The war which broke out on the 2ist of April—the first war between Christia nations of any importance for over a ter of a century—had naturally over owed in the third week of April the Far Eastern question, though it was hardly generally known when the mail left that war had actually begun. Wo have made a few extracts from the London papers to show where as a rule the sympathies of the English are. The Daily News writes on the 22nd ult.:—The ultimate reason why there is war to-day is the secular misgovernment of Cuba by Spain, and the call of the United States to stop that misgovernment comes from the right which every nation has to prevent anarchy upon its borders. Those who look merely to the occasion of the war, and forget the cause, are tempted to think that, war has come because the Ji SeKinley's hand, and President MeKinloy forced President forced the hand' of Spain, But to anyone is suspi 1ot the haste, but the patience, who considers the question historically, what of the United States, Sir Edward Grey' suggested in his ver judicious speech last night that we should all mut ourselves in America's place. Well, if john Bull had been seated in the United Statos,, wo fod confident that he would have found occasion. to intervene in Cuba a long time ago. What is astonishing from our British standpoint is the patience with which the people of the United States have for sixty ears and more allowed the spectacle of Spanish misgovernment in Cuba to pass before their eyes. Cuba is only about ninety miles from the coast of the United States, and closely connected with it by trade and commercial relations. The island is one of the most fertile in the world, but after three years? war it is quickly becoming a wilderness. For a century Cubs has groaned under the despotism and viciousness of Spanish rule. All protests and representations have been isregurded, and when the Cuban people, driven to desperation, have risen in arms, the insurrection has been repressed with all the barbarous cruelty which we are accustomed to regard as distinctively Turkish. For the Inst half century Spanish Colonial Government has been on its trial, and has proved to be an utter failure, characterised by corruption of the worst description. Time after time the United States has refused to inter-fore, and has contented itself with offering its good services as a mediator between Spain and her revolted subjects. Spain has not availed herself of these good offices.
The Times writes on the same date Our New York correspondent notes at once the gratification of the American people at expressions of English sympathy and the growth among them, dating from the begin. ning of the troubles in the Far East, of a warmer feeling towards this country than has always been displayed. It is to Ue hoped in the interests of both countries and of the world at large that the better understanding now being arrived at may be permanent, Americans will no doubt observe that there little sympathy and even little toleration for them anywhere but. in this country, her colonies, and her dependencies. For reasons sone of which lie on the surface, th pathies of continental Europe are entire; with Spain, even when it is fully admitted that Spanish misgovernment of Cuba cannot be defended. A French contemporary, seeking some respectable explanation of the phenomenon, observes that to speak of the Latin races as having a natural solidarity is as absurd as to class Americans and English together as Anglo-Saxon. We shall not defend the word, butit may be observed that Englishmen and American speak the same language, while the Latin races are not intelligible to one another, and that this is a very important factor in international relations. It may, perhaps, be suspected that some of our Continental friends case of the United States and Cuba, are more fully aware of this than they wish People on this side of the Atlantic are so to appear, and that in this fact may be sought little in touch with the historical side of the the explanation of a certain annoyance peep-Cuban question, and are so deeply interested ing out hero and there at the good under-in its more immediate aspects, that they form standing now existing among English-speak-but an imperfect image of the real and terrible ing peoples. If the solidarity of the Latin races be imperfect, there is the more need to Brovoration suffered by the United States. hey look upon Cuba as, perhaps, a somoseek some other explanation of their unani-what retrograde colony, but still the colony mity, as well as of their agreement with of a civilised Power. They see Spain full of Teutonic communities, in regretting that a certain picturesque dignity, and resounding England has not joined them in championing with plucky defiances of a foo infinite what are vaguely called European interests.
Stronger than herself, and they are inclined The Daily Mail of the 21st.say: to think the action of this foe somewhat There is only the reply of Spain to President McKinley's Note to wait for now—and Spain's reply is a foregone conclusion. The quickened by the pathetic picture of the a it extent eir sympathies are hi
cellent woman and her young son who are Queen Regent's to the Cortes, its enthusiastic reception, and the departure of the chids of the Spanish Stars, and upon whose innocent heads the responsibility for the Spanish Ambassador from Washington the sins of others is being visited, put that matter beyond doubt. War, uncer.
