New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-09
TIE SPANISH DEBT.

A leading Madrid paper. "El impartial, sug
gess n new plan for settling that part OF 'he
Spanish national debt. amounting 10 apon'
$500 900 600. which 1t has pleased the spanish
Government arbitrarily TO saddle upon e"pa
and 10 call the Cuban debt. 1t is that SPAN
should undertake 10 pay the interest ana o'her
charges upon it until the Cuban Republic IS
established and is in 4 position TO assume 'ne
whole burden. when the latter shall take 1t up
interest and principal. Cuba. the paper thihNS'
would soon be able TO do that when lis vast
natural resources were developed under Amcri-
can patronage.
The Madrid paper is Just two-thrds right
It's frs, and third propositions that Spain ought
for the present 70 care for the DEBT. ana mat
Cuba will soon become prosperous and rich' are
10 he accepted and approved. But In respect
10 tho other. which Is the crux OF the whole
matter 1t is irrcdeemaby and evcrlaStngly
wrong At no time. either now or hereafter
should that debit or any part of IT. prnc'pal
or interest, be imposed upon Cuba for payment
or upon any country hut Spain herself
First. on legal grounds 1t may he held that
change of government does not dissolve PRIOR
obligations. Let that be granted, MS geherai
principle Nevertheless. there are cases IN
which such dissolution does legally occur For
example. says Woosey: Where despoticai
Government has contracted debts against a
nation attempting TO recover It's liberties
obligations entered into 10 subjuga;e
.'the people must he regarded as per
"toinlng 10 the Government alone and not rs
resting upon the people AsSurcdy then. the
debt contracted by Spain against Cuba, FOR me
subiugation Of Cuba. pertains to the Govern
ment of Spain alone. and does not rest upon the
people of Cuba. Under the very letter OF the
law Of nations Cuba is freed from Spanish
debts as we'll as from Spanish rule.
Second. on grounds of equity. We have
hitherto shown that the debt is not Cuban. hut
Spanish 1t was incurred without Cubas wish
or consent and not for Cuba's benefit Nor can
it be argued that il is merely Cuba's proportion
of the general debt Of the kingdom and its colo
MES In the first place. II has been kept ana
accounted separate from the general debt. as a
special Indebtedness And in the second place.
it Is entirely out Of proportion to the DEBT or
the pcninsular kingdom According to last
wears statistics. the latest available the PENN
suar populnton was 11:tIooo0 and the PENN
sular debt 81 HES 600; while the Cuban pop
ulation was 1.GO0Oo0 and the Cuban" debt
SOL 900. THUS n debt Of only $40 head
was laid upon the Spaniards while the mp
palllng burden of 500 a head was laid upon the
Cuhans Not much Of Just proportion there
Third. on grounds of simple morals. In so
far as tha; debt was contracted on account OF
Cuba. IT for the suppression of Cuban in
surrcctions. for keeping Cuba in sub'ccton to
Spain. and TO enable Spain to go on squeezing
the orange" for her own selfish profit II would
not he easy TO conceive anything more repug-
nant to good morals than to make people who
have won their freedom pay the cost OF their
own former ensavcment.
No: all talk Of saddling that debt upon Cuba
or the United States should be stopped. at once
and forever 1t IS not Cuhas debt. II Is
SPANS debt. 1t was contracted by Spain. for
Spains benefit. and It should he paid, 10 the
uttermost peseta, by Spain herself