Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-08-07
LYNCHBURG VIRGINIAN.
MONDAY MORNING. AUG. :. 1851.
The Presidents Spanish Message-The 10 NIL
hon Bill.


pears from this dooument,after all the democratic
splutter we have had about blood and vengeance
and insulted dignity in the Black Warrior al
fair, that past causes of complaint against SPAN
/. have not assumed more satisfactory oondl-
ton," and that /" the formal demand for immedi-
ate PREPARATION in the of the BLACK War
rior,' instead of having been met on the part OF
Spain by prompt satisfaction, has only served 10
call forth justification of the local authorities OF
Cuba, and thus to transfer the responsibility for
their acts to the Spanish Government itself
The President therefore concludes that nothing
has arisen since the date of his former message
on this subject to dispense with the suggestions
therein contained touching the propriety Of pro-
visonal measures by Copgress'-in other words.
touching the propriety of the passage OF bill,
which has been urged upoa Congress,for placing
a secret service. or war fund. of Si0,O00oo0 at
the disposal of the Executive during the short
recess of Congress
Now, whilst this startling measure of power is
thus urged upon the consideration of Congress
not only directly by the President, bnt in the
most earnest and persuasive tones Of obedient
nunkeysm by his organ at the seat of Govern
ment-what are the mighty emergencies 10 be
anticipated. and what the dangers with which the
country is threatened The army and navy
already in the handsnnd practically for purposes
ofargression as much under the control of the ox.
ecution power as are those OF the French I'm
pire The Mexican was IN this way prove
ked without the authority or Intervention Of any
other than the Executive VIII and thus, too, was
brought about the late naval feat, which is des-
tined forever Ia associate American chivarly with
the memories OF the brilliant triumph at Grey
town But the sword is not sufficient The con
stitutional limitations on nm exercise al the war
and treaty making power are too rgdior Dem
ocratio Executive. and they must be put in nbey-
ance and the purse added 10 the sword 10 ena-
BILE bim-to do what ; Why 10 acquire Cuba
The Union thus addresses itself on the subject
to Congress and "a democratic party" in behalf
of our national grandeur and our prosperity -
II says
IF Spain should be forced TO sell Cuba. and
she should transfer it to another purchaser than
ourselves because the Executive is not provided
with the means to make aoash payment the peo-
pie of the L. States will not hold the President
responsible for the loss
And if the President may purchase Cuba md
make a cash payment during the recess OF Con
gress and without the "advice and consent of the
Senate, whom shall the people of the United
States hold responsible for constitution viola
ted by that act Can Cuba be purchased of
Spain. whatever the necessity of her circumstan-
ces may force Spain to do, without entering into
conditions and negotiations involving II full oNer-
else of the treaty making power! And shall
Congress vote IA $1,000, 00o fund and delegate to
our Executive both the power and the means of
thus exercising it And, if so, are such the
teaching of Democracy
But without further comment AT present ON
the Message or the extraordinary proposition with
which it is freighied we submit from the Ma
tional lntellgencer the following just and for
chile views:
AT present, we will only say that it is pretty
good proof that our relations with Spain are not of
a very menacing character, that the President
specifics the half forgotten Black Warrior affair
as the only circumstance TO Justify the placing of
ten millions of none, in the hands of the Execu-
tive TO meet the contingencies that may arise du
ring the four short months which are 10 intervene
between now and the next meeting of Congress.
Are, then, relations with Spain in so critical II
posture as to demand that extraordinary trust
should be confded to the Executive Government
Unless in revenge for the detention of the steamer
Black Warrior it is contemplated to intict on Cuba
or Cadiz repetition Of the Greytown exploit,we
cannot see, from anything disclosed in the Mes
sage. the slightest necessity for SO unusual n
measure andwe say this without intending to
intimate any particular distrust of the prn-
dence of the President. But as II general
principle, such n trust is at variance with the &c
Mus Of our republican institutions. if not with
the Constitution tself,unless demanded by SEINE
great emergency underlined impending dan
ger. How would the stern old Republicans of
90 have met such proposition, presented un-
der similar circumstances Spain. from common
report. has her hands too full ut home to think Of
any foreign war, and least of all "A war with the
United States; therefore unless the President
means to take the initiative in bringing aeol-
lision with Spain,we cannot see what he can want
with ten millions of dollars. Should any nation
al exgency arise for the employment of such n
sum- Congress will soon he baek to grant it.