Rensselaer Union, Volume 6, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 July 1874 — A Perspicuous Opinion. [ARTICLE]

A Perspicuous Opinion.

A singularly sagacious person in Belvidere, N.J., writes to me to ask whether the Cubans or Spaniards will be whipped in the present struggle in Cuba. He says he wants to know so that he “can decide a bet.” Ido not complain of the fatuity of this person. He cannot help it; he is in such a condition of intellectual chaos that be is unable to comprehand that the ppopbet Isaiah possessed qualities which have not been banded down to me. He simply yearns to have that bet decided, and when that is done he will be happy. I will try to decide it for him.

After a careful survey of the situation in Cuba, I feel certain that if victory-finally perches upon the banners of the Cubans the Spaniards will not bring the conflict to a successful conclusion, while if the Spaniards crush the enemy into the dust the Cubans can hardly be expected to reach such an i,ssue as will justify their indulgence in triumphant exultation. At the same time if the Cubans hould happen to acquire the supremacy and to exterminate the Castilian hordes completely, it is more than likely that the Spaniards will not achieve a permanent suppression of the rebellion. Of course in the event of the complete subjugation of the Cubans 'the efforts of Spain would be crowned with success*' and the rebels would probably not obtain the ascendency. But we cannot close our eyes to the unquestionable fact that the Cubans have but to vanquish their foes in order to surmount every obstacle to victory; while if this should be the case the Spaniards would hardly obtain the mastery as readily as if the contest should result in the subjugation of the Cubans. In either event the party that secured its object would be most likely to overpower its antagonists, while the party that suffered repulse would find the end to be disastrous. This is a view of the situation which ought to commend itself even to a thick-headed person in Bclvidere as being- definite and conclusive. If it does not settle that bet I do not know how it can be settled unless the disputants fight each other for the stakes. In that -event I advise the opponent of the man who wrote tome not to fire at his enemy's head unless he has a shot gun which doesn’t scatter,-and is warranted to send projectiles through a very dense substance.— Max Adder.