hat Spain should not
promise autonomy until her insurgent subjects lay down their arms;
on the other side, that promised autonomy, however liberal, is
insufficient, because without assurance of the promise being fulfilled.

But the reasonableness of a requirement by Spain of unconditional
surrender on the part of the insurgent Cubans before their autonomy
is conceded is not altogether apparent. It ignores important features
of the situation--the stability two years' duration has given to the
insurrection; the feasibility of its indefinite prolongation in the
nature of things, and, as shown by past experience, the utter and
imminent ruin of the island unless the present strife is speedily
composed; above all, the rank abuses which all parties in Spain, all
branches of her Government, and all her leading public men concede to
exist and profess a desire to remove. Facing such circumstances, to
withhold the proffer of needed reforms until the parties demanding them
put themselves at mercy by throwing down their arms has the appearance
of neglecting the gravest of perils and inviting suspicion as to the
sincerity of any professed willingness to grant reforms. The objection
on behalf of the insurgents that promised reforms can not be relied upon
must of course be considered, though we have no right to assume and no
reason for assuming that anything Spain undertakes to do for the relief
of Cuba will not be done according to both the spirit and the letter of
the undertaking.

Nevertheless, realizing that suspicions and precautions on the part
of the weaker of two combatants are always natural and not always
unjustifiable, being sincerely desirous in the interest of both as
well as on its own account that the Cuban problem should be solved with
the least possible delay, it was intimated by this Government to the
Government of Spain some months ago that if a satisfactory measure of
home rule were tendered the Cuban insurgents and would be accepted by
them upon a guaranty of its execution the United States would endeavor
to find a way not objectionable to Spain of furnishing such guaranty.
While no definite response to this intimation has yet been received from
the Spanish Government, it is believed to be not altogether unwelcome,
while, as already suggested, no reason is perceived why it should not be
approved by the insurgents. Neither party can fail to see the importance
of early action, and both must realize that to prolong t