The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1852-1855, 1852-12-02


CuBA-L<tsr from President Fillmore
The following letter is published in the
Washington Republic OF the 27th ult. We
are pleased that the President has Inns az
Plieitly stated to Mr., George Law that he
has been trying long enough to provoke hos
%tilities between this country and Spain and
that, should his folly lead him into diAicul.
ties, he must bear the consequences. II was
IN awful and dangerous stretch OF pow6,
when President Polk 10 fact declared War
against Mexico; but the doctrine Of the FIJI.
hbusters, giving this power to any individu.
al or number Of individuals, is infnitelv
worse-neither should be tolerated for 4
moment. The letter was tratsmittea nv
telegraph and may contain some errors aoss
however, we trust, Of any importance:
W~AsHINeToS, November I2, ls52.-HyoE
M0rIceh'-You note of yesterday came 10
hand ms morning, in which you state a Con.
versatlon You have had with Mr.. Law; from
which you learned that the Crescent CITY
Will 60 to Cuba and enter the port of Ha.
vana IN defiance of the Spanish authorities,
and II fired upon she will be surrendered
and that then he and others will immediate'
ly commence hostilities against the Island
You say, also, that he desires to know
whether he is right in persisting in the nur.
suit OF lawful business, and that if Govern
ment shall tell him he mnst not go, he will
not go; il, however, Government saws moth
ing against hts going, he will infer he has a
right to go. You say, also, that he profess
cs to be friendly to me and my Administra.
ton. Ofthe sincerity of this latter profess
sion one can best judge by reading his let
ter ofthe 9th, published in the New York.
Herald of the 18th instant.
But in regard to the chief matters of YOUR
letter, permit me TO say that in the first
place | do not admit the right of Mr.. Law or
any other citizen to threaten war on his own
account, for the purpose of seeking redress
Tor real or imaginary injuries, and then to
call upon Government to say whether it APP
proves or disapproyes Of such conduct, and
assume its appreciation unless the act is for
hidden. Y
The constitution Of the United States has.
vested in Congress alone the power Of de-
claring wal, and neither the executive branch
o fthe Government nor Mr.. Law has any
right to usurp that power by commencing
war without its authority; and If he shall at
temptit, it will be my duty and 1t is nv de-
termination, to exert all power conided to
the Executive Of the Government, by the
constitution and the laws, to prevent it. I
am resolved at every hazard to maintain
our rights in this controversy, as against
Spain, and | am equally resolved that no
act Of our W citizens shall be permitted to
place this Government in the wrong.
Mr.. Law has an undoubted right to pur-
sue his lawful business; but when a ques-
ton is raised between this Government and
a foreign nation, as to whether the business
which he pursues is lawful, or pursued in
a lawful manner, the decision of that ques-
ton belongs to the two Governments and
Aes sohim. II his object be to assert his
right to enter the port o Havana with such
persons as they may choose to select, in de-
tiance Of The laws and the Government Of
Spain, he has certainly lone enough to pre-
sent that question for decision between
: the Governments Of Spain and the United
; States,a negotiations have already COM
menced, and our rights, as we understand
them, have been asserted and as | said be-
fore, will be maintained. But the acts of
this Government cannot be controlled by
the interference Of any indiVidSaI, ard il is
$ entirely unnecessary that Mr.. Law shoula
: repent these attempts for the purpose of
settling the controversy. IF BE wilfully
does so,andi in so doing violates the laws Of "
. foreign nation within its own Jurisdiction,
and thereby loses or ~forfeits his vessel, he
: can expect no indemnity for such an act of
. folly from this Government.
We regulate the terms and conditions up-
E on which all foreign vessels shall enter our
. ports, and we fix penalties for the violation
: of the laws. The right to do so we shall
oayar s,,fr..I "a ~ nueRtionod h. co-o;coor~