The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-10-27

would briefly refer TO the course pursued in relation
TO each. and would first speak Of Cuba IL would be
remembered, he said. thai under The administration
of MIR. Fillmore several expeditions had been
organized in the United States ard had sailed
against the Island of Cuba. The then administra-
ton assumed the power to keep the police OF the
sea- and to arrest expeditions which had In viola
ton of our neutrality laws, left the coast 0f the
United States and passed beyond its jurisdiction; ana
at the time. though IL were law INTO itself,
declared such expeditions to be piratica The constr
tuition gave Congress the power to define piracy the
executive presumed 70 ado new offence to the list,
and though he (Col d had no doubt such was nottne
purpose, the effect was the execution OF gallant
bard Of americans, captured and slain without the
trial which, by treaty, was secured to all American
citizens. That act was followed by many acts OF
annoyance, and by various erlbarrassments to the
commerce of the Uoited States. Under these cir
cumstaDces, the policy Of adding that island to the
territory of the United States acquired more than
it's ordinary importance. On the ADVENT OF Mr..
Pierce to the Presidency he selected for Minister to
Madrid Mr. Soule, Of Louisiana, than whom the
country did not contain man better qualified 70 Sc
cure the acquisition Of Cuoa He spoke Spanish
fuenty, was extensively acquainted with Leading
men in Spain. and well informed in European diplo-
macy; he vas tried and true friend OF the South,
and was known to be ardently desirods OF adding
Cuba to our territory. Mr.. Buchanan also desired
the acquisition of that valuable island, and he was
selected as our Minister to London-a point scarcely
less important than Madrid In the execution Of any
plan for the peaceable transfer OF Cuba from
the jurisdiction of Spain to that OF America. the
cordial co operation of these great men offered the
be st prospect for success Negotiations were early
commenced and progressed satisfactorily, notwtn-
standing the European intrigues by which they were
embarrassed until the detention of the Black War
nor in the port OF Havana occurred On hearing OF
that event President Pierce sent special message
to Congl ess and instructed Mr.. Soule to make
peremptory demand for naturalization aud redeess.
Congress did not respond to the message by an ap-
preparation and authority to meet such contingency
as was probable not. even by declaratory reso-
lutoDs sustain the position OF the executive. Ne
eotiations at Madrid were interrupted Dy the peremp-
tory demand; the nonaction OF Congress was con-
strued into disappr0val OF the views OF the eXecu.
tive: the owners of the steamship ccmpro missed
with the Spanish government and left to the United
States nothing demand but redress for the oeoce
offered to vessel bearing the American flag Had
Congress responded to Pierce's message promptly
and in support OF the policy indi lated he (Col. ID
had reason to believe that Mr.. Soule would
have negotiated treaty for the purchase OF
Cuba, and hence his conclusion that the
responsibility tor the failure rested on Con
gress. He hestated not to say that President
Pierce anxiousy desired the acquisition OF Cuba,
and was ready to do for that purpose all which was
cor sstent with JUST e and national honor.
When the revolutionary party in Nicaragua invited
citizens of the United States to unite with tn IN, and
by making common cause to have common coun
try it was great misuse of language to denounce
those tho accepted that invitation as vioators OF
the neutrality OF the United States. Their act was
was complete under our theory Of government; they
wen, not as an army to make war upon State, but
as volunteers to unite their fortunes with one OF the
parties to an existing war. With their subsequent
acts in Nicaragua our government had no proper
connec ion they had voluntarily surrendered their
right to its protection, and were exempt from respon-
sibity to it. But when it pss asserted that, for
the benefit of of the belligerents, and against
the parry with which the Americans were identi-
fed Great Britain was c0-opera ing with Costa
Rca to prevent men and supplies from passing
over the transit Of Nicaragua, our government
promptly ordered portion OF its navy to the har-
bors at the two ends of the transit route to pre-
vent such unwauantable interference IL was by
that measure that Lockridge was enabled to enter
the San Jusn river. Why he returned it was not
appropriate to this occasion to inquire. By the
same measure the isolated and beleaguered garrison
OF Rvas were enabled to leave the country in safety
OF the minor details Of those transactions he for
their doubts require that he sh ,uld enter into full
review Of the acts OF the last administration he felt
unqualified confidence that throughout its whole
course both at home and abroad, he should have
little difficulty in sustaining its claims to the credit
Of having steadily chung to the constitution and
maintained the equal rights OF the minority section,
as far as the power was possessed. ny the direct
issues and the energetic execution OF the Fugitive
Slave law by the last administration, and by the
wide discussion and thorough investigation which
had followed the legislation of 1850 tie questions
involved in the last Presidential campaign had
acquired a distinctness and gravity which he had
canvassers and through the press had not
silenced our enemies, they had at least conferred
one beneft-they bad relieved US Of Southern apollo
gists who prayed for federation 70 African slavery
az an admitted evil but one for the introduction of
which we were not responsible, and OF which we
could not get rid an admission which not only ex
cussd abotionists, but which, II true, demanded Of
every honest man among us that ne should co-ope-
rate in all well directed efforts for Its abatement
That this relation of labor to capital had defects he
would not deny; that Is WAS subject to abuse by the
vicious the ignorant and the wayward, was true;
but co. too were even the tender relations OF
parent and child, of husband and wife. But when
he compared IL to conditions somewhat similar
10 that of apprentices and day laborers, TO the In
mates OF asylums, poor houses and penitentiares,
where task masters and police officers take the place
of the domestic government OF the plantation
he turned from the humiliation and suffering oil his
own race when reduced 70 that low estate, TO the
comfort and content which was the usual lot OF
African sla< in our country, and thankful TO the
universal principle OF self interest which makes the
master usually kind and attentive to the wants Of
his slave, who, in the language OF Holy Writ Is his
money" he Col d. recognized Ia the institu-
ton OF domestic slavery the most humane citations
Of labor TO capital which can permanently subsst
between them, and the most benefcent form OF go
vernment that has been applied to those who are
morally and intellectually unable 70 take care o.
probable collision would be on the application Of
Kansas TO be admitted as State into the Union,
and this was, therefore, the issue which, at this
time comma ded public attention. To present his
views intelligiby 1t was necessary he said, briefly
10 recur TO the legislation which had preced.
ed the organization Of Kansas. In 1850 II became
necessary 10 egisate for the territory acquired from
Mexico; there was large party in the country who
contended that Congress should. by direct legsle-
ton prohibit the introduction Of slave property into
them while he and others had insisted that II was
the duty OF the federal government TO give equal
protection 10 oil property, and TO remove any OBJ
struction which existed in the migration OF citizens
from any Of the States with every species OF pro-
perty which they there legally held. In an evil
hour the South had accepted the doctrine that
Congress should take no cognizance OF slave
property, leaving In that particular case the ques
the territorial inhabitants; and this the theory
which obtained when Congress was called upon to
organize the Territories of Kansas and Nebraska. IL
a Territory possessed the sovereign powers Of
Community THE bill for the organization of Kansas
Inv ALI its provisions reprdiated the theory.