Southern standard., 1853-10-08
Letter from the Hon. Edward Everett. to Eord
JcsaD Russell,

. 1<l tIitcctl9 10 opalu the possession OF Cuba.
Mr. Everett, it will be remembered, refused on the
part OF our Government to enter into any such
treaty, and save his reasons at length, and defined
the position Of the United States in regard to Cuba,
n his usual able and mastery style Lord John
RasseI's reply was not made public until Mr.
Everett had retired from office. The latter cen
tleman, however, has deemed it his duty to some
extent to answer it, and the answer, which we find
IN the Boston papers Of Wednesday, is written in
chaste dignfed and thorough manner
Alter disPosing Of preliminary things as to the
tone OF Lord john despatch and the length of his
own letter, Mr. Everett adyerts to the grounds up
on winch the United States rest the claim of hav-
ing paramount interest in Cuba He then goes
intoa close and interesting examination, of the re-
mark made by Lord John relative to the avowal that
the President could moi repress the Lopez expodi-
ton THIS IS pressed in such a manner as to leave
Lord John Russell in melancholy plight, The
same thing is done to Lord Johns lecture on
American law. The manner in which this law was
violated in the British orders ofcouncil, and French,
Berlin and Milan DEGREES, is dwelt upon, and forced
home IN way that must be peculiarly refreshing to
Lord Johnin particular and to John Bull generally
We give this portion of his admirable letter:
Consider, too, the recent antecedents Of the
powers that invite US to disable ourselves to the
end OF time from the acquisition in any way Of this
natural appendage to ourcontinent. France, with
IN the present century, TO say nothing of the acqui-
sItlon oil Louisiana, has rested a m0ety of Europe
from It's native soyereigns; has possessed herself
by force OF arms, and at the time greatly to the
discomfort of Eng land Of six hundred miles of the
northern coast OF Africa, with an indefinite exten-
sion into the Interior and has appropriated to her
sell one OF the most important insular groups Of
the Pacific. England, not to mention her other nu-
merous recent acquisitions in every part of the
pba hue Il II A. ga,
Of February written, annexed half of the Bur
man empire to her oyergrown Indian possessions,
on grounds, if the statements in Mr. Cobden's
pamphlet are to be relied upon,-compared with
which the reasons assigned by Russia for invading
Turkey are respectable.
"The United States do not require to be advised
OF the utility of those rules for the observance of
International relations, which for centuries have
been known to Europe by the name OF the law Of
nations They are known and obeyed by US un-
der the same venerable name. Certain circum-
stances in our history have caused them be studi
ed more generally and more anxously here than in
Europe From the breaking out ofthe wars Of the
French revolution TO the year 1912, the United
States knew the law Of nations only as the victims
Of its systematic violation by the great maritime
powers of Europe. For these violations on the
part of England prior to 1894 indfmnfcation was
made under the seventh article Of jays treaty
For similar injuries on the part of France we were
compelled to accept an illusory set off under the
convention Of 1900. A few years only elapsed
before a new warfare upon our neutral rights was
commenced by. the two powers One hundred mill
ions at least Of American property were swept
from the seas under The British orders in council
and the French, Berlin and Milan DEGREES. These
orders and DEGREES were at the time recprocally
declared to be in contrayention of the law of ma
tons by the two powers themselves, each speak
inc of the measures Of the other party. In 1881, ,
after the generation Of the original sufferers had
sunk under their ruined fortunes TO the grave,
France acknowledged her DEGREES to have been of
that character, by late and partial measure OF
indemniGcaton. For our enormous losses under
the British orders in council we not only never
received ndemnifcaton, but the sacrifices and suf-
ferings of war were added to those spoliations
on our commerce and invasion of our neutral rights
which led to its declaration Those orders were
at the time regarded by the Lansdownes, the Bar
inrs, the Brou9hams and the other enlightened
statesmen Of the school to which you belong, as a
violation of right and justice well of sound poll
cy and within very few years the present distin-
guished lord chief Justice, placed by yourself at
the head Of the tribunals of England has declared
that the orders IN council were grieyously unjust
/ to neutrals, and 1t is generally altoaCed, Mat
Aey agere contrary to the tar Of nations and oar
oun municipal laao T.
That | call my Lord, to borrow your expires
sion, "a melancholy avowed' for the chief of the
jurisprudence of great empire. Acts Of its SOW
ereign authority, countenenced by its punishment,
rightly executed by its fleets every sea, enforced
in the courts of admiralty by magistrate whose
learning and eloquence are among the modern go-
ries of England, persisted in till the lawful com
merce Of a neutral and kindred nation was annihi-
lated and pronounced by the highest legal authori
ty Of the present day contrary not merely to the
law of nations but your own municipal law!
q E'Under these circumstances the government
and people of the United States, who have never
committed or santioned a violation of the law o.
nations against any other power, may well think il
out of place. that they should be instructed by an
English minister in 'the utility Of those rules which
for centuries have been known to Europe BY the
name Of the law of nations
In conclusion, Mr., Everett says:
'.As an American citizen, do not covet the ac-
QUESTION of Cuba, either peacibly or by force o
arms. When | cast my thoughts back upon oul
brief history as nation, certainly not led tc
think that the United States have reached the fl
nal limits of their growth, or what comes to very
much the same thing, that representative govern
ment religious equality, the trial by jury, the free
dom of the press, and the other great attributes o
our Anglo Norman civilization are never to gain
a farther extension on this continent. | reearC
the inquiry under what political organization thi
extension is to take place, as vain attempt to pene
trate the inscrutible mysteries of the future.
wil if we are wise, be under the guidance OF ou
example hope it will be in virtue of the peace
ful arts, by which well-governed States extenc
themselves over unsettled or partially settled con
tinents NY voice was heard at the first opportu
nifty in the Senate of the United States, in favor
of deyelonno the almost boundless resources of th