The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-05-11
The Cuban INSTRUMENTATION.

/ sttect Inc report was rejected py Tie vote an'i
| the whole matter was then laid on the table.
The Cuban INSTRUMENTATION.
The city press are busily engaged in discuss
ing our relations with Spain in connection
with Cuba, and specializing on the message
which the President is about to send to Con-
gress in relation to the subject. Every one
knows by this time that Mr.. Soule has demand
ed PREPARATION for the Black Warrior outrage,
and that the Spanish government has hitherto
refused it-that our minister required Of Spain
not only satisfaction for that particular offence,
but such security against its repetition as the
investment Of future captains-general with
power to settle such matters in person could
afford-and further that some intimaton of our
| decided unwillingness TO tolerate the interior
ence of any other European power in the
island, was duly conveyed to the Cabinet at
Madrid. We know that these communications
were not met in conciliatory spirit, and that at
! the time we were declaring to Spain our firm
determination to resent any semblance of
British interference in the island, her ambassa-
dor was actually debating, and the Spanish
Minister was meekly transcribing under his die
tation, set of DEGREES for the partial emancipa-
ton of the slaves in Cuba Here our actual in
| formation ends. Rumor ascribes to the Pres
sident the design of sending angry message
| to Congress, as well as further instructo to
Mr. Soule, desiring him to persevere in the
course of policy he has hitherto pursued. OF
the truth OF these rumors we have no positive
knowledge, and cannot speak with any degree
of assurance. For though on the one side the
executive of this country could not with any
regard to its own character pursue any other
line of conduct than that ascribed to the Presi-
dent, on the other the notorious incapacity AID
weakness of Mr.. Pierce and his administration
do not encourage US to believe that he has on
this occasion sustained the honor of the United
States.
1t is very certain that we have not had such
an excellent opportunity of settling the long
pending difficulties with Cuba for the last fifty
years. We have ample ground of complaint
against the present owners of the Island.
Within the last four years outrages which we
cannot attempt to enumerate have been com
mitted upon American citizens and American
property by the authorities of Cuba; any one
OF which would have justified recourse to ex-
IRENE measures on our part. Some few out OF
those enumerated in the documents just sent
| to Congress are worth noting here. On the 22d
of January, 1850, Charles Peter V. Esnard, an
American Citizen was arrested by the Cuban
authorities, and incarcerated in the prison of
| Havana; no charge having ever been advanced
| against him. In May of the same year. two
American vessels, the Georgiana and the
Susan Loud, were captured at Contoy by the
Spanish General of Marines and brought
as prizes into the port of Havana their
crews were imprisoned. On the 18th March,
1851, John Salnero, an American citizen, was
arrested by the Spanish authorities, no accu-
sation being made against him. On the 10th
August 1851. the United States steamer Falcon
was fred into and boarded by Spanish man.
oi-war without any excuse or pretext On the
! 10th February, 1862, the American schooner
Lamartine was fired into by Spanish vessel,
also without assignable motive or pretext.
On Sd October 1852, the Crescent City was
driven from Havana, and prohibited from land
ing her mails on the childish and frivolous pre-
| text that the purser spoke and wrote i'll of the
1 Cuban authorities on his visits to New York.
| In the March following, the Ohio was detained
three days at Havana under an UMPIRE
| cedented and ridiculous plea that she
ought to perform quarantine. On the 18th
| Of that month the schooner Manchester
was boarded by Spanish vessel of war
searched, and detained twenty-four hours
without the shadow of any pretext whatever
In February, 1858, and subsequently, the United
| States mail bags were broken open by the Gu
ban authorities, many of the seals broken, and
the privacy of American correspondence vo-
lated. On 9Th May of the same year, three
American seamen belonging to the American
bark Jasper, were arrested on vague suspicious
| Of being concerned in the slave trade, thrust
into prison, and subjected to inconceivable in
| dignities and cruelties. In November, Pedro
Races. naturalized citizen of the United
States. was arrested at Havana, no crime being
charged sganst him was tried and sentenced
toa years transportation. Shortly afterwards
another naturalized citizen of the United States
lsidore Richoux, was forced to leave the island
Of Cuba, no motive being assigned for his ex-
| pulsion. The notorious case of the Black War
| rior completes an imperfect catalogue of
| the aaronts we have suffered at the
hands of Spain during the last four years
Now explain or extenuate this narrative
SIS we may, il certainly shows that
no Power has ever given any other more fire.
quent or more plausible grounds for an inter-
rupton of peaceable intercourse than Spain
has given us. On less provocation than this,
Russia invaded the Principalities; on far less
Great Britain has frequently declared war
| against France and seized whatever territory
she could lay her hands on. One single atfront
less grave in its character than any Of these
induced Lord Palmerston to menace the gov
eminent of Greece with total overthrow. In
| fact II has been the usage of civilized nations
Tor centuries to consider the duty of avenging