The Portland daily press., 1864-05-19

Spain and Peru.

spain uHu Sius
IL is significant fact that the foreign MIN
listers. Consuls and Foreigners generally have
EXPRESSED their decided opinion against the
recent attack of Spain on Peru. And what
10 equally significant is the fact that the
American residents of Callao and Lima have
held public meeting in the latter city, over
which E. G. Squire presided, gentleman who
is perhaps better posted up in relation TO
affairs In that section Of this continent than
any other American. At this meeting
series OF resolutions were adopted with en-
tire unanimity, highly censuring the seizure
of the Chineha Islands by Spain. This seizure
ia characterized as fragrant act of perfdy
and great outrage on the rights and soyer-
eighty of the Peruvians, as well as gross vio-
lation OF international law by which all civil
Hzed nations profess to be governed.
The Guano Islands belong to Peru, and
they have held them in trust for the interests
of the agricultural world. This disturbance
of their possession is a fragrant wrong on the
part OF Spain, and other nations will not re-
main idle and indifferent to such an outrage.
And what gives more Importance to this
movement Of old Spain is the suspicion of in
telligent minds that France is at the bottom
of II. This movement, no doubt, was con-
cocted at Madrid and the Emperor of the
French had hand in it. He is an adroit
wire-puller, and his ambition knows no
bounds however artfuly he may conceal it.
Fugene's plastic hand may have rested ON
ment at the Capital of Spain. She has power
in Spain and many believe she exercises a
good deal Of control over Louis Napoleon.
AS Catholic she Is much more devoted TO
that peculiar worship than her husband. If
she has any religion at all it is entirely under
the influence of the Pope; but we have an i'm
preston that Napoleon the Third is not
very religious man in any sense of that term.
His religion.will never embarrass him in the
pursuit of any object to which his ambition
leads him.
Eugene has a son, and that son has an ex-
ceedingly ambitious mother who is anxious
that at some future day he may occupy a
high position ia the world. His right to the
throne Of France may yet be contested, and
the aristocracy Of that nation may not be sat
isfed with paroenae Prince, and surely the
democratic element will always be against
him, or any issue from such IONS. But all
this aside. The French Emperor was unques-
tionably the master spirit of the movement
that is about to place monarch on a throne
In Republican America. This movement from
the first has been characterized by duplicity,
adroitness and even trickery. The whole di-
plomatic correspondence on the part of Louis
Napoleon and his ministers justiles us in
using such terms. Let any one read this cor
respondence and he will come TO the same
conclusion. A greater fraud was never COM
United in high circles, and yet the English
Government has passed 1t sub silentio, but
not so with some OF their Reviews and public
Journals whose editors have had the boidness
10 speak the truth in relation to this mat
ter.
From the present aspect or affairs We be-
lieve Louis Napoleon not satisfied with the
limits of the possessions he now holds, but is
anxious TO have his power and greatness felt
on this continent in spite of the "Monroe
0OctiAue, VI any lHHueuSe lnal may inter-
vene to deprive him OF this objective point of
his over-reaching ambition. 1t is The republi-
can element OF the present age that he most
fears, and anything TO counterfeit that he is
most ready and willing to adopt as his policy
To establish thrones and monarchies in this
country, he fondly hopes is the readiest way
TO make his crown sit more easily upon his
head, but the eyes of Republicans, both in
the old and new world, are upon him, and he
mightas well attempt to extinguish "earth's
central fres,' as TO stop the uprising of the
spirit OF Liberty which is now moving the
hearts of the people. We trust the American
people will ere long be less embarrassed than
they are at present, and will find leisure and
opportunity to countaract these ambitious
projects of the French Emperor, and to show
him that he must coniine himself within the
present limits of his possessions. We think
he has quite work enough in his own hands to
take care OF the republican element in his
own country-in his own city without at
tempting to erect thrones in foreign lands
Let him remember that he has spirits at home
who will not down at his bidding.