The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1853-06-30
From the Washington Union Of June 20.
an Import tant Official Artiele---Our Foreign Pol
icy---Cuba---Great Britain.

We have had occasion frequently to refer witt
qualification to the universal response of appro
val with which the inaugural Address of Presi
dent Pierce received. But, to our mind
this response was peculiarly cordial and signif
cant IN regasd to the noble sentiments and the
truly American spirit in which he sketched hi
foreign policy. To partisan sensibility his Ian
guage might have been offensive as CONVEYING
an implied censure upon the negative policy o1
i the late administration; but his sentiments
fouid SO warm and prompt and UNIVERSAL Il re-
j sponIe from the American heart, that partisan
: criticism scarcely ventured Whispering dissent
The Fue secret OF this instantaneous and uni
versal national approval is to be found in the
deep tonyIctiou which now rests upon the pub
lie mifd that it is high time that our foreign
i policy should be imbued with more distinctive
ness OF American feeling than has lately char
acterized it.
i President Pierce and felt that our foreign
| relations were destined to engage a leading
snare of the attention of his administration,
md, following his own high impulses he struck
i achord which vibrated throughout the Ameri-
ON heart, ana gave assurance that the national
I bnor was lntrusted to able and patriotic hands.
Ihe popular heart had tolerated with some de-
gree of Impatence, the negatiye-not to saw the
feeble or timid-policy OF our late foreign in
tercourse, and was, therefore, prepared to re-
spond with something of significant exultation
at the announcement of sentiments SO worthy
the head Of "A great republic.
1t Is, indeed, time that our foreign policy
should be characterized by distinctive Ameri-
can, or more properly republican, tone and SEN
lment. We are greatly deceived If we have not
discovered IN the conduct Of the Executive thus
Tar, the evidences that our hopes ON this point
Will be fully realized. When we see the Presi-
dent selecting such tried statesmen as Marcy
Buchanan, Soule, Walker Gadsden not to men
ton others, for the management of our inter
course with the most important foreign powers
we are strongly Impressed with the conviction
that he is determlded TO elevate our foreign pol
icy 10y looking to high qualifications in those
whom he selects TO represent our national inter
ests and honor. Our confidence is greatly in
creased when we see the head of the State De-
partment infusing into our foreign missions the
true spirit o. republican simplicity, thereby re-
curing cur representatives to be American re-
pubiicans abroad, well as at home
We regard it to be the duty of a foreign rep
Feseatattve 70 reflect in his mission the true
Character OF MS government; and when this
golden rule IS departed FROM the baeaeh merits
a rebukc from the head of the government
The department of oar ministers abroad whe-
ther regard is had their habits of attention 70
business, TO their devotion TO the ineerests OF
their country, TO their moral associations or
even to -tAei dress, should be strictly republican
that every representative may exhibit the real
excellence OF the institutions he represents and
by that means exert an influence in behalf of
repubheanism.
Ddt to maintain the high ground which the
ffesident has ttacu III his inaugural it is not
enough that he select able ministers and send
them abroad impressed with the true character
lstIcs Of republicans. Through the unbounded
energy anu enterprise OF our people, our inter
ests are interviewer with those of all other ma
tons, and our prosperity depends in no small
degree upon our success in extending and secu-
ring new theatres tor their cxertions. The con-
dltIan OF the world at this time imposes unusual
responsibilities upon the administration. Ques-
tIcus OF international policy are now presented
winch call for the utmost wisdom, caution, and
aoll'ty IN their management. The national hon
or must be maintained under all circumstances
the national prosperity must be secured ut any
hazard and our national independence must be
preserved at any sacrifice short of our national
honor. We have alluded lately to one of these
questions, growing out of the rumored polcyof
Great Britain in regard to Cuba, which stands I
out at this time with imposing prominence.
If the public rumors which attribute to Great
Britain a design, in connexion with Spain, TO
convert Cuba into a Government of free blacks, (
shall prove to be well founded, the high posi- I
tion taken by the Executive will be put 10 a Sc
we're trial. The proximity of this island to our
southern coast-:he facility of the intercourse
tbs character of the population-the position of
the island in regard to the mouth of the Missis- |
sippi these and other considerations of no less
moment at once suggest themselves constitu-
ting elements upon which policy must be /
SOiNeu IL tHere was Holiling III Tue past history
of Great Britain to excite our watchfulness, we |
should be reluctant to give the slighte4 ere
dence to the rumors alluded to- Ue not RoD
prepared to 6eteve that she has deliberately deter
ateLy determined 10 proDoke issue sohich may be
trdught a0ih the most disastrous consequences.
But there is at least enough in her past policy .
towards US, in the distinguished honors she is
paing to one of our citizens who owes all her
prominence to her assaults upon the integrity Of
our Union, as well as in her known policy in re-
gard to some of her own islands, to induce US
not to disregard and dismiss these runors too /
1t may not be the policy of
our government to take the initiative in regard
to Cuba although the considerations looking to
its acquisition involve almost necessarily the
question of our self-preservation but it is un-
questiouably duty, and we certainly hope
our policy, to be prepared with one voice and
with all our strength to prevent any interfe- /
renee in that quarter which threatens the hap
piness or permanence of our own government. |
The administration cannot be, and we are sure
it is not, too vigilant in guarding this point Of
attack upon our institutions. With know
ledge of British diplomacy, and the spirit of ag
gression which has marked the career of that
government we may be excused for listening to
rumors which are in consonance with her past
conduct If we listen to them too readily, !
Great Britain should remember that her own
policy has been such as to make us readily sus-
picious But at all events, the administration
has staked its character upon the maintenance
of purely American policy; and we are conf
dent that the whole American people are prepa-
red to see that policy maintained with the same
energy fidelity, and boldness with which they
hailed its announcement on the 4th of March.