The herald., 1898-03-26
APPROACHING A CLIMAX

The president and his cabinet are rep
resented as still believing peaceful So
luton of the Cuban imbroglio possible
provided congress is not carried off its
feet" by the language and the findings
of the Maine court of inquiry, following
10 closely upon the disclosures made or
the floor of the senate by Messrs. Proc
tor, Gallinger and Thurston.
A declaration of war being the sole
prerogative Of congress, and the mem
bers being wrought up to thel highest
state of excitement and patriotic indig-
nation by these developments, Sc
dramatically unfolded, the executives
apprehensions are not without reason.
This danger, averted, however, there
will be at least temporary calming OF
the troubled waters; temporary truce
depending for it's life upon the patience
and composure of the people and theii
short breathing spell, as it were, and
time for reflection and-further prepara-
tion.
It is scarcely within the bounds of pos
complacently await the outcome of the
parliamentary elections in Spain. as has
been limited, since they will not occur fol-
full month, nor is it clear what bearing
that event can have upon the main
question, except to further aggravate the
conditions now existing in Cuba. The
elections can result in but one of two
ways-either in a victory for the Liberal
party, and a prolongation of the present
abortive scheme of the Sagasta ministry
of forcing autonomy upon the insur-
gents, or the overthrow of that ministry
and the return to power of the ultra war
party, with Weyler at its head, and the
substitution of active Weylerism for
passive Weylerism in the conduct of the
campaign.
There is, to be sure, another party in
Spain, but it is one which cares less for
Cuba than for an opportunity to seize
the reins of government, and which may
find it in the confusion likely to follow
a close contest at the polls.
1t is quite as difficult for the people of
the United States to comprehend Span
Spaniards to understand prevailing SEN
timent here. The people of both coun-
tries have been kept in the dark for a
long time regarding the true condition
cf off oirc hoc
to this hour withheld the reports of the
federal consuls in Cuba, refusing to per-
nit their contents to even reach con-
gress, although a formal demand was
long since made upon him. He has,
within day or two. admitted that he
dared not let them be made public, lest
war should be precipitated before the
country was prepared for it. Members
of the senate and house have been COM
PEELED to pay personal visits to the
stricken country, in order to obtain the
facts, which were under lock and key
in the state department-facts furnished
by sworn officers of the government, who
for years have lived in the midst of the
great CHdrudl mousse, ana VINO better
know what has taken place on the island
since the revolution began, and what the
conditions are at this time, than does
anyone else, because their observations
have extended over the whole island, and
have not been confined to the one single
storm center on the coast. If not in the
midst of carnage, they have yet never
been out of sight of that more insidious
destroyer, Famine, which became the
willing ally of Weyler in the subjugation
and determination of a liberty-loving
people.
Consul General Lee, too, has lately
conceded that he purposely deceived the
government and the people of this
country regarding the terrible effects of
the starving policy in Cuba, deliberately
cutting in two the recorded number of
deaths, fearing a truthful report would
be discredited at WASHINGTON. and
throw doubts upon all of the statements
he might be forced TO make in his official
correspondence.
And If the people of the United States.
with their superior education and intel
- -, . 'i- -'~i
ligence, and their more improved meth
DDS of communication and Interchange
of thought and sentiment, have been
cropping in the dark through all of the
weary months, while hundreds of thous-
ands of non-combatants We're being sys-
tematically starved to death almos.
within sight of our shores, what must
be the conditions existing in Spain, where
an imperial and autocratic government
never takes the people into it's confidence