The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-03-14
THE lNTELLlGENC,ER.
WHEELING, MARCH II, 1898.


], The Cuban situation.
No sooner did the new Spanish minis
ter, arrive in Washington than he start,
ed, his type writer to work giving out
Interviews" to the press concerning the
Cuban situation. The tenor OF his first
effusion is praise for autonomy, which
has proved such a miserable failure as q
means OF restoring peace on the island.
All that Senior Bernabe says concerning
the beauties OF that "sold-brick" which
the Spanish government offered the in
surrectionists has been said before by
his predecessor. and by sundry other
Spanish statesmen and military COM
manders 1t may be all right us q theo-
ry but It has not worked in practice.
Even the minister himself is forced 10
admit that with an Instruction drag
Eing; to a close, there are difficulties in
the way of complete realization of
plans so comprehensive as to embrace
/, the entire internal machinery of Cuba
However, he Is confident that II autono-
my Is given 4 chance It will eventually
succeed. II would be interesting to
know what Senior Bernahe regards as a
s.chance." The President of the United
States has given about all the chance
tthat Spain could reasonably desire. az
ter three years OF fighting and not one
thing TO show for It except a devastated
z country, war debt OF half billion dol
lars. the starvation of many thousands
OF people, the sacrifice OF hundred and
fifty thousand t-oops, and peace as far
z away, go far as Spanish attempts to
bring 1t abou. are concerned, as 1t was In
the beginning.
The GOODNESS of the Spanish minister
in referring TO the instruction as
drawing to Close" Is refreshing truly.
We have also heard that before. and
have been hearing 1t daily from almost
the outbreak OF the rebellion. General
Weyler's type writer announced It as
gllbly as does that Of the Spanish minis
I; ter. Autonomy Is failure, and this
L government knows 1t as well as does the
government at Madrid and its accredit-
ed representative at Washington. That
+ Is why the United States government
& has ceased to regard 1t as an element in
the situation, and inends to take hand
in the matter, after having given the
Spanish government all the chance"
that It can reasonably expect.
Late dispatches from Washington In
form US that there has been no modifi-
cation Of the Presidents intention to
.'ootaIn the recognition OF Cuban inde-
pendence and to establish peace through
intervention" though he has not yet
Z given up the hope that the Spanish gov
eminent will come to see that some other
method OF bringing about the desired re-
suit may be effective. Whatever may
be the finding in the Maine affair these
I two propositions, II is said, are to be car
ried out.
In the Maine affair, while hardly any
doubt longer remains that the destruc-
tion Of the battleship was by an external
force, the United States must fix and es-
2 tablish the responsibility. This is the
work Of the board OF inquiry and the
President cannot act. nor does the public
b expect flmto act. upon outside Informal
ton or the theories advanced by specu-
lators, and yellow newspapers. Absolute
+ grounds that can be sustained by official
authority only will govern The Prcsi-
dents acts. No other course would be
: jus. or sustained by international law.
No other course would be in accordance
( with the American sense of right.
The whole matter is put In few
words by Washington dispatch which
says: III It be shown by competent evil
i dence shat high Spanish officials were
Z accessories 10 the wreckins OF the
Maine, It will indicate the first degree Of
\ culpability. II 1t be proved that petty
officers plotted the destruction of the
vessel. but that the responsible military
authorities were not cognizant OF the
] conspiracy, It would constitute the sec.
ond degree. But II 1t be proved that ir-
Responsible civilians were guilty OF the
offense the responsibility will be mini
mized." This Is what the board OF in
driry is now trying to determine. What
Il ever the result, 1t Is not expected to
change The Presidents Intention 10