The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-12-30
cuBA AN INDEPENDENT COLONY. SPAIN AND
THE UNITED STATES

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despotic authority upon the Captain General of Cuba,
1t accords substantially with the principles Of the
home government. Her Catholic Majesty is aware
that where so much authority is to be exercised 1t
is necessary that il should be concentrated Cuba is
in the condition of perpetual war it is grand
camp, under the command of "a general There is no
dispute about these facts nor do we depreeate their
existence on any other ground than they bear in
iuriously upon American interests. Spain has right
to cripple her industry, paralyze her energies, or
commit murder or suicide within her own territorial
limits, but she should confne her offensive acts to
her own subjects Her object is, to make money out
of the people of Cuba and i'll order to do so she must
adopt the most efficient means for holding the island
The bride has been seized and must be held TIL the
traveller delivers ali his money. This is precisely
our idea of the position of the Spanish government
and its colony But the people Of tho United States
have right to complain of the whole arrangement.
For all domestic purposes Cuba is an independent
government Absolute power is conferred upon the
Captain General, and is exercised by him. He is
wholly irresponsible for his acts He cannot be called
to the least account while in Office, nor can he be
subsequently held though he may, of course, at amy
time be dismissed There is double evil in this
system-it authorizes the commission of a palpable
wrong, and makes it legal by the simple attributes OF
power One party robs and another is responsible
for the felony The law is violated by the agent
with absolute impunity. He has full power to do
wron;., but none whatever to redress grievances
He may plumber and rob, but cannot even apologize,
much less make restitution 1t is easy to see that
such government is 10 all intents and purposes,
wholly irresponsible. 1t is nothing less than Ii
cense to use al the people of the island, foreign and
native for the direct benefit of the home government
and the incidental benefit of the Captain General and
his defendants In relation to this subject President
Buchanan iii his recent annual message, says
.wbilst the Captain General of Cuba is invested with
General despotic authority in the government of that
island the power is withheld from him to examine and
redress wrongs committed by officials under his control
on citizens of the United States Instead OF making our
complaints directly him at Havana we obliged to
present them through minister at Madrid. These
are then referred back to the Captain General for inforna
ton and much time is thus consumed IN preliminary
Investigations and correspondence between Madrid ana
uba before the Spanish government will consent to pro-
coed to negotiation Many of the difficulties between the
two governments would be obvated and long train OF
negotiation avoided if the Captain General were invested
with authority to settle questions OF easy solution ON the
rpf where all the facts fresh and could be promptly
and satisfactorily ascerained We have hitherto in vain
urged upon the Spanish government 10 confer this power
upon the Captain General and our minister 70 SPAN VIII
again be instructed to urge this subject their notice
IL this respect we occupy different position from the
powers of Europe Cuba is almost within sight OF our
shores our with 10 is far greater than that
of any other nation including Spain ITSELF and our ct
xens are in habits of daily and extended personal inter-
course with every part of the island 1t is, therefore,
great grievance that when any difficulty occurs no mat
ter how unimportant which might be readily settled at
ka ,,I>l 10 rasprf tn
especially when the very first step to be taken there to
refer IL back to Cuba.
Every one at all conversant with political his
tory knows that the American people magnani-
mons and charitable They are not without courage
and intelligence but they have shown an aversion,
bordering on cowardice to exacting Justice OF the
weak States of this continent They have suffered I'M
der more petty insults more petty wrongs, petty
manoeuvre in avoidance of the honorable adjustment
Of disputes, more Inconvenience and delays from
local governments, than is wholly consistent with
bravery, integrity, and fair dealing. They have
chosen rather to shield an offending power than to
protect their own citizens They have neglected to
do their duty fearing that, being strong, they might
be charged with exercising power against defence
less neighbor. All the world should understand
this
They should know that single hostile demon
stration on the part of this government would re-
lease nearly the whole population of Cuba from the
chains which bind them to the Spanish throne-that
it is in power to the whole American coast
with armed vessels; to call into the field million Of
men, and leave in the pursuits of agriculture and of
manufacture force sufficient to subsist them Against
Cuba we are doubly armed--in our own strength
and in the purely involuntary relations subsisting
between the people and the government of the island
The power of the latter in its terrorism its
of destroying estates and mpoverishing its subjects
1t holds the pursestrings and fingers the products
of industry All this would vanish like mist before
an army of delverance from the States. And yet we
continue to submit to petty grievances from colo
NAL government that is not only weak, but thus
holds its power purely by suferance- 1t is due to
Spain that she should be better informed. 1t is not
her Army and Navy that have helped her to retain
Cuba tits the neutrality laws Of the United States
and the ndsposition of our people to take advantage
of helpless neghbor. She ought to be just to us
in all the relations of life ;and, above all, she ought
to provide the surest of redressng the griev
ances which people have suffered at the
hands of the government of Cuba. If that gov
ernment is armed with power to do wrong, it should