Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1855-04-20
THB AMERICAN.
APlain Declaration.

= = - = s<&%< - <&4&ks
We svow thst 10 is the duty of GU
government to sustain from al inter
ruPtion Of Gen. oaitman and his friend
or inquire intp their proceedings: an.
not 70 permit any interference OIL tn
part III France and England but :,
leave Cuba with the aid Of her volun
teer helpers; to work out her salvation
-Ssnfiaei.
marry. this il somewhat" W.
admire the candoI which can so bold
y avow 90 drtestable an opinion.
There 70 smack Of that piratical cour
ags which sometimes gives the air Of
heroism 70 what Is but resolute rascal.
ity. N such an open defiance Of Law
and right. We congratulate our
friends on their demonstration. for a
plain statement saves many mistakes
and much argument. We know ex-
actly where they are now.
Having let the :, point out their DO
sition. 10 may only be fair TO M'ow
them to point ors the way they got
into it. Here are the premises on
which they build the above startling
conclusion.
"rhese propositions are political max
inns: Cuba must be ours; and she must
be ours at the risk Of war"
Two additional propositions, equally
clear. are these:
"l. Enforcement of Cuba--if that
can be called a government which full
6ls noneof the conditions Of the social
compact--is the most corrupt and
Ubiquitous on earth.
2 Every inhabitant Of Cuba, with
three grains Of sense. who is not an
Office holder or Office seeker under the
Spanish government. that is to say.
every disinteresled lover Of the well
fare Of the Island, must desire its in
dependence and annexation to the Uni
ted States"
Without questioning the truth OF
these statements, we must be allowed
to think that. very queer logic. which
infers because we are sure TO own
piece ospropcrty ut some time. that il
Is just ~ right to steal IL at once. We
don't understand. and the Sentinel
don't stop to explain. why il is that
bad government can be more right
eously robbed than another. That il
may have come by the booty unlsw-
fully is nothing to justify another
scoundrel. who robs not to restore to
thu right owner, bat to keep himself
Moreover the SentinePs proposition,
that corrupt and Ubiquitous govern
ment may he lawfully cheated and
bes'en by anybody who has the skill
or the courage to do it. is dangerously
broad. 1t would expose half the Gov
ernments Of the world to destruction
BY the other half, and yet nobody be
able to tell which merited destruction
most. Under such administration as
the present, even our own country
could have no security against fiji
bustering expedition used by the
hand Of Justice to punish our national
vices.
A PLAIN statement ofthe mater gives
. Gle Irer idea Of the moral delinquen
CIV Of Qlitman and his pirates. than
forty columns Of dissertation. Here il
Is: Cuba belongs to Span. We have
no more TO do with it than with Sicily
or Cyprus Moreover. we are bound
5y treaty to abstain from any invasion
or co1niving ut any invasion of it,
ciitman proposes to take it by force.
That is the whole matter. What the !
preteAt Of the invasion may be, is ut
terly unimportant- His scheme is
simple robbery il his Government op-
poses it. national robbery if it con-
hives at il or ignores it. An invasion.
Of England by band Of marauders.
would be more courageous. but not
more Iniquitous act than this applaud
ed descent upon Cuba.
To Sc. it. il possible. more plainly.
change the positions Of the parties =
Suppose La Cron;ea should procla IN
Pierce's administration q most Cor
rupt and iniquitoa, government, cite
the continual defeats of his par v, and
the hearty contempt expressed for 1t
BY the whole nation Except Office
seekers and Office holders. as a proof
that the people W sn;e l a change, point
to its decapstation Of post-masters aad
custom house watch n-n. as proof of
its tyranny, and a'.vise an immedirte
invasion Of the couary by soma = IN
Quitman and hi hired scoundrel.
coaldn'r isas with just ss good grace
- the Ssafiasf:-"Who will have the
unblushing hard;hood to charge the
slightest faint Of moral delinquency
ON Gen. Quitman and his gallant CON-
raeds?P' The cases. are exactly SINH
liar TO The minutest shade of a moral
distinction.
Suppose we apply the doctrine to the
case Of an individual. A. owns farm
and B. wants it, bat don't care about
buying. He has found cheaper plan.
He says to himself: "a. don't use
that farm right. He plants corn where
he ought to put wheat. and cuts his
clover just 1t the best time TO rot the
whole crop. o. course he will starve
his stock. know he will. He can't
hslpit. Now. though in its inception
it may look like invasion, its results
may justify it beni6cent deliverance
IL / 60 over and kick him of, take his
farm. and see that the stocks gets
enough 10 eat. His Encouragement
entities me 70 take his property from
him, and "who will have the moral
hsrdihood tn charge faint Of moral
delinquency" on such generous aci?"
1.-THE end justi6es the MEANS" say
our farm -stealer. So say the: Jesuits.
8, says the Sentinel. And il with
such an unchristisn argument it would
justify such an infamous act. Verify
the end and the means inlthat case are
worthy Of each other.-hdiana Jour-
nal.
House Of lefuge,