The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-12-08

MI. Buchanan will unquestionably be sustained
by the people; for never since the DAYS of jack
son, have we received a message from the Pres-
dent so well up as this to the pluck and rcsou-
ton OF Old Hickory, and SO fearlessly graphing
with the great necessities and duties of the pre-
sent and the future. All this is the work of the
President himself He is the head and front.
and soul and substance Of his administration;
and it is because he has chosen to be the master
of his position that he has been able thus far to
carry his leading measures against factious de-
fections in Congress and some treacherous afia-
tons in his own Cabinet. A President thus sue
cessful against all the odds which have been
brought to bear against him, upon such questions
as Kansas and Utah, may safely defy all party
and factious opposition upon these grander ques-
tons Of Cuba and Mexico.
Let the ball be opened, and let us see who
among the democratic aspirants, leaders, cliques
and managers for the succession will shrink from
facing the music.
Our Spanish Relations and the Cuba Ques-
tion-Their Bearings on Ourselves and Eu-
rope.
The position which the President has taken in
his message, in regard to our claims on Spain
and the question of the acquisition of Cuba,
is the one, among all the important ques-
tons treated in that able document, that
will command the most attention and
create the most profound sensation in Europe.
Cuba is the only point on this continent where
we come tangibly in conflict with the policy of
any European cabinet; and it is there that we
meet the whole shock of that school of European
rier must be maintained against the southwark
extension of the United tates.
Spain has owed her possession of the island of
Cuba for more than thirty years past to the gene
rous protection afforded her by the government
of the United States. 1t is that, and that alone,
which has crushed the hopes of the last genera
ton and the present one of native Cubans of
efiecting revolution which would have ineyita-
bly, severed the island from the Spanish crown.
In 1925, when England was lending her treasures
and sending her legions Of volunteers to aid the
patriots of Spanish-America and while France
still slept in the lethargy of the Bourbon resto-
ration, the government of the United States en-
phatically informed the Spanish-American go
vernments that it would not permit any change
to be made in the social or political condition of
Cuba. 1t was this determination on our part
that broke up the formidable expedition against
the Spanish power in Cuba, which had been
nearly completed by Mexico and Colombia, with
the connivance of the patriot Cubans. These
continued to conspire for few years; but as we
had severed the patriot governments from their
connection with them, the hopes Of that genera
ton died out with the political prosecutions Of
1928. A new generation came up with the lapse
of years which felt not the weight of the crushed
hopes of their fathers. In 1s4s they began to
agitate, and again was our government appealed
to by Spain to save her colonial power. That
aid was granted, and the United States alone de-
feated the plans of Lopez, and subsequently, of
Quitman 1t did this by the exercise of its power
which was not only called into direct action to
protect the coasts of Cuba but was the instru-
ment for causing division among the patriot
Cubans.
This power, which we have fostercd in
the American isles. has been, with the great
est ingratitude. constantly used for our
annoyance. Our flag has been insulted
by it; our citizens have been maltreated;
its administration has been so contrived rs to
give the greatest quantity of annoyance. COM
bned with the least amount of satisfaction; and
then the Just claims both of our government
and our citizens, have been constantly baflled
and defeated 10y the shutting Powers of the
mother country. And now, to cap the climax,
this Spanish government in Cuba Is made the in
strument for carrying out the schemes of Sc
cret European alliance against schemes which
neither Of the cabinets concerned dare to avow
openly and in the face Of the world.
The continuance Of the rule of Spain in Cuba
assumes daily more menacng character to the
highest interests Of this country. II already
commands the water outlet Of more than half
the sovereign States of this country. Its position
relative to the lsthmus routes between our At
lantic and Pacific empires will enable it to COM
mand within n few years, the channels Of an
American trade greater than all our present
foreign and domestic commerce. The opening
Of the Nicaragua, Tehuantepec and overland
mail routes-the present anomalous position of
the northern States of Mexico and the anarchy
that rcigns in all that republic-the condition of
the Sandwich Islands-the opening of japan
and China-the increase of our commerce
with the west coast Of Spanish America,
and the new channels soon to be opened
with the growing States of Australia, are already
giving a vast impulse to our development on the
shore of the Pacific. Within ten years we shall
have twenty or more rising and powerful States
there. Our trade with all these must convey
large portion Of it, bulky exchanges by the
Isthmus routes; and its immense capacity and
extent no man can calculate. Cuba overles
these routes of our domestic commerce, and its
possession involves their safety. In this position
she is like field through which public inn
movement must pass III the owner refuses 10