The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-11-06

s,,ti.n Intervention relation TO Cuba.
Under this caption the New York Courier and Enqui.
rer publishes letter the signature of gentleman
well known as the intimate friend and lin recent and
brilliant work) almost the biographsr OF Mr. Webster
We transfer il to columns, regarding II as the most
authoritative and the nearly accurate statement yet
made public in relation the matter OF which il treats
The main point OF the letter is, that our government
bne informed that orders had been issued TO British and
French cruisers o prevent the landing OF any military
force upon the coasts OF Cuba had no for sup
posiug that il was intended to be ntimated 10 the gov
eminent OF the United States that merchant ships OF this
country with American flags and regular papers, could
(under such ordersJ"be searched by foreign cruisers TO
discover individuals bound to Cuba with hostile intent
What our government supposes about this we do not
know But if Mr. March will inquire again at head
quarters and inquire thoroughly, he will find that our
government had reason to know that the orders issued
did exactly and fully the case OF any individuals
proceeding land upon the coasts OF Cuba with hostile
INTENT no matter whether sailing under the American
fag in regularly documented American vessels, or not
If any individuals their way, by any sort OF con-
veyance to the coasts Of Cuba in order to land there
with hostile intent, the foreign cruiser is ordered to pre-
vent them by force from doing 1t is very adro in MIR
March to use the term military force" il the orders
contemplated only the stopping Of any small army that
nigh, be found on ship board proceeding to Cuba Bat
upon further inquiry, he will find that he is quite in
if he thinks the orders thus restricted On the contrary
he will find that the foreign cruisers ordered TO let
one land on the coasts Of Cuba with hostile intent.
Whatever may be supposed upon this subject. is quite
manifest that such an order cannot be executed at all by
the foreign cruiser without involving the exercise of the
whole right OF visit and the whole right Of search against
.py American vessel bound TO Cuba, which may be sus
pected Of being suspicious character" by the British
French commanding officer. Under these orders, any
American vessel If proceeding to Cuba must, il
pec,ed by the foreign officer be stopped till her papers
be duly examined II these be satisfactory she may sail
on but that is entirely in the officers discretion II they
be not satisfactory, his examination of the ship may, and
under his orders must till he is satisfied that there
are no invaders sympathizers" her decks or in
her hold What is this but the right of search What
is but the right of search in its very worst and most
offensive shape under the preence orsooth OF aiding
government 10 enforce very stringent neutrality
aws'
The "two ideas" upon which Mr. March, after due
inquiry, conjecures, with sufficient certainty" that the
orders in question are founded. also very remarkable
The first u.s. that England and France bound by treaty
ITO protect Cuba in the hands of Spain" II there be
such treaty. il must be- presume, the new guarantee
treaty Of which so much has been said, and which may
be copiectured with than sufficient certainty 10 be
in complete violation OF the intervention policy OF
Mr. Monroe, besides being open 10 other objections of
the gravest character.
ha of ia that al al
proceeding sea- evidently with warlike purposes and
without commission from regular government is a
pirate, whom ii is lawful for anybody to destroy %
What savage and lawess doctrine is this By whose
authority has this babarous idea been incorporated
into public law, that overt act of praca and felo.
NOUS violence is essary to make man pirate /!
When before was piracy constituted by intention to
eommi, such act before the had been committed
When before was The mere armament OF vessel and her
proceeding to sea without commission deemed to con-
situe the overt act Of piracy The doctrine come from
what quarter il may, is plainly absurd II is in 1at-,he
INSTRUMENTATION to all the positions taken by our
government through Mr. Clayton in all his dicussions
with SPAIN and all his instructions to our Minister al
Madrid, in relation the Cardenas and Conoy prisoners
The doctrine then laid down by the American govern
menl was that the armed proceeding TO wi,hou,
commission, and with pira,ical nenshould that
be admitted in the case-was not piracy until some
over, act Of piralical violence committed And this
doctrine law and il is This doctrine was
these recent discussions with Spain, fully recognised
and approved by MIR. Webster II would be interesting
then, to know how be regards the present idea attributed
10 Lord Pamerston, that an American ship may law
fully be destroyed. pirate, by anybody, if she go to
va with an armament, with apparent warlke purpose,
'nd without regular commission!
But. without going further at this time into the positions
attributed TO our government in this letter, we lay the
PAPER itself before readers
WASHINGTON, Nov 2, 1851
My SIR | have made inquiries at headquarters
ABOUT the correctness OF certain floating rela
hon 10 the correspondence between the British and
trench Ministers and the Secretary OF State upon The
Cuban question.
on may take il for true that, in the absence OF Mr.
webster, made known Mr. Cnt,enden, by read
,g 10 him memorandum from the instructions of the
onth and French Ministers, that orders had been given
pihe British and French ships OF war to prevent the
ahdng OF any military force upon the coasts OF Cuba
" Is doubtless true that the armed steamers OF the
United States had similar orders-if such military
lorce was proceeding from this country. 1t may be
,onlecured, with suicien, certainty that these or
GERS OF France and England were founded on two
as-hrs that those powers were bound by treaty siP-
aions to protect Cuba in the hands OF Spain second
mat armed vessel proceeding TO sea, evidently for
alike purposes and without q commission from some
Hula government, ia pirate, whom it is lawful for
pat intended to be animated the government OF
heNnlted Statea that ehins nj hi.