The Evening Star. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1876.

Evening Star, Issue 4048, 16 February 1876, Page 2

The Evening Star. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1876.

Although the European news records little that appears to immediately con- , cern us, it is significant in many respects, as it tells of wars and rumors of wars that are disturbing the world. k They may appear insignificant to those who do not perceive the detrimental effect of the curse. Physically and , morally, nothing can have a worse effect than war. Even a war against tyranny, if successful, converts the liberator into a tyrant, or his superiority and that of his party cannot be sustained. To prove this is almost needless, for everyone, conversant with European history, can supply himself ■ with examples in abundance. But , Europe and America seem bent just now on repressing those harassing » and suioidal wars and revolts that ; are devastating some of the most fer- [ tile countries in the world. It would seem that Spain has been allowed to i nght her own war of succession as seemed best to suit her convenience and means. Apparently, the people of Europe have felt with Buckle that It is impossible to benefit such a nation," and that "those who idly thought they could regenerate their country by laws, saw all their hopes confounded." Intervention would have been of no permanent advantage, for the moment tne pressure of the strong hand was withdrawn dissension, liberated, would resume its Mischievous sway, intensified in violence through having been overmastered. Spain, too, is considered! on ®. ° f ta « large powers to meddle with which is deemed dangerous. Even the TSry semblance of interference in its affairs may be said to have been tho primary cause of the Franco-Prussian war. "Non-intervention," therefore, has been professedly the policy of Europe and the world for some years. But "Laws catch flies and let hornets go free." It will not do to meddle with the hornets, for touch one and a dozen attack you. This does not, however, apply when the hornets combine to compel flies to behave themselves ; and this is the present aspect of the world's affairs. The great powers are looking in a spirit of kindly commiseration on the misbehavior of the Ottomans and Spaniards, and are consulting how best they shall stop the insurrection in the Turkish Provinces and the war for liberty in Cuba. Turkey is powerless of itself. In debt, which has Increased year by year, not only has a proposition been made with regard to the Provinces now in rebellion, but respecting its own internal government. There was a dav auoh interference would have (been resented by the proud Mussulmans, but now the Cseacent is but a fly, in view of the hornets of the Cross. There was a time when one or two of them would have quarrelled as to the right of the others to interfere. We shall be glad to think all have grown wiser, or we should not care if they bad become so afraid of each other's power to wound as to feel it best to act together, rather than in opposition. We incline to think it is so. A t any rate the hornets are dictating fly, and the latter, to save its life, is doing their bidding. Just m the same General Grant proposes to deal with Spain in regard to Cuba. ! It is time that this disgraceful struggle was ended. For years it has weakened , Spain and prolonged the civil war, because of draining away troops and trea- ' sure that, employed against the Carlists, [ would have crushed their ai-inies long ago. It would have been well had the Spanish Government parted with the , sovereignty of Cuba, on terms years since offered "by the States. It is now twe»ty-two 'years Binoe a Spanish

minister, in Cortes assembled, declared that, the sale of Cuba would be "the sale of Spanish honor itself," so to save Spanish honor millions of money and tens of thousands of lives have been sacrificed—a very honorable conse-quence—-while the country has been wasted, the people brutalised, many of its ablest inhabitants murdered, and subjects of other nations butchered in cold, blood. The struggle has reduced Spain from a hornet to a fly, and now the hornets have agreed that it is time to put a stop to this family battle, and to bid them make arrangements to live at peace. Cuba, it is said, is to be nominally subject to Spain but virtually free, and Spanish honor will have to be satisfied with this shadow of a remnant of a Pope's magnificent gift of the sovereignty of half the world.