Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-01-27
The Purchase or Cuba.

LORD PALNERSTON APPROVES OF THE POSITION OF
SPAIN, AND DENIES Mr.. BUCHANANs ARGU-
MENTS.
rFfon the London Post, (Fdtmerston Orgdn) Jan. f.
The intelligence from Madrid announces a
resolution of the Cortes. repudiating the sin
sulting hypothesis" Of Mr.. Buchanan, in his
anEcal Message to the American Congress,
Spain might be induced to surrender Cuba to
the United States government for pecuniary
consideration.
The marks in the message which have
thus become the object of just animadversion
in the Spanish Cortfs. are confined. indeed, to
honorable negotiation" eve would not. !"
says the President, ''if we could, acquire Cuba
Ivy any other means" This is eminently sat
isfactory and re-assuring; and, to say the
truth, such n prOtestation of moderate and
just views was not altogether unnecessary
from an Executive Chief who bad so lately
given his sanction to the principles pro-
pound at the Conferences Of Ostend.
But when Mr.. Buchanan goes on to say that
''ths is due to onr national character" his
reflection certainly suggests a regret that his
appreciation of what is "due" on that score
shOuld not have dawncd upon him at a some
what earlier stage of his official career. The
profound demonstrations of respect for public
law contained in this Message sit rather awk-
wardly on the present President of the United
Stats. Moreover. almost in the same breath
with his assertion Of the paramount principle
of right and moderation for his guidance, in
the nc gotiatiOn Of his government with the
Spanish Court in regard to Cuba, what are
commonly known as the Cuban claims"
against Spain are pressed with force of Ian
guage which must render the world some
what suspicious of all this affectation Of sub
missveness to the law OF nations There is,
however, very discreet reservation in Mr..
Buchanau's Message, against all eventualities.
This course" says the President, 'we shall
ever pursue. unless circumstances should
occur. which we do not now anticipate. rem
dering departure from it clearly iustifable
under the imperative and overriding law Of
self-preserva,iOn." This is undoubtedly a
very grand climax. but the antecedents of the
| present American government fully justify
| the Spanish CortCs in being somewhat scepti-
| cal its value.
On the other hand il cannot be forgotten
| that, so long AZ Spain continues to violate its
| solemn engagements for the suppression OF
| the African slave trade that country fOrftits
| the sympathy of the other European Powers,
and gives peculiar coloring to the grievances
| Of the United States.-"Cuba," says Mr.
| Buchanan. with great truth. lis the only spot
in the civilized w1rlp in which the African
| slave trade is tolerated. and We are bound
by a treaty with Great Britain. TO maintain a
naval force on the African coast, to arrest
| slavcrS hound to that iSland.' We advise the
| Spanish Government. if they really desire to
| maintain their territorial rig Is. to discharge
their political obligations. So long they
maintain this trade, there will always be not
only PR text, bnt real basis, for the com
plant and eXpostulation of the American
| Gov rnment. So long as they deliberately
violate their treaties for its suppression, they
will lose that moral support of the European
! Powers which an American Executive, ANNA.
ted by the counsel of Walker. will find its
| chief restraint against an act of direct aggTes
| sirn.
But the Spanish government. nevertheless
| has good right TO take exception to the pub
LEGATION of this intended overture on the part
of the American President. The confidence
of the present deviation from the ordinary
| course of private negotiation, with so lond a
| protest against alleged American injuries and
undischarged Cuban claims. has obviously
been accepted by the Spanish Cortps in Its
most sinister Specification The same pro
posal for the sale of Cuba was made by pre-
| ccding President and was rejected by a pre-
ceding Cortes. 1t is now renewed with i'll
| disguised threats and pretensions. Mr.. Buch
anan's reasoning on this question is also sin
gularly indefensibIe. He tells Congress thai
the sale ct Louisiana to the States by Napol
con, In 1903. Was not held to throw any slul
| on the honor of France, and therefore he in
sists that Spain need not be punctilious or
the question of selling Cuba.
But he fOrgets. CT chooses to forget that
Napoleon sold Louisiana when the renewal
then about to take place, Of the French wal
| with England rendered it impossible for him
TO maintain it; and 1t was not less a stroke Of
! policy 10 make over to the United State n
| territory which would otherwise have fallen
into the hands of England, but which, in
consequence Of its cessi0n. England could not
acquire without extending her hostilties to
the people OF the United States. The impOr-
lance of Cuba to the American Government
can never he entertained in Europe az a
defence Of the adoption of threatening Ian,
guage to Spain: and if the Court of Madrid
shall he reused by a sense of the danger OF
its colonial possessions to the discharge of its
! obligations in respect Of the African slave
! trade, 1t will disarm America of her preteXi
! for retaliation, and strengthen it's position by
the countcnance of the European Powers.
|