The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-05-25

with very formidable and belligerent looH az
instructions. He is to demand of the Spa .nish
governments "indemnity for the past and, secu-
rity for the future" in very positive. terms.
He is instructed to require of Spain, As indem-
nifty for the past, full settlement Of one and all
of odr standing balances against. her; and for
our future security against the recurrence of
these Cuban outrages, be is to demand the con-
cession to US and to Cuba Of full diplomatic
authority at Havaaa to treat upon all subjects
Of disagreement which may arise from our
social and commercial intercourse with the
island.
1t is not likely that this last demand will be
conceded. The jealousy of Spain over her
.'ever faithful island" will hardly allow it; and
in fact, We may say, the administration does
not expect it. On the other hand, it expects
that Spain will indignantly refuse the conces
sions of diplomatic powers to the authorities Of
Cuba. But what then? Mr.. Dodge will, per-
haps, return home with casus 6e1A in lis
pocket. The administration will then make up
a catalogue Of all our grievances against Spain,
old and new, lay them before Congress, and
appeal for positive and decisive action, peace
or war. 1t is the last card of Mr.. Pierce, aud
it may not yet be too late to turn it to good
account.
Mr.. Perry, in his late letter to the President,
from Madrid, against Mr.. Soule, would lead US
to believe that Spain is ready and eager to
grant all reasonable demands from our govern
ment, and good deal mors-tbat her affection
for the United States is inexhaustible. We fear
that MI. Perry has been humbugged. His let
ter to the President is certainly very extraor.
binary diplomatic production. 1t Is a very i'm
prudent and impolitic letter, in every sense
What right, what authority had he to compro-
mise and mix up his government in his personal
affairs with Mr.. Soule? We very much fear
that Senior Luzuriaga, the Premier of the Es-
partero ministry, has been flattering Mr.. Perry,
and that the intriguing legations of England
and Frskee have baen playing upon his self
conceit to further their own ends. Ia a word
we fear that Mr.. Perry has been adroitly in
weighed into this diplomatic quarrel with Mr..
Soule, by Spanish, English, and French infu-
ences at Court, and that he has lacked the per-
ception necessary to see through the trick.
No doubt the administration at Washington
are displeased at this outburst of vanity and
folly on the part of Mr.. Perry; for Mr.. Pierce
ard his Cabinet have already follies and blunders
enough Of their own to answer for in all con-
science. IfMr. Perry, therefore, should find him.
self suddenly dismissed, he may justly charge
it to the fatal mistake Of mixing up too free
y the private affairs of plain Mr.. Perry with
the official affairs of the Minister ad int. Of the
United States and of his government.
But Mr.. Perry, Mr.. Soule and the personal
issues between them and their Spanish diplo-
macy, conformity and separately, are, with the
and the manifesto Of the Ostsnd
convention, among the things OF the past. They
are done for. The business at present ia hand
is the mission Of Mr.. Dodge, his instructions, his
policy, and the purposes of the administration
touching our relations with Spain. We are as
suTed that Mr.. Dodge goes ou5 with a program
me which contains as nice little germ of war
as the original budget Of Soule Whether, if
drought to the Scratch" the administration
viii collapse into milk aud water, as it did upon
the Ostend manifesto, or follow up its present
intentions at ali hazards, remains to be tried
by our new ambassador.
The present time is exceedingly favorable
for bringing Spain peremptorily to u solid aud
satisfactory settlement. England aud France
are pre- occupied with Russia, and their present
business with the Cossacks is as much as they
can attend to. They have neither ships nor
armies to spare for a raid against this country
in the West Indies, though our filiousters should
forcibly take possession of Caoa and proclaim
its independence from the palace Of Gen Con.
cha. Our Spanish relations, also, offer the last
chance for a little political capital to Mr..
Pierce, his administration, and the scat.
tered aud disheartened democracy. If Nc.
Dodge can bring about rupture with Spain,
and if the administration can be brought to the
pinch to back him 10 in wa1hke appeal to
Congress, it would most probably result in q
political reaction in the country of the greatest
advantage to the administration and the re-
union OF the democratic party. Upon war
platform, offensive or defensive, we may be
sure that The masses Of the people will rally
to the support CT the government.
The mission Of Mr.. Dodge, then, is not OF
that negative and do nothing character which
il has generally been supposed to be. BE has a
schedule of demands TO make upon Spain,
wrapped up in reqnisition which she cannot
he expected to grant. a refusal is to be fol-
lowed up perhaps, with belligere1t appeal to
Congress. Let us wait, therefore, and see
whether Mr.. Dodge is finally betrayed by his
own administration like alr. Soule or kumbug
ged ~ that of Spain and the diplomats of Egg
land and France like Mr. Perry. We under
stand Mr.. Dodge, however, to be a man OF
common sense and man Of pluck. Conse-
euently, and especially, if the Allies do not
soon come to terms with Russia, there is still
living possibility Of a war between the United
81 nirs and Snain.