The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-19

Annexation Only n Question of Time.
Gen. Wheeler IS about the only one Of
the officers of the Santiago army who has
pubhcany expressed a favorable opinion
OF the Cuban insurgents. He seems to
think that we shall encounter no difficulty
with them in our efforts to establish a
stable and an enlightened government in
Cuba.
In our dispatches yesterday he was
quoted as saying that he believed that the
Cubans in time, when wholly freed from
oppression and given a satisfactory gov
eminent. would become a lava biding and
useful people He said that there We're
many extcnuaung circumstances for their
conduct at Santiago He explained that
they were ia a starving condition, and
they did not know our language. He men
toned other circumstances, but the fore
going were the leading ones.
All real friends Of Cuba sincerely hope
that Gen Wheelor's view is the correct
one, but there are some strong reasons
for thinking that it is altogether too fav-
orable. The very general opinion of the
returned soldiers, both officers and pri-
Yates, is chat the great majority Of the
Insurgents have no intention of becoming
good citizens, and that they will be
constant source of trouble They have
no inclination to work and a good many
of the officers. it is alleged, are advon-
turers
Col Charles Dick of the Eighth Ohio
Volunteers said, in an interview a day or
two ago, that the insurgents were worse
than the Indians of this country and
that Il would take longer to make law
abiding citizens of them than it took 10
bring the Indians under restraint. When'
asked how long it would be necessary to,
keep u garrison at Santiago, he said:
Great heavens l do not know. Thirty
years, if the insurgents are not sooner
civilized and educated in civilizations
way. I tell you that it is hard to fully
appreciate the Cuban insurgents without
coming in contact with them. They are
the worst set I know"
We have said several times that clear
distinction should be made between the
insurgents who compose the bulk of the
Cuban army and the representative Gu
ban people The better class of Cubans
are educated and refined and possess no.
BILE traits of character. Among them are
men who are capable of giving Cuba a
liberal. stable and intelligent government.
The question is, however, will the insur-
gents who are in the insurgent armies
and those of the people who are in SYM
pathy with them, permit those who are
capable of making good laws and admin
isterlng them to have control? There is Sc
rious apprehension that they will not
That is the reason why so large proper
ton of the better class of the people Of
the island are anxious that Cuba shah
be annexed TO this country at once. They
are confident that annexation must come
sooner or later, and they don't want to
so through the troubles which are GER
tain to accompany the experiment of self
government.
Their wishes cannot. of course be COM
piled with. Our government is pledged to
give Cuba a government of her own and
it will keep that pledge. If the expert
ment should be a failure annexation
would, in all probability, follow
In the meantime, if any considerable
portion of the Cuban people should insist
upon being lawless, and upon controlling
public affairs in accordance with their
IDEAS of the needs of Cuba, 1t would be
the duty Of our government to preserve
the peace-a duty which it would not hes
itate TO perform in a way that would show
the lawless element very quickly that we
propose to set UP such a government in
Cuba as we think the Island should have.