Читать книгу Enemigos íntimos. España y los Estados Unidos antes de la Guerra de Cuba (1865-1898) онлайн

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I proceeded to indicate frankly some of the grounds for this belief, when Mr. Martos interrupted me […]. He said that, as I well know, the situation of Cuba was the most difficult of all the questions that embarrassed this Government […]. That to this end, speaking however for the moment unofficially, and confiding in the reserve which he must impose on the communication, he begged to ascertain, by an informal enquiry, whether the President would consent to exert his good offices for the purpose of endeavoring to restore peace in Cuba on the basis of reforms in its political, social and administrative system. I replied that I would report to you our conversation and suggested that an intimation of the particular reforms Spain was prepared to grant might promote the favorable reception of the overture. The Minister replied that they would certainly embraced municipal governments, a Provincial Legislature, and the gradual Abolition of Slavery within a brief term of years. That if the assurances were given to the insurgents by the President, accompanied by his advice and counsel, and should happily induce them to lay down their arms, Spain would at once proceed to the fulfillment of her promises⁷⁴.