The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-01-29

power consolidated and every region iribuary tohim.
bis arm would bc invineible Mofcow has already been
avenged Ia the Crimea Waterloo would then hnd lis
day of rctfbuiion.
The policy OF Great Britain resisting occupation
of Cuba only expcble upon the theory OF subseryience
10 France. In fifty yean her vast colonial possessions
la the Fast will be stricken from her grasp and she
not redress the balance of her power by increasing her
empire ON this continent. Her restless and embroing
diplomacy TOO, Is fast arrayng the world against her
During the last twenty years She TO have lost
sight of the end of diplomacy which Is 10 keep up the
relations OF peace and ward OF the chances of war E
pecay Is IT It's duty 10 smooth asperities at least not
to press upon them. Reconcing interests with honor
and in fairness It's object should constantly be 10 avoid
within human power anything that may drive govern
ments 10 resort 10 the ultima raiothe ever dangerous
logic OF warfare. The mind OF every agent should be
thoroughly imbued with the idea that resort to force
the penalty Of national wrong aud that becomes law
ful oniy when all peaceful efforts TO yindcate the right
and TO secure redress have proved abortive.
But Is this theory realized IN British diplomacy How
often do we find her agents not quenchng the flames,
but applying the incendary torch How many questions
have arisen which the finger Of British diplomacy has
touched, for no other purpose il would SEEM but that
of brstling ii with difficulties There exceptions ID
Is true, and the United States cheeuy testics to one
in the person of the British minister at Washing
ton lie connects the present with the earlier past of
British diplomacy, when its character and spirit
widely different and its annals bore the record of high
and brilliant names But IL Is none the less true that
England for quarter of century, has set up and pur
sued system of armed diplomacy. Nor is it less true
that she is araying the world against her We her
natural ally and why should she resist occupation of
Cuba at the hazard of war; The only be found
in her cordial aance with France and her subsevience
to the latter power.
And have not of with Spain sufficient to
Justify in the judgment of history 7 Have not
rights been invaded, honor touched and flag in
suited while all redress has been denedi Our CONNER
cal relations with the island vital and complicated,
aud yet the system OF its administration so busted us
st,f
system of administration continues is it possible to avoid
difficulties. In consequence of intimate relations
with the island and the special powers exercised by the
captain general it would that in general matters of
business and in particular of emergency approach
to him should be conceded TO consular representa-
tive at Havana And yet such is not his prerogative
One of the ongstandDg subjects of the Just complaints
of our is the obstinate refusal to allow
consul direct access in official intercourse the supreme
authority of the colony
If this be done, it is done gata, and not in def
to right secured to him by the comfy of ma
lions and our treaty Compacts have said that the po
ston of the captain general the island is that of
supreme ruler over any other government. BY system
OF Inference not of parallel he to think that
the representative of accredited to anoh
does not directly address the chief of the State but APP
proaches him through the channel of his minister the
consular agent of the United States has right mmed
atcy to communicate with him, but that he must do
vicariousy through the medium of his colonial secretary
And yet there seems to be distinction made in behalf OF
the British consul who unless greatly err enjoys the
special privilege of direct official intercourse with his
vice royalty.
But not only in the form and right Of communication
is this distinction made between and other consular
agents 1t is likewise and Extensively extended to the
very title which government fit to invest its
suar representative mt Havana In order to understand
the injustice of strikngly dcrogatory both to
The commercial Importance aud dignity of the United
States, must refer back to the growth of foreign
with the island of Cuba 1t is barely thirty
years since public act of Ferdinand VII opened that
to the world in spite of the obstacles and in
rgues of the commercial boards of the Peninsula Pre-
vios to that period the ports and the territory of the
island had been walled up against the commercial con
tact of nations, under the unreaxing rgors of monop
oily soicmnly it was shameuly sanctioned by the con-
gross of Utrecht But with the prevalence of the
liberal spirit and sounder views of such fnctionaIics
Arrange and Ramirez, England and France and the Meth
crlands in 1924 and subsequently, pressed forward to
this new avenue of trade and by virtue of comparative
freedom of commerce, secured the privilege of sending
and maintaining oonsalsgeaerol at Havana
This privilege is every other nation and particularly
the United States formally and pcrsstcntly denied.
"We WILL say SPAIN 'aow you to trade in ports.
We WILL in colonial territories, allow you to appoint
guardians of the rights and of the property of your ct
zens but this permission must be vouchsaed with such
distinctions and determinations may be pleased to
impose Your Congress may create the office of consul
general for Cuba your President In the discharge of his
duty, may commission consul general for the ever
faithful city but your agent shall not come within its
walls he shall not receive his exequatur under any other
title than that of plain consul The higher title and
broader prerogaves of the consul general intended
not for you, but for royal cousins of France England
and the Netherlands Sic uolo jubeo stat pro ratone
U1i,ntos
Such sir would seem to be the import of the conduct
OF Spain translated into words This implied insult to
importance and dignity is inflicted in the face of the
fact that stand higher than either England France,
and, indeed, higher than Spain herself, in conbn
tions TO the prosperity of the island. The commercial
transactions of Great Britain in 1858, carried by three
hundred and sxtyeght vessels, amounted to Sl4 000,
600 those of France, in one hundred and twentysix
vessels contrved halt up So 600 600 those of the
United States represented by two thousand three hun
bred and vessels sscled into $40 900 600 Yet
Spain allows to the former the consul general which may
be an empty honor, but for which, empty honor
though il be- ought to cavil with her the ninth
part of hair matter of right. She allows it to
them while to it is denied She allows it TO the Meth
erands even while to us is denied. She allows it to
the Netherlands the whole value of whose annual
with the island falls far below the actual of
many one of the fifteen hundred sugar plantations
which enterprise and activity through consump
ton, make contbutiye to her treasury. She allows IL
to the Netherlands with her imports of and her
exports of Sag Gel making up the ptiful total OF
1885 5S5 represented by twenty four vessels with
trvagant calculation of twenty thousand two hun
dred tons whilst she contcmptuously refuses it to the
United States with their 81 600 900 of imports and S2
900 600 of EXPORTS waited to and fro by two thousand
three hundred and vessels with their two hundred
and fy-four thousand aud eighteen tons of merchant
shipping.
And how is this insulting discrimination made Is it
merely under Withholding of the comfy of nations
is it under the exercise of the municipal power which
every government possesses of giving consular
quatur for just such consular privileges shall choose