New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-12-07


The feature Of the Presidents Message which
will excite most general attention IL Tue oreigu'
Judging from this document, We must have a very
bad set Of neihbors. Spain IL buliied d. though
ue were on tie eve Of demolshing her, and string
# preyauces paraded as if she hsd been our
palicusnt enemy snd spoler for years. LEI tue
President. We think, does not really mesh war
though he uses mary expressions which seem 10 Us
reedles.ly offensive and irritating. To assert tha'
. Cuba is constant source Of injury aud annoyance
" 10 the American People," 70 twit Spain win
her infany in keeping up the African Slave Trade
Though this is twittng on facts;) 10 complain 'na'
she does not charge her fundamental law 50 as 10
make Cuba, at least with regard to US, no longer
a colony but an independent country; anu
70 wind up by an assertion that we can never
be on good terms with the Couriof Madrid " "hte
.. the existing Colonial Government over the
island shall remain in It's present condition,
seems TO US Ike any thing rather than civilized
diplomacy Unless Spain be indeed the oasest OF
Christian nations, this Is no way to the acquisition
of her eyer.faitnful" island unless by the sword.
But 10 wind up this TRADE with grave PROPOSE
ton that money (Which have not to spare) shall
be placed in the Presiients hands to enable him to
acquire Cuba is little less than telling the world
that our Executive means to bride tie spanish
Court and Ministry into selrg US " the Gem OF
." the Antilles" bu. If the President does mean
this why blurt il out to al mankind , l. not this
publicity calculated to defeat his object Unless
that object be simply 10 slnuse and barney our
Fibusters, the Presidents object, if to be at
tanned without war, is hard 10 comprehend. II
we suppose that be, secure from serious hazard IN
the weakness Of Spain, means simply TO gas our
devotees Of Nantes. Destiny, all becomes clear.
Al all events, We are confident he does lot really
mean war.
With regard to Mexico the case is different.
His "earne st" recommendation Of "a temporary
"Protectorate over the northern portions OF Chi
8 huahua and Sonora, and to establish military
posts within the saue,n cannot be misappre-
hendcd. 1t means war il it means anything
means it al the more that the President says il
don't. II is an exact parallel TO the case Of the
Emperor Nicholas and the Sick Man so graphically
narrated BY the British Envoy. Mexico is goidg
- to pieces; let us seize so much we can conye-
niently digest;" this it, in substance, the Pres-
dents suggestion. 1t will cost many Millions of
money vet to be borrowed, should Congress secoad
that motion.
1t ia not 80 much, bowe7er, the PrcSidents
express recommendations as hls harshness of tone
with regard to both Spain and Mexico that we
remark. He seems more anxious to mOrtify and
ALLEVIATE than to frighten or coerce them. Much as
lie coyets their territory, he seems even more
solicitous of acquiring their i'll WILL In this, he
can hardly fail of beng successful.
As to Nicaragua, his language 10 worse than
harsh-t is unworthy. To talk of the closing Of
the Transit Route in 1856 a. the work oi the
Nicarsguans-to cay that the Transit COmpany's
grant and charter were then "arbitrarily and
" summarily revoked by the Gorsrnment of Presi-
" don't Rirds'-when all men do know that Rivas
was but an efiey, and that William Walker and
our fllbusters were the unquestionable authors Of
that outrage--is shameful And to assert that
Nicaragua shall demand and receive fair
" compensation from the companies and indisid-
4" uals who may traverse the route" yet deny
her the power TO close it-what is this but
to mock herl Who is to determine what is "a
:" fair compensation" if not the owner of the ter
ritory trayersedl And if she is to have no right
TO close the route, how is she to enforce payment
of her just demands Surely, this is not well
considered And to authorize the President to
open and keep open the transit By military and
naval force, what is that but to declare Nicaragua
mere puppet in our hands, 70 be dealt with az wc
shall see fit Coupled with the suggestion that
other than peaceful measures may soon be neces-
sary TO secure a redress OF wrongs inflicted On
certain Of our citizens BY Nicaragua and Costa
RIGA respectively thsmakes it clear that the States
Of the Isthmus viii owe their future independence
TO European friendship rather than American for
bearance or respect.
We are happy to infer from the breyity and
mildness Of the Presidents reference to Paraguay,
that he hopes TO settle our claims against her with
out bloodshed. We feryently trast that he may.