The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-08-16
yhe Invasion OF Cuba-The Proclamation
of the President.


of the President.
The day is rapidly passing away, for the world
n, lsrre-as it has already passed away fer Amc-
r;cn in paricular-when the political dogmas of
0rea, Britain are to be taken as the universal
law. England has ceased TO be the sole arbiter
amongst contendng nations. Her old supremacy
Is gone. Not so much, perhaps. because her power
IA, de cned, as because other nations have over
taken her IN her march, and now stand in the
same rank with herself-her equals and her rivals.
France, Austria, Russia, the United States, are
6r,t.rste powers. Their voice will always be
heard, on great questions OF continental policy,
.ron their respective continents. The interests
Of humanity demand il-interests which have
oeused to be the mere spoil OF English power, and
the mere prey of English cupldlty throughout the
slobe, and which must now be arragned for final
Judgment before the grand jury Of the world.
Hereafter, the cry Of the oppressed will be heard
and respected National atrocities can no longer
be perpe,rated in a corner. Spanish galeons, laden
with treasure, can no longer be stopped with i'm
runiry, and robbed upon the high seas by English
nave. Capitals can no longer be sacked and
burnt, with unpunished audaciy, as Copenhagen
was burnt by English squadrons. The cause Of
one is the cause of ALL and the cause OF all dis
poses all TO adopt the great principles OF common
sense and national equity, as the true basis OF In
,ernatiopal law. We shall have no more orders
nm Council, blockadng a continent with hand
ful Of ships. Such outrages are already OF an an
tediluvian order Of thlngs, which has passed away
The world would not tolerate thsir resuscitation
f.r a moment. Most of the er cathedral diefa,
which England. partly by sophistry, and
chiefly by force, has sought TO incorporate IN the
International code of Christendom, have been
,.,,led against her; and, amongst these, her dieta
touchlug the rights Of neutral flags, and the right
Of citizens of any government to relnquish their
allegiance. The English doctrine was, as TO the
larer pont. " Memo potest oruere Pdtriam." The
guu. of the United States, the Hornet, and the
E.sex. andtihe rifles OF New Orleans, (rather CO.
zen, arruments in their way.) laid this matter at
rest.
such. al least, since the war Of 1872, has
he,n the unanimous sense OF the people OF thus
nation. But for the recent proclamation OF the
President, we should have considered this point
a 70, ad;udicata-a thing disposed oi-setted-
not open for any further discussion
But, amazing as 1t may appear, PROCLAMATION IS
i..u.d by the President Of the United states, sup
por,ed by a cabinet consisting almost entirely o'
LAWYERS. which threatens not only TO mp up these
.s,ahli,hpd decisions but TO introduce practice,
\, relation TO them, utterly hostile to the known
fs.lipes of the people. II is our boast, that the
tim,d and odious policy OF European governments,
with ALI their miserable machinery OF passports,
,.rionape. and domicilary visits, constitutes no
mar, of our system. Here men are free They
can come and 70 when they please. No inquisi-
,,on stems them at every shore and at every bOun-
a.rv lire. and. with timorous dread Of mischlcf'
9. rapacious exercise of power, demands Of them
An. purport of their errand. If men wish to leave
,b,. country. and adopt another, they have an nm
doubted right 10 leave il. Their government has
"a. reht whatever to pursue them, and to thrust
her jurisdiction upon them. She has never rre-
sended TO exercise that right. She has no bust
ns,s with their motives, unless those motives be
an avowed infringement of her laws. We do not
ray that an organized and unproyoked attack upon
friendly neighbor, If nstigated by the govern
ment, is not violation Of q treaty OF peace and
we do not say that treaty OF peace is not the law
Of the land. But we put ], directly to the RpuCiic,
and to the National IntoRgsHcer, whether solicited
assistance, rendered to suffering people, in the
act of conspiracy and on the brink Of rebellion,
y such an attack upon a friendly power as to war
rant official interference
n the United States government lent her troops,
her stores. or her flcetsif she lent her co-opera-
non officially, in the most minute pariicular-she
would certainly be amonablc to Spain, and to the
world, for the violation Of her honor. But here lie
one man, private citizen, and there are ten, scam
peripg over the boundary line, with muskets in
rheir hands. Their cry is Cuba,'' or " Sierra
Nadre" Well, whose business is 1T They 60
st their peril. BY such act, they have thrown
of their allegiance to their country, and forfeited
ns protection. Their country is no longer bound
for their acts. She need neither notice nor inter-
NEEDLE with them; and it is no part Of the duty Of
[. government Nike ours to pimp and pry into
fheir proceedings. Docs the Republic under
take 10 say that this government can and ought to
check the ndomitable symTaihies with which a
people like ours, full Of wild enersics conie npate
the revolutisnary efforts Of a ncighbof1 Does the
Iriais,ns,r boldly assert that it is the legitimate
function Of this government to keep all ITS citizen:
.pen our own coil, by force Of arms, merely be-
..sse dscrepid ncighbor, IN the nightmare OF hc
suams, ciics out w ierrori Docs are pollnct
eseL, nlist nc matter what hs party, or What hi'