Eaton Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1843-1856, 1855-05-10
me sp.ni,h Outr,guu pSS oafY!lf.

30 ## ~ - H.
The Washington Union OF April % has an
excellent article en- the recent Spanish Outs
RACES upon our flag, in which i takes high
grounds. Those who think that the PTesi-
dent has been at fault IN not using m0re yio-
lent measures for redress, can read with profit
the following extract nom the Unions ar.
Iticle: IA
"Wha power, then, could the President
legltimately exercise by way of redress 7 IL
he had ordered the Gulf Squadron 10 proceed
TO Havana and demand immediate PREPARATION
Of the Captain General Of Cuba, and. upon
his refusal, TO blockade The ports of The is.
land, or TO lombard its towns, these would
have been unequivical acts Of war. But The
President has no power to make war. When
an injury calls for redress he is bound 10 de-
mand ieroration, and il it is re fnsed, and re
dress is only attainsble by res 1t TO force,he
must have The authority OF Congress 10 pro.
coed, unless the offending patty Is ofthat law
less OF plralltal character irresponsible 10 any
government capable Of making Teparation,
whlch makes his punishment an exception 10
civilized rules OF proceeding. IA
"lL upon The refusal Of the Captain GEN.
eral 10 make Immediate reparation, The Pres.
Iueht hah ordered the commander OF The
squadron TO look up The Offending Spanish
lfiga'e' and to capture or sink her, this would
nave been 10 make o repTisai. But the con-
S%tllutlon has not conferred upon The Presi-
ueni The authority either 10 declare war or 10
make reprisalS. If the necessary power had
existed The oulrOgeS would have justified A
resort 10 one or the other mode Of Tedress,and
we have good reasonD believe that the Pres.
Iaeni was only restrained from adopting The
one or The other mode from the conviction
ina. he could only do so at the expenSe of tba
Constitution. II is apparent, then, that nm.
uer his constitutional powers il was not com.
peteEt for the Executive TO adopt those sum.
mary and effective measures for redress which
The Outraged sense Of the American people
seemed so clearly 10 demand. 1.-The had been
aclualed IN his policy by those ambitious or
selfish considerations which some OF his en-.
emleS have so unScrupulouSly attributed 10
hlm' he saw such manifestations Of popular
Indignation against The aggressors that might
well have tempted q less discreet and con.
ScientlouS President 10 OverStep the bounds
nXed by the Constitution 10 his powers.-
Without pretending 10 indicate, or even to
know, what policy the president has adopted
TO obtain ample Teparation for these outrapes,
we venture confdenlially to affirm that the
sequel WI! prove that he has DISCHARGED his
"hole duty, and, that, if full redless is not
$ eeuLy obtained, the country will attach 10
hinl no responsibility for want of promptness
OF energy IN the exercise Of all The powers
belonging TO him. When Congress again as.
Sellolts' II 1t shall appear that the President
nus exhausted all his legitimate resources in
.iul'LcsS efforts TO obtain satisfactory repara.
t'on from Spain, it will Jevolye upon that
oody TO decide whether other and more efrec.
I'VE measures shall be prosecuted. While
tne Executive will continue seduously to Is.
chew r~nShness or precipitancy in his counsels,
he Will show neither lack of jealousy as 10
our national honor nor want of promptness nor
OF hrmneSs IN demanding and insisting on am
pie redress for violations Of rights and insults
10 our flag"