St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1861-04-25

slavery. Justice to President Pierce,
and other northern statesmen engaged
in this scheme, impcls me to state my
own persuasion also, that they were
not initiated into this part Of the plot.
My own opinion Of them is that they
were instruments but half informed of
the objects for which they were work
ing, and that they were cnnningly and
treacherously used by the South. But
had already caught sight Of this ul-
terror scheme before writing my let
ter to the President of April 9th,
published in the National intelligen-
Ger Of May 22d, 1865, as will be seen
by reference TO that paper.
Six years have passed since the gov
crnmcnt at Washington refused the
policy of friendship, and its immense
advantages to our commerce and our
every interest in connection with
Spain.
The grand conspiracy was frustra-
ted, but the good will Of Spain had
been uncourteously repellcd, and the
lamcntablc position of our northern
Presidents, elected by the votes of the
South, has compelled them annually
to recommend to Congress the imme-
diate acquisition of Cuba, although
the impossibility of such acquisition
was evident, and Spain had declared
she would resent the proposition as a
national insult. The legation of the
United States in Spain has thus been
paralyzed, even if it has been in
structed to do anything for our COM
mercial interests.
Nevertheless, | have received, re-
pcatedlv, from pcrsonagcs in power,
the assurance that, with change of
policy on our part, the whole restrict
i've system impeding our CONNER
cial intercourse with Cuba would be
removed. | have been consulted
whether the abolition of the discrimi-
mating duties upon our -four and grain
in Cuba could not be combined with a
reduction on the ordinary cheap wines
of CASTLE, as Il partial compensation
, for the destruction of its flour trade
with the colonies.
And an Indication Of readiness to
abandon the -four duties and the whole
restrictive commercial system in Cuba
/ has been recentIy y repeated to me i'll a
quarter which leaves no doubt that
the obtaining of these results still dc
pends principally upon ourselves. \
policy of good faith and good neigh
a burhood on the part of our govern
t,yr,rl
any act or measure of the government
of the United States which would con
vince Spain Of such change Of poll
cy at home, might now be expected
to he followed by such results here
, Without pretending to speak for the
/, Spanish government or any member
OF it, or to be able to anticipate in any
way its ideas or its actions on this OIL
any other subject, | do mean to say
and to repeat that this is my we'll
> founded conviction, and morc---that
! hazard little in stating it. Let such {
. policy be adopted, and intelligently
!. and honestly represented here, and tn,
,, result may be anticipated with conf
= dcncc.
= The rapid and wonderful increase o
material prosperity in Spain, and ne
, less rapid growth of liberal ideas anc
s. principles in politics, have led SpaEisl
=. statesmen to look upon the Old fnau
=. cial and commercial systems of thi
:, country as impcrte"ly adapted to tn
>, necessities and interests of the pres
h ent day, and they would not be Yer
a long or vigorously defended agains
+ we'll directed efforts ior their mo4it
=, cation.
:, As to the sympathics Of Spain i
:. our present question at home, AT
- competent to speak. The masses {
T'f s the Spanish people, though they III
" derstaud little of onr interior polite:
i i are in sentiment friendly to the Tn
= ted States, which name signifies t
~ ~ them the example and practical exi:
70 tence of their own dreams of libert
= and political wcll-being. Their syn
:" pathics are sure for the flag and go'
ernmcnt which bears that name agaln'
- u all rebels, and internal enemies {
10 every description.
atl Spanish statesmen ana leaders al
n better informed about the course
it our interior questions, and the pa
ID which belongs to them in our tilibu
W tering demonstrations in the interit
al as well as the exterior. They hay
been made to understand that Il
Ia southern states are those who pre-:
II for the immediate annexation of Cul
On as means of adding two or thrt
q new slavcholdinS states to the co
rs fcdcracy, whilst in or out of the pre-
m ent Union the natural ally of Spain
th this question is the North They u
III derstand the harmony of interes
to which exists between the North al
as Spain politically as well as CONNIE
nv cially. They reflect that the Col
he mcrce Of Cuba is with the North a.
bc not with the South /; that the sout
I'D ern states produce nothing for Cub;
il whilst the products of the island a
,ot consumed at the North but that t
in strongest argument the tillibuSte
mt have used to obtain any support
ed the North is that their projects won
in throw open the markets of Cuba
en- our trade. If Spain herself is willil
We to do this, she thus takes out OF Il
;re hands of the iillibusters the only lev
by which they wove any sympatl
nd out of the slaveholding states. 5
I strikes blow at her enemies Will
of- she favors her friends and natural
m lies in the Union, and she at the sa!
mn time takes the measure best calcu
in ted to promote the prosperity Of Gu
rth and increase the products Of her ren
ins The political atmosphere Of Spa
nd herself is heavily charged at this n
'us ment. Our representative ought
cal be well informed how and when I
lid storm is coming, and whittier it
nd tending but these and similar arr
ion mcnts urged at the proper time, III t