Year: 1869

remains in the public mind should be helped
little There is equal reason to discredit Gen.
Dulce's story that the rebellion is practically
conquered, and its rival story that the insur-
gents hold more towns than the island con-
tains We do, indeed want the truth, and as
much as we can possibly get of the whole
truth-and we do not think that public sympa-
thy will necessarily suffer thereby for want OF
q stimulant. Meanwhile, the public and prl-
vate opinion of Cuba leaves us certain OF one
prOpOsition-that if the war is fOught out to Its
natural end the island will be ruined, no matter
who conquers. There are enough signs OF de-
vastatiOn in the west and center TO admonlsh
us that this is fast becoming the case. AS
the last bad consequence of desperate guer-
illero system of warfare, the rObber may re-
turn as In Mexico, to collect taxes from society
Just when Government cannot. In other words,
with the ruin of country we may have to see
the dregs of people.


Few more stupid governments, certainly few
more obtuse and blind in any moral point OF
view, have ever existed than the one which
now grinds, bleeds, slays Cuba. 1t is possible
that the Captain General is doing the best he
can for his employers, but that best Is
mean. The machine of Spanish Government
may be compared to the rack We, who have
the blessing of enlightened liberty, find 1t hard
to understand sympathetcally that Cuba IS
ruled by notions a century behind the time,
and by dense ignorance of her real needs as a
territory or q people Much and unbearable
suffering is required to make any people seek
absorption by aliens rather than remain with
their own kindred. Spain is less cruel to-day
than she was in the bloody days of CalleJa,
but she is practically not %. whit wiser now
than them The problem for her to solve at
the outset was whether Cuba should be
emancipated right speedily, and the rebel
lion thus dsarmed of its powerful weapon ol
abolition, and secondly, whether theisland should
be allowed an easy and productive autonomy
by Spain, or shOuld have to seek the same pflh-
ciple among the United States. A few goOd
Spaniards in Cuba and elsewhere confess the
folly of the means with which they have tried
TO rescue their Cuban possession. They have
attempted it in gross violation of every saving
principle of policy and in outrage against ma
ture. Men must breathe to live, and nations
nova days must have some form OF self-rle OF
stiAe. The old practice Of bleeding has died
out of medicne-it has not died out OF SPAN.
Mr. Emilio Castelar, perhaps the most adj
vanced Republican Of Span early told his
countrymen the truth, when he said, Ill effect,
that to war upon the American principle was
ike taking up aims against the deluge. Yet
we have no doubt that Spanish misrule will
not cease to be less stupid till it has shed more
bloOl


We are not, however, convinced that Spain
is determined to carry the Cuban war out to
the most painful extremity. Many fine words
have been written in the Spanish press OF the
unintermittcnt gallantry of the volunteers,
whose business it appears to be to butcher the
Havanese at measured intervals. The brute
earnestness of the Spaniards in their ann TO
put down the rebellion, and the fierce desire oi
their veterans to meet their enemy is probably
not overstated. But the counter fact that
Spain is asking very large loans in Europe at
oppressive rates, is of some Importance. She IS
now spending upon Cuba at the rate Of double
the enormous budget of tic island willie all
the estates thereof are mortgaged and threat
cpcd by the war. and while the Government
bank Mt Havana has paper issues to the extent
of $4,000 900 against a small quantity of specie.
The prospect of the ruin of the island and
many millions of debt, and the possible con-
tingency of revolution in Spain, cannot be
agreeable. Therefore we attach some signlii-
cancc 10 the rumor that Spain is willing to sell
her possession, and save her valor with the
least possible expense to her pride. What
would remain for the United States to consider
in an imaginable event would bc whether it
would pay MS better to accept Cuba rs the gift
of the ruined Cubans or buy it Of the ruined
Standards