The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1857-04-15

4 l.t;ve TO the foreign poilcl VI a'2 rt;nu to
ton in which be speaks OF never a.se nat;on
Interfere in the domestic concerns OF any I'D hv
un}ess this shall be imperauveiy ~. ~ aat u.
~, he, GREAT law Of self-preservatlon' da nov 70
eane attention, but received no sPec'a' w. I'D
.,,ant from the press, the sentiments eh'ooui
annea,ino 100 vague to carry with II an. ~.
,dns neanino. Old documents are, hoWes..'
danoerous things. The Ostend matl'esso''
thongh promulgated barelytw or three YEA
a,,o NAV be considered in our fast age an f''-
,;onated production. At all events lew persons
saamt have thought of recurring 70 II ID co''
nac,;on with theinaugural address, Tor .ne pun
nose Of ascertaining whether there exist any
Coincidence of thong hit or language between
five two napers. The Louisville journal ls' we
believe entitled to the credit OF dls'nterf1nS
the Ostend manifesto, and comparing It's views
with those embraced in the inaugural ADDRESS.
T, presents in recent number the following
cnrious nroof that portion OF the one is il.lle
mare than a transcript from the other Inc
Ostend manifesto SAID:
.S.lf-nr4seryalion is the first law OF nature
with States, as well as with individuals; All
nations have at different periods acleo upon
this MAXIM. s *e#E4ua# sH :,
..'rhe United States have never acquired a
foot of territory except by fair purchase Or as IN
the case of Texas, upon the free and voluntary
applicalion of the people OF that Independents
State who desired to blend their destlnles with
our own ..e.s ...=, .s -, 4. 49,.
Even the acquisitions from Mexico are no ex-
!, can,;ons 70 the rule, because although we might
have claimed them by the right Of conquest
in lust way, yet we purchased them lof VIVA.
was then considered by both parties full ana
comnlete equivalent Our past history Tor
bids that we should acquire the island OF Cuoa
without the consent of Spain, unless justified
by the great law of self preservation. 81.
After we shall have offered Spain Prce tor
Cuba far beyond its present value, and this
shall have been refused, it will Their be time 10
consider the question, does Cuba, in the pos
session of Spain, seriously endanger our inter
nal peace and the existense Of our cherished
Union? ..-.....-.s.,.r .-s.. ..eersrs,.
.sShould this question be answered IN the al
frmative, then by every law, human ana Oh
vine, we shall be justified in wrestling It nom
Spain. Z
Now look attentively at the annexed pas
sages from the inaugural:
1--WE ought to cherish a sacred regard Tor
the independence of all nations, and never at
tempt to interfere in the domestic concerns OF
any, unless this shall be imperatlveiy required
by the great law of preservation.
at is our glory that, whilst other nations
have extended their dominions by the sword,
we have never acquired any territory except by
fair purchase, or, as in the case OF Texas, by
the Voluntary determination of a brave, kin
dred and independent people to blend their des-
} TIMES with our own"
Even our acquisitions from Mexico form no
exception Unwilling to take advantage OF the
fortune of war against sister republic, we pur-
chased these possessions, under the treaty OF
peace. for sum which was considered at the
: time fair equivalent. Our past history for
bids that we shall in the future acquire terri
tory unless sanctioned by the laws of justice
and honor"
} The policy enunciated in both documents is
substantially the same, and the language en-
poyed so nearly identified, that we are con-
vinced Mr.. Buchanan must have written that
portion of his inaugural above quoted with q
copy of the Ostend manifesto under his eyes
5 The only difference percepuble between the
f two papers is that in the inaugural there is nc
, specific mention of Cuba-an omission entire
" intelGyibIe, as that document traces gen
eral line of policy, while the manifesto is writ
ten with particular reference to the queen o
: the Antilles.
: Having frequently expressed our opinion
touching the principles advanced by Mr.. Blu
chanan in the Osend manifesto, we deem thei
:, recapitulation needless, but we have alluded
u to this curious and significant coincidence in or
s der to furnish certain crumbs Of comfort to ou
Y southern friends of the manifest destiny anc
ri, WHO koya haan ha
discouraged since the election of Mr.. Buchan
an. at the decided conservative tendencies pop
+ ularly ascrbed to him. They may now re
main wcl-assured that if the president in
tends carrying out practically and in good faltl
! the policy set forth in the inaugural as tht
y ground work of our toreign relations, that pol
:. icy will not vary essentially from the chart lal,
down in the Ostend manifesto. Self-preser
walton was therein declared as the first law o
" nations, and the right of its application to tn
r. acquisition OF the island of Cuba was especial
:, ly proclaimed. Self-preservaon is again re
i ferred to in the inaugural as the sole law b.
q which interference in the domestic concerns q
other nations is to be defended This princi
pie possesses unlimited elasticity, and may b
- readily stretched far enough to reach the gul
S. of Mexico and the lovely island it surrounds
Il So the manifest destinarans have no reason t
) despair. If Mr.. Buchanan stands up to tn
tenets Of the inaugural, he must needs espous
!, those of the Osend manifesto for they are pre-
l. cisely the same. Consequently he is bound t
r offer TO purchase Cuba, and in the event of tn
is refusal by Spain to part with her colony, it wi
v become imperative upon him to consider, wheth
J :, er, by every law, human and divine, we ar
- not justified in rescuing it from Spain, if W
as possess the power. But will he maintain hi
re position? He evidently intended doing SC
in when he incorporated into his inaugural tn
h very trick and accent of the Ostend mani
-, feso But politicians are proverbially slippery
, and Mr.. Buchanan's history offers frequent il
Illustrations of rapid changes of opinion. 1t
O. unsafe to calculate from the past to the futur
Q with public men.
N The following law, passed during the las
l. session of the Legislature, is of great imporanc
"a to those who have taken stock in the Vicksbura
N Shreveport and Texas railroad:
An act TO dispense with proof of the thir DAYS wr
e ten notice, before suit, to the stock subscribers
N the Nick>burg, Shreveport and Texas railroad con
. pany to pay their stock instanlcns unless the ME
be made IN lnllne-litis, accompanied with affidavit