The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-03-13
The Cuban Question.

news /; Advertisements, &c.
The Cuban Question.
The Cuban question has now reached crisis
where, with proper energy on the part of our
government, it may forever be ended. We're it
not for the misgivings aroused by the past
course of the administration, we could have no
doubt that we are now about to witness the
birth Of new era in our foreign policy. Igno-
rance, inn ecility and corruption in the Cabinet
may possibly postpone the event. The wretched
weakness evinced by the President-his incapa-
city to grasp broad questions of national policy
with any thing like force or persistency-the
ridiculous nothingness into which all the POM
pous declarations of his inaugural have been
resolved-and the actual recantation of the
sentiments embodied in the Koszta letter-afford
in truth good ground for apprehension that the
opportunity now offered to US will be lost. With
any other administration such a prognostic
would be absurd. So admirable combination
of events, contrived as it were expressly for our
purpose, and humbly soliciting US to terminate
once and forever the Cuban difficulty, may
never again present ITSELF The character of the
outrage on the Black Warrior, as an attack
upon us in quarter which we should guard
with the utmost jealousy-our commercial ma
rine-and wanton violation both of interna-
pretext for reprisals of marked severity. The
present state of our markets, and the high
price of all our exports to Cuba, render
the Ubiquitous tariff by which Spain draws
a revenue from that island peculiarly oppres-
sive at the present time, and must have famed
the embers of Creole disaffection into flame.
Spain has sunk to the lowest depths of infamy.
Her royal house has fallen to the level of those
nameless classes, whom common consent has
outlawed throughout the world. Her finances
are q slough of despond. Her Institutions are
crumbling int ruin. Her people have scarce
heart enough to rebel. Her rulers, her army,
and her navy only continue to exist by the
courtesy of her sister nations. Nor is the posi-
ton of the maritime powers of Europe, her only
allies in the event of war with us, less favor
able to the accomplishment of destiny which
the wisest among us have pronounced inevi-
table. France and England are already plunged
into war. A war which, however success
full their early campaigns may be, is of very
different character from their squabbles with
the Cape colonists, and the Arabs and the Chi
nese, and the Burmese. An additional levy of
shot has been fired, enables us to estimate the
enormous force that will have to be raised when
the war reaches its height. Millions upon mil
lions will require to be wrenched from the over
taxed British-additional contributions must he
extorted from the poor in France-frcsh press
gangs must be set on foot-new forced con-
scriptions must be decreed-and the young the
strong, the energetic, the life-blood of England
and France must be drawn from their veins,
before there can be prospect of attaining
the end for which they have drawn the sword.
To suppose that with these dread troubles at
their own door either will add the fresh embar-
rassment of quarrel with the United States
about Cuba, is to reject the teaching of expe-
rience and insult common sense.
There never was, never perhaps will be, so fair
an occasion of settling our outstanding account
with Cuba as the present. What measures must
we take for that end? Mr.. Deans proposal to
repeal our neutrality laws, so far as they are
applicable to Spain, is good and proper The
laws should be repealed; and the nation whose
authorities have outraged our rights SO often,
placed beyond the pale Of international good
will. The result of Mr.. Phillips motion for a
list of these outrages, will astonish those who |
have not paid close attention to the affairs of |
Cuba For the last four years our whole inter- |
course with the Island has been little more than |
series of insults on the part of its authorities,
met by course of patient endurance on ours.
The captains Of the steamers plying to Havana
state that they are subjected to every
that petty spite can devise on the
occasion of every visit to that port. Two years
ago, and even later, our mails were regularly |
and the principle was formally laid |
down and actually carried out by the Cuban
send news to the United States or receive news
from hence, save only that sort of news which
the Captain-General was pleased to sanction
All this We have borne. Some time ago. |
two American vessels, the Susan Loud
and the Georgiana, were seized by the Cuban
authorities while lying off the Island of Car
nan, in Yucatan, on suspicious that they had
been concerned in Lopez's first invasion, and
he captains and crew, Americans, were in.
lumanly treated by the Cubans. On the 10th
August, 1851, the United States mail steamer
Falcon was fred into by a Spanish war steamei
md forccd.to bring to no amends were eve
made. On the 2Sth April following, three
American sailors were taken from the Amer
an 'riC Lucy Waits. lying at sagaa u Grauae