Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-10-28
MONDAY, OCTOBER %, 1854.
RETROSPECTIVE.

~
More immediate claims ca our attention prevent
ed instant notice Of censurable article which ap-
peared in the Union of the 18th of the month,
respecting the acquisition of Cuba. Whether it
is by way Of relief under the distress of the re-
cent elections, or to divert public attention from
that painful subject, that the Uniom has Just now
revived this somewhat obsolete hope Of the Demo-
oracy, as tub thrown TO the whale, the act is|
equally reprehensible The President in the honor
able fulflment Of high duty, has denounced and
forbidden all unlawful plots and attempts on the
peace and integrity of the Spanish colony and
just as the Fllibusters disbandng their forces
and seem to be renquishng their nefarious schemes
on the island, the Government paper comes for
ward to inspire the hope of getting it by other
means, which, if not as unholy, are even more
hopeless. The article to which we allude is the
following:
FROM UNION OCTOBER 10.
Our RELATIONS SPAIS-We have refrained Of late
from advertng to the present aspect of relations with
spn for the that in the existing state Of affairs in
that country that much progress could
made towards the settlement Of the interesting questions
pending between the two Governments We to
because indications in late intelligence from
Europe which satisfy that Minister to Spain has
neither abaed his exerons despared Of succeeding
in satisfactory result In connexion with this
subject We have private letter from reliable friend in
Paris from which take the liberty of using the follow
ing interesting extracts
"PARIs, OCTOBER ., 1854.
Mr. SouLE is here and has never been in better spirits
since he left the United States.
{" The entente cordale Tbetween France and England
will be of long duration The division of honors
and Of property will engender heart burnings which may
eventuate in hostile feelings. think that neither Power
matters now stand would dream of physical
sistance to acquisition of Cuba by purchase. The
people of both countries decidedly Nth US, they
were against the Gar
"Spain must choose between the purse and the sVord
she rejects the former she must be distinctly informed
that the safety Of the Unen will compel employ tho
latter The public mind should be famiarIzed to the
adage upon which shall have to act that selfpre-
servation is natures first law. We well afford to in
scribe it on our flag"
The official journal should not triHe with the
character Of the Government or the public feeling
aA SO grave matter. q A reliable source :" Such
nonsense as this from source which the official
paper of our Government calls "reliablew If the
absolute Stiffness Of the letter had not forbidden all
confidence in its representations, the Union is well
aware of the multiplied evidences which exist of the
utter futility of the idea that Spain entertains
tnouSAo VI CSuiuB SISdt IuSliCtlu W
Government at any price. Mr.. SoULE, we doubt
not, could have told the Union better He knows,
as all intelligent men have long known, that Spain
would repe as an. insult even the official presenta-
tion of proposition from us to purchase Cuba And
then the good taste Of the alternative which the Off
cal journal presents to Spain, Of "the purse the
svord." Saying to an old and proud Government,
"we covet your rich island and if you refuse to sell
it we will flibuster on large scale and take it SO
make your election and sell or surrender" Really
we regret to see the respectabity Of the Admins
tration compromised by announcements SO idle, and
as discreditable to public morals as they are idle.
If Spain were feeble enough to be addressed in such
way, the good sense and generous impulses of the
American people would reject SO unworthy and in
sulting profer, and low indeed must nation
have fallen that would not under such indignty,
choose the s,oord rather than the purse. The deli
cacy too of the official journal in predicting speedy
dissolution of the present alliance Of two friendly
Powers, and their hoped-for (" hostile feelings !"