The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-11-13
The Scotch View of the Cuba Question.

AubCTallh. .. ID.
The Scotch View of the Cuba Question.
srum he Glasgos Post Oct l5
1t is very dangerous pastime for peoole who live
in glass houses to throw stones for they are almost
sure to provoke voley in retaliation; neither Is it
safe for us-meaniDg by "us," the nation as repre-
scented by our executive-tO interfere in the way Of
censure with the foreign transactions OF other go
black spots in our own dealings With strugers that
IN acute adversary finds no difficulty in detecting
some of these week points, and pointing his shafts
against them. All the world knows, or may know,
that at the time when General Lopez, with band
Of called rebes-we call hem rebels because they
were taken and garrotted shot; if they had done
the same good turn to their adversaries, patriots
would have been the wOrd-was making his attempts
that Of France, urgently pressed on the United
States the propriety Of the three powers entering
into treaty to guarantee Cuba to Spain in all time
coming.
This proposal was declined by the United States,
end in reply to this declinature Lord John Russell,
who was our Foreign Secretary at the time, penned
q dispatch in which he and his friends thought, no
doubt that there were some smart hits ut Jonathan
for his awIess annexing propenslties: Mr. Everett
was then the American Secretary although he has
since left Office but considering that he was bound
to defend his own manifest against Lord John,
although retired to private station, he has issued
docHmen. over which 1t is very likely the Yankees
are Growing as Justify as Lord Johns hackers did
over his. In placing the following quotations from
it before readers, it will be understood that we
mean neither to viDdicate nor impugn the conduct
OF t1e American government in reference to the
island of Cuba. Our main object is to hold up
picture Of ourselves as drawn by an adversary, who
had prejudces to latter and resentments to be
afraid Of, and to show that il America entertains
any intention Of acquiring Cuba we are not the par
ties to throw stones at her. The first quotation
draws hypothetical parallel between our policy in
another instance, and that which we were by mpli-
cation attributing to the States from the force or
which there is no escaping.
:" In order" says Mr.. Everett, " to establish for
France and England an equal interest with the
United States in the condition OF Cuba, you say
Great Britain is in possession, by treaty, OF the
island of Trinidad which in the last century was
colony of spa,n.' 1t is true that Spain was COM
PEELED by France to cede Trinidad to Great Britain
by the treaty Of Amiens. If while this cess0n was
in sgitatiOn-as it was for some time-the United
States and any other neutral power, Cf there was
any other) had exerted themselves to defeat it, aud
had invited you and France to bind yourselves by
perpetual compact never to acquire it, the interior
ence, apprehepd, would have been regarded as
worse than gratuitous. cannot see why we have
not good right to obtain, if we cam from Spain
the voluntary cessi0n Of Cuba as you had to accept
the compulsory cession of Trinidad, which is by
position and strength the Cuba of the Southeastern
Antilles"
Neither con we. We have closed our mouths
efectuay against protesting that the States shall
not acquire Cuba in an honest way, by the bucca.
neering, dishonest rapacty with which we have
seized upon the possessions of other countries in
every quarter Of the globe. Our antecedents," as
the following tic quoque is as undenable as IL is ap-
plicable Consider, too, the recent antecedents Of
the powers that invite to disable ourselves to the
end of time from the acquisition in any way Of this
natural appendage to our continent. England, not
to mention her other numerous recent acquisit ons
every part Of the globe, has, even since your des-
patch OF the 10th Of February written, annexed
the half Of the Burman empire to her overgrown In
Mr.. CObden's pamphlet are to be relied upon-com
pared with which the reasons assigned by Russia fol
invading Turkey are respectable"
This is the TeprOach we expose ourselves to in the
face of the world for those glorious additions to
territory which are lauded by statesmen in Legis
atuTe, and for which, we lament to say bishops and
other holy persons have been found to return thanks
to the Almighty 1t is q strange anomaly of our his
tory that the wrongs Of Scotch lady in an Italian
ducby, or even Of two foreigners of whom we know
nothing, are motive enough to summon public meet
ings and originate parliamentary discussions, while
not tongue wags in defence of q plundered king
dom.
Lord John Russell, in sarcastic tone, had coun-
selled the United States government to pay more
respect to "those rules for the observance of inter.
rational relations which for centuries have been
known TO Europe by the name OF the law of natons"
but how much better would he have been to have
steered clear Of such a topic! for mark how the
American statesman takes him in the rear, turns his
own guns against him, and sends every word home
with the force OF sledge hammer.
From the breaking out OF the wars of the
French revolution to the year 1872, the United
States knew the law Of nations only as the victims
Of its systematic violation by the great maritime
powers Of Europe One hundred millions, at least.
of American property were swept from the seas I'm.
der the British orders in council. and the French
Berlin. and Milan DEGREES. These orders and de.
crees were at the time recprocaly declared to be in
contraventon of the Law Of nations by the two pow.
ers themselves each speaking of the measures of the
nth EH rtyy SInut h.
British orders in council, not only received
Naturalization but the sacrifices and sufferings of
war were added to those sp0liati0ns on our COM
merce and invasion of our neuual rights which led
to its declaration. These orders were at the time
regarded by the Lansdownes, the Earrings, the
Brougbams, and the other enli shtened statesmen
Of the school to which you belong, as violation Of
right ana Justice, as we'll as sound policy; and within
a. very few years, the present distinguished Lord
Chief Justice, placed by yourself at the head of the
tribunals Of England, has declared that the orders
in Council were grievously unjust to neutrals and it
is now generally allowed that they were contrary to
the law of nations and our own municipal law"
II we are not the better of having these plain
truths, we ought to be; and in place of trying to
brazen out the matter, it would be a much more
hopeful symptom If we were to acknowledge and try
to amend our errors Considering, too that when wars
do break out, nations, like individuals who have
barked in quarrel, are yet apt to do things which
they may afterward regret, we should by all
means strive TO prevent eur warke propensites get
ting the upper hand OF u.s. lest we should be led into
temptation.
A CONVICT PARDoNED IN MIssOURI.-Willism
Trcwbrdee, formerly tookkeeper in the house of Nc
Creepy Essex, Main street, received full pardon
fire. m Governor Price on the Sd inst He released
from the renitenary that day and Immediately took
downward bound boat, but got of at the town of St.
Charles and came through to st. Louis in omnibus,
arriving here Saturday He convicted 10 April
May last in the Criminal Court Of embezzng more than
81 COO from his employers and has served about
months of his sentence His mother, who resided In the
western part Of Kew York. to obtain his pardon,
and has since strven earnestly to accomplish IT, that
the Governor has at last yielded to her solicitations She
Ia now stopping at the Monroe House, her return
home. Towbridge went to iau Saturday night, and
asked permission to remain there until morning, which