Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1851-12-10

most interesting and important Documents
transmitted to Congress with the Presidents
Message were the memorandum and cores
pordence respecting the measure of Inter
vention taken by the Governments of Great
Britain and France in ordering their res
pective ships Of war to prevent by force any
hostile landing on the Island of Cuba. The
correspondence took place in October, du-
ring the absence of Mr.. Webster from
Washington, and was conducted onthe part
of the United States by Mr.. Crittenden, then
Acting Secretary ofState, with marked abil-
ity. With the exception of the famous HUI
seman letter of Mr.. WEBSTER, we know of
nothing IN the way of diplomatic correspon-
dence so much to the point, SO decided s
at the same time so genteel, as Mr.. CRIT
TENDEN's letter to the French Minister.
"The orders given TO the British & French
squadrons in the Yves! Indies" says the
Baltimore .4merican, "it will be seen at
once, could not be enforced without the
most serious danger of involving the ques-
ton of the right of search and the honor of
our flag. The assumption implied by Eng
land and France, in the claim they put
forth to act as police agents on the high seas
in the mater in question, takes it for grant
ed either that the Government of the United
States is wanting in The ability or the homes
ty to do its duties 10 other nations and 10 it's
self in its relations of neutrality. Mr.. CRIT
TENDEN speaks with plainness on this point.
This Government he says to M. DE SARTI-
! GEs, the French Minister, is determined 10
execute ats laos, and in The performance Of
This duty can neither ask nor receive foreign
aid.'"
Mr.. CRITTENDEN re-asserts an important
American doctrine, first announced by Mr.
MoNRoE, in the following manner. The
tender solicitude, expressed In the latter par
agraph, to preserve friendly relations with
the sister republic of France looks little
waggsh:
There is another point of view in which
this Intervention on the part of France and
England cannot be viewed with indifference
by the President. The geographical posi-
ton of the Island of Cuba, in the Gulf OF
Mexico, lying at no great distance from the
mouth of the river Mississippi, and in the
| line Of the greatest current ofthe commerce
of the United States, would become, in the
hands of any powerful European nation, an
object of just jealousy ard apprehension to
the people of this country. A due regard
to their own safety and interest must there
fore make it matter ofimportance to them
who shall possess and hold dominion over
that Island. The Government of France
and those of other European nations were
long since officially apprized by this Gov
eminent that the United States could not
see without concern that island transferred
by Spain to any other European States.-
President Fillmore fully concurs in that SEN
timent, and is apprehersive that the protect
crate introduced by the orders in question
might in contingencies not difficult TO be
imagined, lead to result equally objection
able.
If it should appear to M. de Sartiges that
the President is too apprehensive on this
subject, this must be attributed to his great
solictude to guard the friendly relations be-
tween the two countries against all contin-
gencies and causes of disturbance. The
people of the United States have long cher
ised toward France the most amicable sem
timents, and recent events, which made her
republic, have opened new sources of fra
ternal sympathy. Harmony and confidence
would seem to be the natural relations Of the
two great republics of the world relations
demanded no less by their permanent in
terests than by circumstances and comblna-
tons in continental Europe which now seem
to threaten so immnently the cause of free
in ,ttutons. The United States have moth
ing to fear from those commissions, nor are
they propagandists, but they have at heart
the cause Of freedom in all countries, and
believe that the example of the two great
republics of France and America, with
their moral and social influences co opera
ting tremendously, would go far to promote
and to strengthen that cause.
LATE AND INTERFERING VISIT TO JAPAN.
We find in our California files an inter-
e.ting account Of recent visit to Japan
which appears to be somewhat OF an I'M