The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-04-06
ARE WE AT WAR WITH SPAIN

on 10 the frequent illusions in the habit Of late
N making to its Of fact and oblqnies Of sentiment
II tbat Journal was less insdous and ssuitcal In ID
sr,s 10 poison the public mind and excite preadie,
,g.ingt il own government all questions IL inerna-
oal difficulty we should have less occasion expose ii
dangerous policy We have the satisfaction, however Of
nowing that our Iabors without their influence
even upon the Agner itself Ia their issue OF yester
.y The editors eoncede the poiut the right Of search
ar visitation or detention in time Of peace about whirh
We have been beaborng them with arguments and au-
,hoes for some days past They express much sur
p that they should have been suspected Of advocating
a. odioas right Lord Clarendon did to learn that Gen
M Cas- construed bis celebrated speech to the entire
ror between England and France applicable 10 the
limited States and with about much regard for eandor
and ru,hfunes But the point IS now yielded, and We
have the cooperation Of the National htegsncsr in sup
mort az the doctrine that the right Of search visitation Is
only mAintainAble in a state of war.
Bt the hzigencsr only Acknowledges its error in one
matter to involve itself in another still absurd and
uutenable In its eAgerness find justification for the
late agvressons Of Spanish functonarie 1t actually
vmes that there is now and has been for time state
Of war las we understand III between Span and the Un
ted States This would be stirring intelligence bat for
two circumstances FIRST the is made in so
rcuitous manner with so much OF nnaendo under the
cover Of nterrogaons and in mild subdued and lamb
like ooe that il carries no startling influence with it;
and second the reader relieved OF all for excite
ent because he knows the is not
vet however soon il may be verified Our neighbors
in advance Of the Spanish ministry themselves and have
doubtless given mortal offence to the New York Herald in
discovering the existence of war or at least IN giving
PUBLICITY 10 the discovery is but short time since Mr.
Lu1nriaga the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs was
overwhelming in bis proestatons Of friendship and alice
ton for our government and give US signal proof Of
his sincerity Mr. Soule had scarcely left Madrid when
the ministry yielded the Black Warrior case and set
up most exuavagant claims 10 devotion to justice and
love of peace IL the insHgencr is right however, the
Spanish minister guilty Of objectionable dupicty IN
bis professions As strongly we are inclined to suspect
Spanish diplomacy cannot believe that that govern
men. will flsify It's words and acts by adopting the
truth of the Lsegenc.r position to the existence Of
war We would expect Spain to repudae the ag-
gresye acts of her agents visit them with her marked
dispasure and reject the false assumption of the I
qeReer MS TO the existence of war
But il may be that the Lae2ener only that hore
is state Of Cuba, and that there between
the United States and Spain. The questions which that
Journal addresses to US are SO nsdiousy and suteay
framed as to allow such construction if that should be
deemed necessary hereafter 1t asks: viii the Union
say that the island of Cuba is in state of peace p And
after long string of similar nterrogatories it concludes
because there has been public proclamation of
her enemy she sit quietly until the muskey of the
invaders shall be heard at midnight in her n 1t
would be difficult to maintain that there peace in Cuba
certainly other kind Of peace than that which main
tanned by system of .despotism and cruelty which beg
gars all description. But what if the oppressed Cubans
in Of revolt beg the Iateigacr TO say if
that condition of things in the island authorizes Soair
deain, visit and search the merchant vessels and mall
steamers Of government at peace with her We have
had much Of late to be surprised by the extava
CANT views Of the Itegencer that somewhat pre-
pared for this outrage upon sound International law
And yet when that journal refers proclamation by
the enemy Of Cuba and the musketry OF the invaders
the inference is irresistible that the of war insisted
is not only by the Cubans against their oppres
sor but by invaders from abroad in other words the
iagsacr intends to insnuae in its usual way that
exists between Spain and the United States because there
adventarers latter who are threatening to invade
on by the Isgenc this our government
is responsible for the conduct OF the llibusers and
because Spain eas descent upon Cuba by them She has
right to that the United States is making war
upon her, and therefore, that the right of search aud Wis
itauon, as begerent right exists It is remarkable
that whilst the Spanish authorities in Cuba are constantly
looking out for the 6ibusterng invaders from the
United States the only evidence we see Of any danger TO
Spanish dominion is in the island ITSELF General Concha
70 arresng and imprsoning and garoting the best Gu
bans IN the island the charge conspiracy and under
the pretext Of apprehended invasion when the only
proof we have Of the existence of busers in the United
States found in the circulating few newspa-
Pers which live upon the excitement gotten up by their
sbricaons The real evil ia in Cuba and in the revolving
ruetes and expressions practsed upon its people The
pprehensons OF the bustes is the pretext the per-
petraon of ousrages which disgrace humanity The In
egenes knows that the vigilance of government has
oeen eecua in suppressng any Illegal nvasions OF Cuba
during the present administration it knows that Presi-
dent Pierce has given countenance in any shape to
any Illegal expeditions it knows that by his watchful-
ness be has saved Cuba from invasion; and II knows that
ne has not aSa'ed jot little of his determination
preserve neutrality laws unbroken The insinuation
therefore that government is implicated n be
held responsible by Spain for the existence Of the rumored
hhousering associations is unmgated calumny upon
me administration Iii calumny not the less excusabe
because It is conveyed in the characteristic manner
Of mnaeHdo Of the IategReer If there are brave and
emyarous men in our country who shocked by the