The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1852-12-04
TILE CECIL WING.
ELKTON, ND, DEC. 4, 1852.

A LETTER FROM President FllLMoKE.-
The progress of "FWjju$tcrasm" in cur
country is assuming Il trariN! aspect and
importance. When the late drmonstra-
tion which proved SO disastrous, was
made upon Cuba the utmost srcrrsy
was maintained lest a knowledge Of the
movement should come to the notice Of
the government Now an attempt is
made and urged with prrtinacIty, to
make "fillb lister" of the government.
1t seems, however, that Mr.. Fillmore
will not be willing party to placing
onr country in the wrong, as is
shown by the letter printed below,
which was private one written TO the
collector at New York. We wait with
anxiety to see what Mr.. Law will do in
the premises.
WASHINGTON, November -, 1852.
Hon. HUGH MAXWELL, New York city.
Your note of yesterday came to hand
this morning, in which you state con-
versation you have had with Mr.. George
Law, from which YOU learned that the
Crescent City will 90 TO Cuba and en-
'ter the port Of Havana IN defiance of
the Spanish authority; and if fired up
con, she will be surrendered, and that
then he an others will Immediately
commence hostiliics against the ISL
'and." You say also that die desires
'to know whether he is right in per-
siSting in the pursuit Of his lawful bus
'ineSS, and that if the Government shall
tell him he must not 90, he vii not 90.
II however, the Government says moth
ing against his going. he will infer he
has right to CO. You say also that
she processes to be friendly to me and
'my Administration, OF the sincer-
ty of this latter profession one can best
judge by reading his letter of the 9th,
published in the New York Herald of
the 10th instant.
But in regard to the chief matters of
your letter, permit me to say that i'll the
first place, | do not admit the right OF
Mr.. Law, Or any other citzen, to threat
EN- war on his account, for the purpose
OF seeking redress for real or imaginary
injuries, and then to call upon the Gov
eminent TO say whether It approves or
disapprovcs of such comduct, and as
sumes It's appreciation unless the act is
forbidden. The Constitution of the
United States has vested in Congress
al0ne the power Of declaring war, and
neither the Executive branch of the
Government, nor Mr.. Law, has any
right to uSurp that power by colnmen-
cling war without its authority: and if
he shall attempt it, it will be my duty,
as it is my determination. to exert all the
power coniided TO the Executive Gov
eminent by the Constitution and laws TO
prevent it. am resolved, at every
hazard, to maintain our rights in this
controversy as against Spain, and am
as equal v resolved that no act of our
own citizens snail be permitted to place
this Government in the wrong. Mr..
Law has an undoubted right to pursue
his lawful business: but when question
is raised between this Government and
foreign nation as to whether tie bust
ness which he pulsues is lawful, or pur.
sued in a lawful manner, the decision OF
that question belongs to the two Gov
ernments and not to him. If the object
be to assert his right to enter the port of
Havana with such persons as be may
choose to select, in defiance of the laws
and Government Of Spain, he has GER
taInly done enough to present that cues
ton for the decision of the Government
of Spain and the Uni,ed States; and the
negotiation has already commenced,
and our rights as we understand them
have been asserted, and as | said before
will be malntained; but the act of this
Government cannot be controlled by
the interference Of any individual; and
it is entirely unnecessary that Mr.. Law
should repeat these attempts for the pur-
pose OF settling this controversy, and If
he wiIltully does SO, and in so doing Vi
olates the laws of foreign nation with
in its own jurisdiction. and thereby
loses or tori"its his vessel, he can expect
no indemnity for such an act of folly
from this Government. We regulate
the terms and conditions upon which
all foreign vessels shall enter our ports,
and we fix the penalties for violation
OF our laws, and the right to do so we
shall never suffer to be questioned by
foreigners, and we do not question theirs
to do the same thing He must wait
the result Of the negotiations between
the two Governments. This is ques-
lion not to be settled between him and
Cuba, nor even between the United
States aud Cuba, but between the Uni
ted States and Spain, which is alone re-
sPonSiJIr for the conduct ithe Govern
ment OF Cuba.