New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-02
SPANISH TESTIMONY ABOUT CUBA.

The time Is past for any extended discus
sion Of the right or desire Of the Cuban people TO
be Independent OF Spain. That question Is being
settled by sterner means than argument But
as a matter of record It may be well 10 vindicate
the cause OF Cuban freedom out OF the mouths
Of the Spaniards themselves. This Is most
effectively done In an utterance OF General Pola-
vieja, which has just been made public.
General Polavieja. II will be remembered, was
Marshal Bancos predecessor as Governor-Gen-
eral OF Cuba, holding that Office at the outbreak
of the present war and for some years before.
He was particularly familiar with the state OF
Cuba and OF popular sentiment there. He saw
that another insurrection was impending, and
In 1892 lie wrote TO his superiors in the Madrid
Government an official memorandum concern
ing the growing discomfort In the island and the
best means, In his opinion, Of dealing with IT..
In that document he declared frankly that prac-
tically all the Cubans were DESTROYS OF separat-
ing the island from Spain. Neither the peace OF
Zanjon nor any other act Of Spain had concll-
lated them The Separatist tendency" de-
clared this unimpeachable Spanish authority,
is ingraned In practically every homeborn
Cuban, including the sons Of Spanish immi-
grants. The latter, in fact. hate Spain as cord
'ially as the oldest families OF the country.
81. They are longing for the independence
of the island. Whatever people may
"say who only know Cuba specifically. their
"object is 10 conquer their independence
That Is to say. all the people Of Cuba except
the carpet bag Spanish office holders, soldiers
and some business men. were dissatisfied with
Spanish rule and In favor Of separation from
Spain They were according TO the same wit
ness In sympathy with the rebellion which soon
broke out. What becomes. then, Of the conten-
ton. so often put forward by Spanish officials
and by the Spanish Government, that the ma Or-
fly of the Cuban people are loyal to Spain? Did
not General Polavieja testify exactly the con-
trary? Did he net frankly declare that the
overwhelming masses Of the population, white
and black were rebels and revolutionists at
heart? True, he called the rebels in the field
"brigands" But In the same breath he testified
that they were on good terms and In complete
sympathy with the native population at large.
That Is Just what the friends Of Cuban redemp-
ton have claimed. and what the Spanish Gov
eminent with this memorandum locked up in
Its archives, has Enormously denied.
Equally Impressive Is General Polavieja's rec
ommendation Of policy for dealing with this
state OF affairs. Tie fact that all native
Cubans, including the sons Of Spanish immi-
grants, were as a matter OF course bitterly hos
tile to Spain did not apparently suggest to him
that there was something radically wrong In the
Spanish administration Of the island. No, he
attributed their dsaffection to natural pervcr
sity No concessions were to be made. There
had been too many already. Send over soldiers
and crush the rebels into submsson-or kill
them of "Chasten them until they die or sub
NIT" was his motto. And he was and is an
Intelligent. honest and humane man--for Span
lard There could be no stronger condemna ton
af the Spanish Government in its relations to