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Outline History of Cuba from May, 1896, to January, 1897: Spain

President Cleveland, like myself, was obviously persuaded of the truth when he wrote his message, completely favorable as it was to Spain. What surprises me is the senseless proposition, so favorably received by the Senate, recommending the acknowledgment of Cuban rebels as belligerents--recommending the independence which is impossible, and which would be a frightful aggravation to the Spanish people and a violation of international courtesy. They tell me that conflict is inevitable. It will be as uncalled for an aggression on the part of the United States as was that of Napoleon in 1808, when he invaded our territory. We have listened to menaces with the stoic disdain of the just and true. We have done everything possible to avoid a war--everything but humiliate ourselves before the strong and sully our national history with indignity.

But if the United States do, we cannot believe that the Americans, the humane, the progressive, will declare it.

As for ourselves, we will do everything we can to avoid this sad interference--without pride, but also without timidity. EMILIO CASTELAR.

As Cleveland has announced, the time must soon come when the United States shall not give the first place to her recognition of the sovereignty of Spain, it seems that the Spanish statesman may have been more complacent in his rhetoric than he suspected. We may put aside three things that persistently appear and reappear in dispatches, with a brief remark for each: 1. There will be no European intervention on behalf of Spain, if we should take a part in the Cuban struggle and command the peace. 2. Spain will not accept our good offices on any terms, or consent to an assertion of rights on our part to be interested in the great American Island. She has gone beyond that state of mind. 3. There is nothing to regard as possible in any of the reforms the Spaniards are promising with much animation, and to which they ascribe the greatest excellence, to take place after the insurgents have surrendered their arms. Spain is, as always, incapable of changing her fatal colonial policy, that never has been or can be reformed.