Year: 1869

has become the rendezvous OF adventuser


interested not in the issue of the contes


one way or another, but simply i,


its indefnate promulgation. Withou


the fil,busters Cuba would have lair


forever in its prostration. With the fiji


busters It can never work out its regen


Grafton but neither will. it. ever be


brought back to that state of quiescenct


Which is necessary for its prosperity


The many political and social knots O.


which time and reason ought to have


brought about the solution are cut by


the sword ola party warfare unexampled


for its ruthlessness in the annals of man


kind. The slaves, whom a provident


law ought to prepare for gradual eman


cipation, are reused into mutiny which


will insure their own as we'll as thei'


masters downfall. Yet one season more
of the exploits of Cespedes, Quesada
and Jordan, and Cuba will cease to be
an apple of di<cord either for her own
people or for aliens; and, if admitted in.
to the American Union, it will take rank
with some of those ravaged Southern
States whose restoration to something
like their former existence constitutes
the great problem of American policy


Under such circumstances we need
not wonder that Prim should have list.
ened to the first proposals Of bargain
which, without compromising the honor
of Spain, procured for her, besides a re-
lief from heavy sacrifices, the gain OF
considerable material advantages.
Again and again, from their places in
the Cortes, with that frankness which
characterizes some of them. the present
Spanish rulers have declared, in the
midst of conciously silent Assembly,
that the loss of Cuba was but a ques-
ton of time.' The most fanatical mem
Der of the opposition is we'll aware that
all the exertions of Spain can only tenn
porarily crush, but not permanently
subdue, the rebellious spirit of the colo
ny. 1t must take no little frantic enthu-
siasm to advise the continuance of a
conflict in which, during the last eight
months, so many thousands of Spain's
best soldiers and SO many millions of
Spain's scanty dollars have been wasted
in vain. Were the mother country to
be quit of the colony without the least
compensation, TIE Deums for the happy
riddance might well be sung in every
church throughout the Peninsula. But
if large sum-say only el5,000,0o0
or ee20,00o,O00,-it to be got into the
bargain, if Cuba, which is so much
worse than useless, is to supply Spain
with means of confronting her most ur-
gent financial difficulties, and to enable
her to live from day to day till a gov
ernment can be installed capable of Civ
ing her resources a full development,
the Spaniards cannot be too thankful.
Out of the many blows which adverse
fortune has dealt to that long suffering
nation, this severing of one Of the last
links which bound it to the destinies of
its transatlantic possessions would have
done it not only no real harm, but have
been most welcome deliverance. The
last French campaign in Mexico ought
to have made it manifest that there is
neither honor nor profit to gain for the
Powers Of the Old Continent by med
ding with affairs of the New. Those
who have no open accounts had
better try no new ventures, and those
who have ought to deem themselves for
tunate if allowed to wind them up on the
first opportunity.