mans position. both as regards the
propriety thereof and the conclusions
| set forth, General Sickles dsclaims en-
phatically any lingo" spirit. His re-
| ply to Senior Emilio Castelar's satiric
references to him, published in the
| Herald" is mild in tone. He contents
| himself with correcting some of the
Minister'S statements and expressing
| surprise at the necessity With Mr..
| Taylor, he sees a solution of the Cuban
| problem only in intervention by this
| country. and hints that the State De-
partment in Washington approved, il
| it did not inspire, the articles which
| have created violent excitement in
! Madrid
After giving attention to Senior Caste
lar at some length, he recites a little
| interesting history:
The enumeration of grievances in
! WI iNNisNi ASiOi4 vi 1llQcpSliuCiiNS - ~
| statement of trivial complaints COM
pared with the long catalogue of wrongs
Cuba has endured for the last fifty
| years.
My relations with Senior CASTELAR,"
| continued General Sickles more gently.
'and with all the men in authority dur
ing my residence in Madrid were on
the most friendly, frank and agreeable
footing. I saw no evidence of unkind-
ness toward me from anybody in Spain.
My sentiments toward Senior CASTELAR,
are those of admiration and esteem. l
trust l have said nothing to-day in
consistent with the highest personal re-
gard for him.
Having deposited these Goals of fire
with deprecatory air, General Sickles
was ready to talk of Hannis Taylor.
He had no criticism to offer on that
gentleman's procedure
DO you consider it a violation of
diplomatic proprdety," 1 asked, for a
| returned Minister to make a public
statement regarding his official acts?'
Il do not" he answered. Mr.. Taylor
did not have a word to say about Gu
ban affairs until he reached home and
until after he had visited Washington.
| have no doubt that the publication
OF his views was sanctioned by the
State Department He has not dis
closed any instructions given to him
by our Government while he was in
| Office. He is a private citizen. The
question is of absorbing interest in this
| country, and his contribution to our
knowledge of the matter will be valu
| able to Congress and the people. His
views are temperately expressed and
are the result of patient, close observa-
ton. Mr. Taylor endeavored, as l did,
| dlhgently and earnestly, to restore
| peace in Cuba and to point out means
by which Spanish sovereignty in Cuba
| could be maintained as has English
| sovereignty in Canada-by wise admin
| istration, conceding home rule. He
| failed, as 1 failed, to convince Spanish
| statesmen that some means must be-
| found to end the irreconcilable con-
| fiict between Spanish colonial rule and
the American ideas of government the
Cubans have learned by contact with
| the United States.
CUBANS ARE AMERICANS.
There is the root of the trouble. The
Cubans are Americans, and their ideas
and Spanish ideas are irreconcilable.
Mr.. Taylor has pointed out the hope
| lessness of this conflict, and in this. it
seems to me, has rendered a public SER
vice to his countrymen."
would Spain now accept the media
ton of the United States?" I in
quired
L offered it during the last insur-
rection." said General Sickles, "on the
basis of Cuban independence. General
Prdm, who was a man of good sense
entertained the suggestion and we dis
cussed the subject thoroughly He was
much in advance of his colleagues and
of Spanish thought in his views on
Cuba. He undertook, if a few months
We're given to him, to prepare the pub
llc Tor what he regarded as inevitable
the loss of Cuba. The records of the
State Department afford abundant
proof of his views and plans and of the
amount of indemnity he would expect.
Senor CASTELAR, states, in SUNDAYS
Herald, that l proposed, on behalf Of
our Government, to buy Cuba. I never
maze any such proposition. l am salts
lied that If General Grant had not been
SO impatient for action, General Prim
and L would have reached an under
standing on the basis of Cuban inde-
pendence, with an adequate indemnity
to Spain. We did not desire then. nor
do we now, the annexation of Cuba and
no overture was made by me in that
direction. Unfortunately while Cen
eral Prim was preparing the way for
the arrangement have described was
instructed by Mr. Fish, Secretary of
State, to present our proposition for
mally and in writing, and to ask for an
immediate reply. Accordingly, / sent
note to Senior Becerra, Acting Minister
of Foreign Affairs, acquainting him
with the basis of our proposed mediation
looking to the independence of Cuba.
This happened while General Prim and
Senor Silvela, Minister of State were at
Vlchy, France, taking the waters.
Senior Becerra had not been prepared
by General Prim for such communica
ton. The Madrid papers were informed
of my note, and all Spain was instantly
in ferment.
FATAL TO THE PLAN.
General Prim hastened back to
Madrid and informed me that the pre-
mature development of the negotiations
was fatal to any hope Of success for
year, perhaps. Public opinion, he said,
must be allowed time for reflection and
composure. The knowledge that Cen
eral Prim contemplated a peaceful ar
rangement with the United States on the
basis Of independence for Cuba and the
abolition of slavery led to his assassina-
ton not long afterward, and with that
tragic event the negotiation ended. There
was no Spanish statesman then in power
who had the courage or the influence to
reconciIa Spain to the indenendpuce of