Year: 1875

FRIDAY MOkNlN - ~S'~'
THF ApMINIsTRATIoN AND THE CUBAN


SITUATION.


1t is low apparent that the excitement
aroused by antl-Administration influences
in the country regarding the Cuban situa-
t;on is BEGINNING to subside. The truth
appears to be that the President is desirous
of responding to the evident wish of the
American people that the Government
shall do everything that it can legitimately
for the advancement of the interests of the
struggling republicans on the island of
Cuba. His desire in this regard has been
made use of by his enemies or the enemies
of his Administration, together with sensa-
tional newspaper writers, to create an i'm
pression that he intends to do something OF
an extraordinary and abrupt character, cal
cuIated to interrupt our diplomatic relations
with Spain. The greatest exaggerations
have been resorted to, and the most trivial
acts of routine duty on the part of the
Secretary Of the Navy have been distorted
so as to appear as indications OF active
preparations for anticipated war. These
exaggerations and distortions have simply
resulted in arousing anew and refreshing
the impulse of our people to sympathIze
with the Cuban patriots, and have, there
fore fallen far short of the object for which
they were intended. That object, as we
have repeatedly intimated, was to cast dis
credit upon the Administration, by making
it appear that it is engaged in provoking
foreign war for the purpose of securing
President Grants reelection. Some Of the
statements made for this purpose have gone
so far as to allege a wide difference of
opinion between the President and Secretary
Fish, supplemented by the assertion that
the former has assumed to give directions
to our Minister at Madrid directly, and
without the knowledge of the latter. An
American correspondent of the London
Times was guilty of aiding this anti-Ad-
ministration movement by inducing that
journal to believe that the President had
already committed the extraordinary and
abrupt act of threatening recognition of
Cuban independence. The result was a
long and earnest article in the Times,
criticising the Administration for this al
legged act, and similar articles in other
English journals. Quotations of extracts
from these articles were printed in this
country, and served to fan the excitement
already engendered by the anti-Adminis-
tration influences to which we have re-
ferred, because the serious manner in
which the English journals treated the
subject served to confirm the statement
that the President was intent Upon war.
But, as we have said. the excitement is
subsidiDg. Whatever the Presidents per-
sonal sympathies may be, it is positive that
he has not allowed them TO influence him
in his official transactions, and this fact
having become apparent, the public is be-
ginning to understand that the policy of
the Administration is not for war, but
for dignifed and determined main
tenance of the obligations of our
Government, at the same time demanding
the same recognition of the obligations of
other Governments in return Spain has,
for generations almost, been remarkable
for the dilatory and sometimes unjust
character of her international dealings-
Her promises made by treaty have often
been ignored or openly violated, while her
diplomatic pledges have always beea re-
garded as liable to be broken on very
slight provocation. Both the President
and Gov Fish are aware of these pecu-
liarities of the Spanish Government and,
instead of being st variance regarding the
manner in which they should be treated,
have been in thorough accord, their joint
object being to secure prompt and recipro-
cal, as well as amicablo, compliance with
all the Obligations imposed upon Spain by
the treaty of 1895, and srbseqnent sgee-
ments of the same grave character. In
doing this they have not hesiAted to point
out in the most distinct manner what they
believe to be the inevitable result in the
future Of the present condition of affairs in
Cuba, viz: The independence of the Island
of European control But they have never
threatened recognition Of that indepen-
dence as the alternative of any act or failure
to act by the Spanish Government. Relying
upon the intelligence, patriotism and pa
tisnce of the American people, they have
avoided giving publicity to their proceed
ings even when provocation has been given
to them to do so by publications of Spanish
inspired assertions regarding the progress
and condition of pending negotiations. 1t
is therefore impossible that any definite
and authoritative information beyond the
statements above made can now be made
public regarding what they have done or
intend to do.


This explanation viii probably serve to
relieve public anxiety, and to contradict
the wild and broad assertions recently
made that war is imminent between Spain
and the United States.





''THE ultimate issue of events in Cuba
will be its independence. Secretary
Fish to Minister Gushing