The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-05-22
Our Foreign sinIstcrs-war with Spain.

Our Foreign NinIstcrs-War with Spain.
The Captain-General Of Cuba, like many per-
sons in this country, is growing alarmed at the
prospect of a war between the United States
and Spain. We are happy to have it in our
power to calm his fears There can be no war
with Spain or any other country so long as the
Union is governed by so imbecile body as the
present administration. True, there are cause
and ground ample for a war. On less substan-
tial preteyts, France, England, Russia, Aus
tria and Spain herself have declareda and waged
war over and over again; the present occupa-
ton Of the Danubian Principalties with its con-
sequences in the shape of general European
war, grew ont of a dispute worse grounded than
for the character Of the nation and our future
maritime prospects, it is clear as MONDAY that
We should ,indioate the inviolabilty Of our
ships and the rights Of our commerce by an i'm
mediate declaration Of hostilities against Spain.
No less would be due to the American name and
the mercantile community. For all practical
purposes, the island of Cuba is as usual closed
TO US, as the islands of Japan are; the difference
between the two is only one of degree-the one
admitting several and excluding several of our
vessels, the other dealing in like manner with
few. There is this further difference between
the two cases: Japan lies several thousand
miles from our coast and can never become a
dangerous enemy; Cuba is the key to our great
Southern outlet, and in the hands of a power
full enemy, may be used to destroy our for
eign commerce altogether. Now if we
send Commodore Perry to Jeddo, with
instructions to demand admittance to the ia
panese ports for our vessels, and with the fur
Their private understanding that if he is not sue
cessful by fair means he may use foul, why
should we not send some other commodore to
Havana with orders precisely similar to be ap-
piled to the Cubans! But as we said, Mr..
Pierce is not the man to do any thing of the
kind. The Cubans may commit another score
OF outrages and render them doubly offensive
by trifing with our demands for reparation,
and yet Captains General Pezuela will not be
afforded an opportunity of displaying the valoe
for which our correspondent gives him credit
The Cabinet has in fact far too much yet to
do with dividing the spols for any leisure to be
spared for the prosecution of our demand
against Spain. His Excellency Governor Peru
ella doubtless knows how these things are done:
he must have seen something not very dis |
similar in his native country. In case, however,
he, like some foreigners should be ignorant OF |
the exact process in which these matters are |
ordered in the United States, we may inform
him that every four years our chief magistrate
is elected, and has the appointing of Cabinet,
which with him, fills all the federal Offices in
the Union. An honest President is likely to
choose an honest Cabinet and the two are
likely to have as much regard to personal Ell
cheney as to services rendered by the candi
date to the political party to which the Presi
dent belongs. A dishonest President pursues a
course directly the reverse of this. A man, for
instance, who, having been freesoiler, procured
himself to be nominated by fraud and trick
cry; denied his antecedents, and foresworc him.
self at every corner bought support wherever
it could be had by corrupt promises Of patron
age and Office; fought out the canvas with con-
sistent duplicity, and never once told the tru,;.
either Of his past or his future; such man, ar
irving at the summit of his desires, and finding
himself installed in the Presidential chair would
naturally choose for his advisers men like him
SELF and all together would obviously spend
their official career in endeavoring to make the
most of the plumber laid before them States
men like these could not be expected to fight
the country's battles or be jealous Of the coun-
try's honor Spain or any other nation might
heap outrage on outrage, and throw obstacle
after obstacle in the way Of our trade rulers
sh0 lad attained power BY these means would