Unfortunately, all this does not got rid of tain in its immediate fortunes, uncertain in the facts that the Cuban problem is one of its inevitable conclusion, is now a matter of the most hideous disgeaces of the century, a fow days, and that no well-ordered Government suffer:
'The Daily Mait, as our readers know, de-ing from contamination with it can perman-lores this result' of America's efforts to soe ently ignore it. In the first place Cuba is not Cuba freed from a government that was a merely a colony governed on comparatively government only in the sense that it provoke retrograde princi! is scarcely an exag-€d incessant revolution, But while we deplore the result, we have nothing but geration to say that itis " piece of Armenia roped into the New World. While all raise and approval for the spirit that has around it liberty flourishes, while it has seen led our cousins across the seas to make an end of an intolerable scandal. The blame the Spanish colonies on the mainland wi their independence, and the British colonies is on Spain if it cannot be done peaceably. in the same hemisphere granted the fullest It cannot be repeated too often that the rights of self-governing communities it has attitude America has taken is not a thin; been condemned to an administration little of yesterday. Cubs has been in a state o short of medieval. seething anarchy for many years now. The Like the pashas of Armenia, its chief present insurrection hag lasted without functionaries attain their positions by bribery wreak for four years, and it is only the last of a long series of revolts. Spain has had and repay themselves by extortion. Except to drain it of its wealth the mother country opportunity after opportunity of pacifying does little for it. Scarcely a tenth of the the last of her great possessions. "But the area of the island is under cultivation, and incompetence that has lost her an empire many districts are actually less explored than once far larger than the British Empire, has put a blight on every effort. She. lis' not years ago is was governed by decree, and its the wilds of Central Africa. Until a few nown either how to trust her colonists or to Governor were invested with authority wht crush them. The continuance of her nominal they rarely failed to use oppressively, and sovereignty means the continuance of far worse than nominal tyranny. When in one which generally they applied with revolting cruelty. year literally hundreds of thousands of non-'The rebellions which have thus been forced combatants are starved to death, it was time on the maddened natives—whites and blacks for o Christian nation, not a hundred miles alike—have been repressed with disregard for removed from ea shocking a sone, to call a human life and amid horrors which many a he first five The time must have come in any case when Sultan might envy. During ears of te last rebellion under Cespedes the America would have to bring Spanish rule to Spaniards admitted that they shot 43,500 anend. It is immaterial what has made it so riseners, in addition to 13,600 Cubans killed sudden now. When one reads the stirring in battle. That was the' period of Valmawords of the Queen Regent, and notes the coda's bloody administration—searcely more fine enthusiasm of her subjects, one may fel, than twenty years ago—when the whole more than a passing regret that such a world cried shame on the Spaniards, Quixotic temper should be wasted on a cause Cruelties of this kind naturally beget so hopeless and so unworthy of a great na-\ reprisals, and hence the mode of warfare totion. Indeed, had Spain been a great nation as well as a courageous one she would have day is on both sides little short of savagery. made Cuba a bulwark of strength and a credit, Eighty thousand men perished fighting in the 1868-78 rebellion, and during" the civil to her name As it is, she has squandered war of the last three years over 100,000 lives Diood and treasure in senseless devastation have been sacrificed to this Cuban Moloch. and cruelty, and she will fall from among the What European State would tolerate a condi-peoples of the earth unhonoured if not untion of things like this at its own doors Since task, but the cleansing of Cuba is a piece of wept. America may have a hard and a costly 1849 the United States has been uninterruptedly occupied in policing the const of Florida scavenging that will live in history. in order to prevent filibustering expeditions The Speaker tells its readers leaving for Cuba. During the whole of that period she has been plagued in various irrita:
The people of the United States are in the ting ways by the disorders in the island—main in the right, and the people of Spain in the malo in the wrong, There have doubtless strained relations with Spain, diplomatic difficulties with other Powers, excitement accounts published inthe New York Prose grave newspaper exaggerations in the among her own population, injuries to trade, and 86 forth. of the steps taken by Spain in order to crush the insurrection in its great western posses-She has now determined to get rid of the sion. But, allowing for all these exaggera-nuisance. She has resolved to give peace to the island once and for all. "Striking at tions, the fact remains that the situation in Cuba' has for years past been an_ intolerable the root of all the trouble, she has called one. We do not pretend to foretell the spon the Spanish Government to yield up the course of this unhappy war; but, at least, colony it has so unworthily administered, there cannot be any doubt that it is bein, No-one can blame her, and many will applaud and that the Americans must in consequence waged by, the United States for a good end, Spain, and é isnot for that or ered for Military glory is not to be won by beatin; enjoy our best wishes for their ultimate extension of her dominion that the United success.
States will fight. Her object is to give peace But perhaps the best extract of all is this and a stable Government to a spot on the from the Graphic, whose political articles earth's surface which has scarcely known are written by a master-hand either the one or the other throughout its The determination of the United States to history. If wars are to be waged at all they could not be undertaken in a better cause, expel Spain frum Cuba has not been arrived at with any undue precipitation. Indeed, if The Economist's Money article in its ever the intervention of one State in the issue of the 16th ult. is as follows affairs of another was justified, it is so in the Mainly in consequence of the apprehensions of an outbreak of hostilities between
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.