This has been an exciting week for Cuban matters.
We told you that we might expect to hear more from Mr. Taylor's articleon Cuba in The North American Review.
We were quite right in our supposition.
The Madrid papers took the matter up indignantly, and it has been themain point of interest during the last few days.
If you remember, we told you that Mr. Taylor said, in his article, thatSpain did not seem able to settle the difficult Cuban question, and thatin his opinion it was clearly our duty to interfere.
One of the Spanish Senators, Señor Salvani, wrote an angry letter to theMadrid papers, in which he said that when Mr. Taylor was minister toSpain he appeared most anxious to preserve the friendliest relationsbetween the two countries, and that he repeatedly declared that therewas no fear that the United States would interfere with Cuba.
On seeing this letter, Mr. Taylor wrote one on his own account to theAmerican papers.
In it he said that his experience had been that the Spanish authoritieswere unreliable, and according to his way of thinking the only way toput an end to the war, which was costing this country so much fromdestruction to commerce, was for the Government to take a firm standwith Spain, and insist that if the war wasn't ended by a certain fixeddate we would end it for her.
To prove the truth of his assertion that Spain was unreliable, he statedthat during the term of his official service in Madrid he had becomeconvinced that Cuba would never yield, but would fight till her lastdrop of blood had been spilled.
Thinking it a great pity to allow such a valuable property as Cuba to beallowed to go to ruin, he decided to make an effort to bring the war toa close.
He was acquainted with Señor Castelar, who was a close friend ofCanovas, the late Premier. Señor Castelar was President of Spain when itwas a republic, before the young King's father was put on the throne bythe aid of Canovas. At an informal dinner-party at Señor Castelar's, Mr.Taylor begged the Señor to talk to Canovas, and convince him that thewar in Cuba was only a cruel waste of life and useless waste of money,as the Cubans would not submit. He asked Señor Castelar to suggest toCanovas that an attempt to pacify the island should be made by offeringthem liberal Home Rule.
Señor Castelar agreed with Mr. Taylor, and promised to speak to Canovas.
A few days later he sent word to Mr. Taylor that he had brought Canovasaround to his way of thinking, and that Cuba was to be given Home Rule.
Mr. Taylor was very happy over the result of his efforts, and shortlyafter an offer of Home Rule was made to the Cubans.
It proved, however, to be Home Rule only in name. Spain was to keepcontrol of the army, the navy, and the courts; the only privilege givento the Cubans was to be that of paying taxes to support the Government.
This offer was not acceptable to Cuba, and nothing further came of it.
When Mr. Taylor found that this was all the Home Rule Spain meant tooffer the Cubans, he became discouraged, and concluded that Spain didnot mean to do anything for Cuba, and that the offer was not sincerelymade, but merely to gain time in t