The daily union., 1852-12-03
The Cuban Negotiation.

From the Washington Rspabhc, the confidential ora.
OF the administration, take the annexed pa,a,rsnl
IN reference TO the publication OF The Cuban eor,s.
po1dence
"The publication OF the correspondence beoyeen 4,
Pok's Secretary of State and his minister at kaIfd
sadly dscomposed the equanimity Of many Of oar ds
cratic contemporaries, They profess 10 dseoye, y ~
presentation OF those documents TO Congress pre,
bunder on the part of the President. The eoin,,i
IN this case. he u remembered, parties who have
ways eontended that secret diplomacy Is III altribn,
monarchy and that the foreign diplomacy Of hi, con,
should be public the deliberations OF Cnnefa i
must be- noted fnrlher hat they deprecats the p,e.ds
proceeding only because IL is supposed 10 ls ,tkev !
| embarrass future negotiations by democratic adni,,
lion. They protest loudly ha Mr. Buchanaus n,ruc,,o
10 Mr. Saunders. and Mr.. Sannderss confidential ,,ht
perings 10 Mr.. Buchanan, ought 10 have been n,essr,
unseen ia the archives OF The department but uo ! I
IS uttered against the degrading policy which ,lese 49,
ments tasen upon Mr. Polk and his advisers The nn,.
ran ed assumption OF power by the demacraiia Is, .
those days-their mano,avrng TO mslead SPAN .nd :
overeach her IN relation 10 Cubd--ther petty batp,nin
and tickery and deccptionare all passed over Nis,
word OF censure by those OF opponents 10 whan ~,
aliude. All that Mr.. Buchanan aud his minister did ~
perfectly proper according to this class of denoe,,,
morass their only objection is that the world Is now AL
mitted TO knowledge of the style in which demoeuil
Secretary Of State conducted his negotiations with a
friendly power. They appear coincide with he vls,
expressed by expediency III other case-tha The ham
consists. not IN trying 10 cheat neighbor but in permit
ting oneself 10 be detected III the act."
And this is the mode by which the conduct of ,he a1
minsiraton is vindicated by its chosen champion Tho
Republic does not presume TO assert that the publication
OF lhe correspondence was consistent with the national
interests; nor does condescend to explain TO The conn
try by what accident with what design false da,e
was attached to the Presidents message 10 the Hopse
In explanation, and in vindication of the poicy Of ina
administration, the Republic simply presents the country
with column OF balderdash, equally contemplate for ia
displays OF ignorance and its vehement assertions ri nm
truth. The suticency of such an apology will hardly
be recognised by the public which demands some sa
factory explanation OF the motives and policy Of ,he
President in giving worldwide publicity 10 the ,noa
secret diplomacy of the government, and in aifxing
fictitious date 10 State paper
For the sake of brevity, arrange the allegations Of
the organ into four distinct heads FIRST we have the
insnuated assertion that democratic" journals only
censue the publication of the Cuban correspondence
But the truth is, that prominent whig papers, and
the entire neutral press, are emphatic in reprobaing
the egregious blindness of the President in giving
publicity TO the correspondence Even the ReDubie
itself substantially though indirectly acknowledges
the bunder; for contends that the correspondents
will bring disgrace upon the diplomacy and character
1u-
sequence can hardly be compatible with the public n
ierests"
Again the Republic owns that the democratic marty
have always contended that secret diplomacy is Il,
attribute OF monarchy and that the foreign diplomacy Of
the country should be public as the deliberations Of
Congress-" Can ii be necessary for us 10 assure our
readers that this allegation is utterly false! We susu,a
not The refusal of President Polk to make pnbl. sou
n -.
to the act by the democratic pariythe practice Of p
ceding democratic OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES ready and
conclusive refu,aon OF the Republics assertion.
Ia the third place. the Republic pe,ends TO regard Pres
den Folks proposition for the purchase OF Cuba as an
" unwaranted assumption Of power" And whyi Did
the overture transcend the constitutional powers of the
federal executive! Certainly not Was il discouns-
nanced by the practice OF the earlier Presdentsr Let
Jeersons proposal for the purchase OF Louisiana and
Monroes proposal for The purchase OF Fjrda respond
TO The inquiry But the preencs OF The Republic does
not deserve serious consideration; nor Gun any
plansibiliiy be given il by an exceptional case IN.
der the administration OF Washington, which the en-.
tquarian research OF the Iatetgeaeer has brought TO
light
The last OF the Republics ACCUSATIONS woal be lie
most serious OF all, II IL not so palpaby se and
absurd. We are told that President Polk soughl 10
oyereach Spain in relation Cuba and TO misIead her
by manGavrngs, petty bargaining, irckery, and dcceP.
,ion," and that he pursued degrading polic," in the
negotiation To This sweeping and degrading accusation
the history OF the negotiation gives no shadow OF SUI
port Secretary Buchanan distinctly declared ,ha, The
acquisition OF Cuba to be effected only by the fre
consent OF Spain, and the American minister in obedi
ence TO instructions, male formal proposal 6ris tur
chase While the Repubfic trckery and decei.
ton in the negotiation other whg journals ST equal
discernmen at least. positively eensure the frank and
manner in which il was conducted, and
attribute the failure OF the negotiation TO an absence Of
hnesse in the diplomacy. Until it produces some iesi
mony TO the truth OF its allegation, the Rtpu5iie mu
stand as the aathor Of a adeliberale calumny.
Cuba
In another column readers will find communca.