The times., 1899-02-19
THE WOMAN IN THE CASE.
How America Perhaps Lost Cuba
Years Ago.

! Here is bit of inside history. An old
/ diplomat told il the other day. while dis
cussing things Cuban and Spanish. Il
have been amazed" he said. that in all
| the pother over Cuba, the raking and
scraping of all sorts of history and fiction.
nobody has thought it worth while to re-
yive the story of how. but for woman. il
might have been an American possession
| forty odd years back. ! should not have
known but that was secretary of another
continental Legation while it was hap
| pening.
''one of the first things James Buchan-
an did, after he was firm in his seat. was
| TO appoint three Commissioners to treat
| with Spain for the purchase of Cuba. It
was understood that their proposals. what
| ever they might be. would be passed on
to the conference Of. powers soon to as
semble at Ostend. Pierre Soule then our
Minister to Madrid. was. ex-offcio at the
head Of the Commission. Now. Pierre was
Frenchman born, also an artistocrat OF
aristocrats. But he had been brought up
in America-he was Senator from Louis
| iana-and had imbibed the EXTREMIST
Democrat doctrines. Thus as an aristo-
crat he had the FaubOurg St Antoiue's
/ contempt for the upstart Napoleon III: as
a lover of liberty. and republicanism he
loathed him as an nsurper. And Pierre
was a fine hater. | have never known a
man who put more of the sentiment into
sentence. His detestation Of the bruIn-
magem French Emperor extended to the
Empress and all her family. The Mont
ijos were Spanish and not very grand
grandees, still Eugenie's sister had made
good match as matches go in Spain. and
was as the Duchess d'Aiba, something of
power at the Spanish court.
She had all Eugenie's temper and none
OF her graciousness. 1t was that perhaps.
more than her NapoIeonic connection.
which made Pierre Soule hate her heartily
One night at a grand function as she
swept past, appearing TO spurn the earth
and all upon it, he made a comment more
sarcastic than polite. He meant it only
for the friend next to him but others
heard 1t and in time it reached the French
Minister The upshot a duel-Pierre
would have fought regiment in JOYOUS
grace in those days The Frenchman was
wounded, not dangerously. but enough 10
send him home. Pierre himself expected
nothing less than recall. There were no
cables in those days. so even international
insults had TO wait on the course OF the
mails.
But he was not recalled. Spain took
no notice of his little difference with a
ulpiOiidt. Inc InlScQle1 IL Qli was
in quite another quarter. The affair. OF
course, came TO Louis Napoleon's knowl-
edge. Just then there was great friendli-
ness between the French and British For
eign Offices. After a little both govern
ments represented to Spain. not openly. but
through secret channels. that she was not
free to dispose OF Cuba-the other powers
would not permit; further. that it would
be much TO her advantage to reject in
stantly and with scorn any proposition the
Americans might make
SO the propositions were rejected
though before there had been good chance
that they would be well entertained The
French have a proverb. Opportunity has
no back hair We are finding that out
with vengeance now regarding the ever
faithful isle. A hundred million dollars
might have bought it except for two things
One was the anti-slavery sentiment of the
North, the other Pierre Soule's sneer at a
woman who happened 10 be the sister of
an empress. Think of the lives and the
money that might have been saved. Buch-
anan chung to his project. and went so
far as TO ask that Congress appropriate the
purchase money, but he might have saved
measure, but statesman had blocked it
for full generation. SOue himself knew
and felt it. He was ardently in favor of
the scheme In disgust over its failure he
resigned and came home"