Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-08-05
OUR AFFAIRS WITH SPAIN.

lations with Spain, which We were denied theNpri
vilege Of placing before our readers yesterday.
The Message is very suggestive Of comment, but
we must defer any extended remarks to another
day At present, we will only say that it is pretty
very menacing character, that the President
specifies the halfforgotten Black Warrior afai,
as the only circumstance to justify the placing Of
ten millions of money in the hands Of the Elk.
ecutive to meet the contingencies that may arise
during the four short months which are to inter
vene between now and the next meeting of Congress
Are, then, our relations with Spain in SO critical
posture as to demand that so extraordinary trust
should be confded to the Executive Government
Unless in revenge for the detention of the steamer
Black Warrior, it is contemplated to nAict on Cuba
or Cadiz repetition of the Greytown exploit, we
cannot see, from any thing disclosed in the Mes
sage, the slightest necessity for SO unusual
sure; and we say this without intending to intimate
any particular distrust Of the prudence of the Pre-
sident But, as general principle, such a trust
is at variance with the genius of our republi-
can institutions, if not with the Constitution
itself, unless demanded by some great emergency
or underlined impending danger. How would the
position, presented under similar circumstances?
Spain, from common report, has her hands too full
at home to think of any foreign war, and least Of
all war with the United States; therefore, unless
the President means to take the initiative In bring
ing on collision with Spain, we cannot see what
he can want with 10. .nfIIIons of dollars Should
my national exigency arise for the employment of
such sum, Congress will soon be back to grant it.
WASHINGTON, AUGUST /, 1854
To the Senate of The United States:
hasten to respond briefly to the resolution of the Sc
nate Of this date requesting the President to inform
the Senate f in his opinion it be not incompatible with
the public nteres whether any thing has arisen since
the date Of his message the House of Representatives
Of the fifteenth of March last concerning relations
with the Government Of Spain which in his opinion may
dispense with the suggestions therein contained touching
the propriety Of provisional by Congress to
meet any exgency that may arise, in the Of Con-
gress, affecting those relations"
In the message the House of Representatives refer
red to avaled myself Of the occasion to present the
following reflections and suggestions
In view Of the position of the Island Of Cuba its
bear commercial and other interests is vain to
expect that series Of unfrendiy acts infringing our
rights and the adoption Of policy threaten
ing the honor and security Of these States long exist
with peaceful relations In the measures taken for
amicabe adjustment Of difficulties with Spain should
fail shall not hesitate to use the autho
rity and means which Congress may grant insure the
observance Of just rights to obtain redress for nu
res received and to vndicate the honor Of flag In
of that contingency which earnestly hope
may not arise, suggest to Congress the propriety Of
adopting such provisional as the exgency may
seem to demand"
The two Houses of Congress may have anticipated that
the hope then expressed would be realized before the
period Of its adjournment and that relations with
Spain would have assumed satisfactory condition. SO as
past Of complaint and afford better Sc
curity for tranquility and justice in the future. But
constrained to say that such is not the fact The
formal demand for immediate reparaon in the case Of
the g Black Warrior" instead Of having been on the
part of Spain by prompt satisfaction has only served
coll forth Justification OF tho local authorities Of Cuba
and thus to transfer the responsibility for their acts to
the Spanish Government itself &s
Meanwhile information, not only reliable in its nature
but Of official character received to the effect that
preparation making within the limits Of the United
States by private individuals under military organiza
ton for descent upon the island of Cuba with view
to wrest that colony from the dominion of Spain Inter
national comfy, the obligations of treaties and the ex-
press provisions of law alike required in my judgment
that all the constitutional power of the Executive should
be exerted to prevent the contamination Of such viola
ten Of positive law and Of that good faith on which
mainly the amcable relations Of neighboring nations
must depend In conformity with these convictions Of
public duty, proclamation issued to warn all per-
sons not to participate in the contemplated enterprise
and to invoke the ntepostion in this behalf Of the pro-
per officers of the Government No provocation what
ever can justify private expeditions of hostility against
country at peace with the United States The power
to declare war is vested by the Constitution in Congress
and the experience Of past history leaves no room to
doubt that the wisdom Of this arrangement Of constu
honal power will continue to be verified whenever the
national interest and honor shall demand resort to u-
mate measures Of redress Pending negotiations by the
Executive and before the action of Congress- individuals
could not be permitted to embarass the operations Of the
and usup the powers Of the other of these deposta
ries Of the functions Of Government
have only to add that nothing has arisen since the
date Of my former message to dispense with the
gestons therein contained touching the propriey Of
visional measures by Congress"
FRANKLIN PIERCE
THE SEASON.
fit were not that the death Of the oldest inhabant