Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1855-05-18
MistsIIaneons.
Cuba the Vineyard of Naboth.

Nations are but assemblages of in
dividuals; vast aggregation of hu
manity; its wants. its passions, its re
sponsibilities, its virtues, its wicked
ness. The moral law is as positiv.
and supreme overmillions as ever..units
Its penalties are as stern, sure, an,
righteous. 1t is jrst as important 70
governments as for persons to TAX
heed how they act under the eye o
the all-seeing One, the righteou
Judge. The notion that men may d
officially and upon vast scale. wha
they may not do as individuals and il
small way. is absurd. To whom
much is given. much to do. from then
much shall be required. The rule
who unnecessarily excites a war. is a.
responsible for the bloodshed dnring
it, as though with his own hands h,
had cut the throats of as many limo
cent human beings. The man .wht
deals with foreign nations upon any
other principles than those which bint
him in his conduct toward his neigh
bour, is only the greater violater o
rights, and amenable to the greater
punishment, that his evil acts involve
more extensive injustice. God recog.
nizes no such thing as state policy, al
differing from right morals.
Nor dare we suppose that the num-
Der Of agents at work to produce Q
wrong. will at all embarsss the Deity
in apportioning to each citizen of a ma
ton the measure of reward or punish
ment due him for his seperate share
Of national sin. Indeed, our own Law
makes all accomplices to murder
principals, and we cannot see why the
principle should not apply to all com
plications in crime.
In this country above all. we al
TO be sovereigns. and therefore. we are
ali responsible for governmental acts
which have our consent, or against
which we do not make all lawful and
proper remonstrance.
Unfortunately it is often the case
that rulers, even In government as
democratic as ours, may involve the
nation in contests which the people en-
tirely disapprove. trusting to the pride.
or. as it is commonly called, the pat
riotism Of the country, to persevere In
them. For our own parts, in thing
which we believe wrong, we will nei-
ther be accomplices before the fact,
nor after il. "Our country right or
wrong" may be the shibboleth OF
ihasa- " ha sa..iihs~- -fe~r God -e~--s
gard man," but as we do both. our
country right. and when wrong. to be
right as soon as possible. Pride is
just as wicked. ,as improbable in ma
tions as in men and eve will have
none oft"
For some time past the public jour-
nails in the interest Of the political par
ty opposed to the present administra-
tion have been imputing To the Presi-
dent the design TO pick quarrel with
Spain, on the ground Of certain alleg-
ed grievances, and to forcibly wrest
Cuba from her possession; and they al.
legged that this imputation was justifi-
ed by the editorial course of the
Union. a paper published in Wash.
ington, end alleged to be the "Govern-
mental Organ" Very recently, how
ever, the Union has distinctly disclaim.
ed its supposed relation to the admin
istration, and we learn with.great graf
icfation that neither the President
nor his Cabinet are to be responsible.
in any degree, for what may appear
in the Union. There is, then. no
ground left for attributiug to our gov
ernment any design to acquire posses.
sion Of Cuba BY other than lawful and
proper means. The present admins
iration. and perhaps some that prece.
ded them, have offered Spain an enor-
nous sum Of money for the Island.
without having taken any means to
ascertain the wishes of tie people out
Of whose pokcets the money was to
be taken; but we have no ground upon
which to suspect that there is any de.
sire on the part Of the President and
his Cabinet to get by 4 war for the nc.
QUESTION Of Cuba. And, indeed. Mr..
Marcy's published views and opinions.
called out by the famous advice and
Of Ministerial Congress at
Ostend is conclusive in regard TO him.
and the Union itself assures Us that
the President and his cabinet are q
"unit" in the premises.
But although the government be
exhonerated from seeking q esus Jelh
with Spain. in order to acquire posses
sion Of Cuba, II cannot be denied that
there is n large and influential party
in the United States who are earnest
ly and most industriously urging the
government 10 pick quarrel with
Spain for this unjust and disgraceful
purpose; and that at tho head Of the
party Is Mr.. Soule, and its organ is
the "Union."
Fortunately for US. the Don refused
TO sell Cuba at any price. He has a
great deal Of the national pride. which
impoverishes nations. and declined the
bargain. We sincerely hope he will
never have the offer again from US
The folly Of the tender seems TO us
about equal TO that OF the REFUSAL
Seeing that the Spaniard would not
sell, IL seems now TO be the design Of
some influential parties in our coun.
try. to get up n war with Spain,, and
then take Cuba by force.
This game has been played once
before. and We may read an account
Of it in the twenty.6rst chapter Of
the fi,st book OF Kings. 1t seems that
one Nabo.h had a vineyard, which
laid adjacant to the grounds Of Ahab.
King OF Symaria. Now. Ahab thought
that this vineyard would make iirst-
rate kitchen gsrden for himself; more
over, he may have feared that at some
time or other, Naboth or his heirs
might put troublesome tenants on
it, or it laight pass in the hands Of
some disagreeable person; and so for
various considerations Ahab concluded
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