The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-10-02

terms n ~ mat simple and primary duty"
W. ,nsvpsttsiess. condemn this who Iesaie
jadtsasi nassscre The extreme plea of right il
no jastidcstion for preciptate act of yudictiye
eyuelty. II u, indeed asserted that, on ths pre-
vione pceawion Of The attempts At Round island
~ Gssaanas. the utmost cle,nsrcy was exhibit.
s1~by ~ 8P~rish authorities, but without the
sosst Of preventing further aggression. Yet
this y most insufficient Justification and the
fast Of tho invaders having disregarded the
wnrning then given, and having mAda new pi-
Tateai incarslon, il no for savage severity
on thu part Of the Cuban government. II was,
no doubt, the duty Of the latter to infict come
panisAment upon their prisoners; but sum
laaTy exaeation was alike cruel and impoitic 1t
~ dishonorsd and damaged the Spanish cause,
Il has exasr Grated the American people, and il
haa Increased the difficulties Of the federal exc
cutive
In defending the acts of his government, M
Istuvitz has thought proper to aIIuds to the pro-
eeedIDgs Of the English cruisers in the eastern
asehipsiaga, ~ alto riding an analogous case
But the parallel 10 not exact There is great
difference between destroying body OF savages
actually engaged in piracy, and the wholesale
execution Of prisoners. The operations of our
ships IA The East were, in reality, very much like
war at TIA CAPe--a campsign against basbaEous
Eaeea. who, by repeated acts of plumber and
murder, have provoked their fate. But neither
orr naval officers nor Sir Harry Smith are accus.
toned to shoot their prisoners en- ,nasse; on the
contrary. except on the field of battle, our CON-
manders have rather erred on the side Of lenien-
cy. Nor can II be admitted that such vndica-
lions Of authority are necessary to the interests
Of society Such principle is strictly PENN.
sular one; and though it may be acted upon BY
Narvaez and the military statesmen of Spain, it
will scarcely be recognized by the rest of the
world Again, it ia alleged that the number and
resources Of the invaders aggravated the crimi-
nality Of their attempt; but 1t would be equally
true, and more to the purpose, to say that the
power and resources Of the Spanish govern
ment, which rendered summary proceedings un-
necessary for its immediate security, heighten
the imprudence, if not the guilt, Of its conduct.
Notwithstanding the difficulties arising from
the excited feeling of the American people, it
appears that the government of the United
States 10 taking vigorous steps to prevent any
further infraction of treaties by its citizens 1t
10 said that President Fillmore is determined to
psrssvsre In the policy laid down by his pre-
decess0r, and that precautions will BE- adopted
to prevent the departure of the bodies of troops
which have lately been collected in different
parts Of the Union. The government is already,
to s0me extent, answerabIe for the effects OF It's
previous remissness aud for the want Of vigil
lance on the part of its officers. But if the
federal authorities really resolved to restrain
the unruly buccaneers of the South, there is no
doubt that they possess the means Of so doing.
They would have the support of the New
England States, as we'll as of the North west
for 10 those parts of the Union the annexation
fever IL less violent than it is elsewhere, and il
10 felt that the acquisition Of additional slave
States would injuriousIy affect the political bal
ance Of the confederation. Therefore, if the
cabinet at Washington has the courage to adopt
= decided course ofaction, it NAV, in spite of the
opposition Of Southern feeling, and of the
mobs in the large cities, success sfully maintain,
unimpaired, the good faith of the United States.
But the untoward events which lave occurred
in Cuba and New Orleans---the excuses Of q
barbarous government on the one hand and a
brutal populace on the other--have rendered
the issue highly predetermined.
Every effort will Of course, be made BY the
annexationists to stimulate public feeling and to
induce the citizens TO believe that the blood OF
Americans mnst be stoned for. We may be
sure that the Cuban speculation will not fail for
want Of agitation on the part of its promoters
and thrre is dangerous population Of adven-
sutCto III VIC Oiutcu SbAtcss WIZ uIc Itduy IUF
any undertaking. however extravagant and
whose attention is now fixed upon the plumber
Of the wealthy dependency of Spain. 1t will be
4 hard struggle between the good sense and
moderation Of the community ut large, and the
reckless audacitv of ferocious and unman-
ageabIe party. On its result must depend, in a
great measure the attitude of the European
powers. So far as this country is concerned
no one can desire 10 see any indication of a
wish to interfere in the matter. Transatlantic
statesmen are sufficiently sagacious to perceive
the interest which Great Britain has in the
peacesble settlement of the question, and they
are probably aware of the feelings that would
be produced on this side of the water by an
American occupation Of the Havana But, until
our interests are really endangered. interference
would only do HARM for no American govern
ment could subsist for an hour under the sus
licion Of being dictated to by European power