The Portland daily press., 1869-04-23
Cuba.

Our relations with Spain are in most crit
ical condition. There is great danger that our
two strong national passions, one for the ac-
QUESTION Of all out lying territories, the other
for aiding more or less actively every revolt
against monarchical institutions, may plunge
us into war. The American people ought to
have wiser and sadder appreciation iof the
miseries of war than they had ten years ago.
The horrible tragedy wherein our sons ana
brothers have played their parts so nooiy TO
the catastrophe, over which we have not cause
to weep, need not be repeated, TO make this
generation utter as daily prayer, Gen.
Grants maxim-Let as haze peace.
Poor old Spain distracted with a revolution,
seems, and perhaps is, a contemplate foe.
The prestige of good soldiery since the times
when a thousand Spanish infantry chased ten
times as many Hollanders over their dykes has
passed to other nations. We class Spaniards
with Mexicans. and remember how easily we
conquered their icapital with forces, that
were mere corps of the grand armies,
we led against our rebellion. We laugh
at the idea that the Spanish navy
can hold the seas with our gun boats and
monitors gathered in one formidable squad
ron in the West Indies. But let us remember
that Spain has a claim upon the strongest
powers in the world, and that in this quarrel
with us they would eagerly aid her. Napo-
leon has not forgotten the humiliation put up
on him BY Mr. Seward or James Watson Webb.
He would gladly resent in Cuba the abrupt
notice to quit we served on him in Mexico
Great Britain would rejoice in way out of a
l.. :1.nAs h.
ed her in rejecting Reverdy Johnson's treaty
We have just given her one of three alterna-
tives; a reparation for our really great wrongs
the least we can ask, but which she cannot
give without confessing to completely in a
treacherous attempt upon our national life, a
chronic grievance to be used against her fatally
in her first hour of distress or war; She will ca
gerly embrace the last, if she can do it, in ALI
ance with all the maritime powers of Europe
in Furnishing us for the very wrongs towards
Spain for which done towards Ourselves we
are demanding indemnity.
Can our public and private credit bear a
new initiation of currency, a pushing up OF
prices to beyond the worst crisis of the REBEL
ion, and an addition to the national debt that
would compel its reputation?
From our national administration, left to
provide for the emergencies as they occur
without an opportunity of consulting the rep
resentatives of the people, we expect, and have
good right to expect, nothing but prudence
OF course our national honor must be respect
ed, the rights of American citizens in the law
full pursuits of commerce must not be lawless-
ly invaded But let us remember our own diff
ficulties. In the agony of self preservation
against invasion or rebellion, governments
sometimes violate the rights of other govern
ments. We have done it ourselves. Let us
ask for redress promptly, but let us not doubt
the prestige of our name and strength to OBJ
tain it by the free concession of the nation
that has injured US. We can afford to be pa
tient. 1t is just to give time to refer our de-
mands from dependency to the central gov
eminent 1t is just to give ample time for a
fair Investigation.
OF course our sympathy for the Cuban Re-
publicans will continue. We shall recognize
their bellIgerency and their independence just
as soon as according to the nice code of inter-
national honor and Justice, which we have Just
been studying SO thoughtfully in Jour contro-
versy with England, we have right to. And
while we repress all open Attempts to set on
foot military expeditions auxiliary to the war
for independence if individuals see fit to leave
our shores without violation of our laws, and
take their chances of being shot and quartered
as Cuban patriots our governments is not re-
sponsible for their acts and has no claim of re-
dress for their wrongs.
Portland has intimate connections with the
fortunes of Cuba. Should independence be es-
tablished and the Island become State of the
American Union no city will have better adj
vantages for carrying on the trade in the pro-
ducts ofthe North and of the tropics, that will
be hampered by no duties and no inteI nation
al restrictions. While the war continues one
of the large commercial interests of our city
is seriously depressed. But whatever our To-
cal interests are, we cannot afford to do or con-
sent to the doing OF an International crime
We cannot weaken the moral prestige of our
claims upon England, and we cannot peril our
own financial security by burdening our peo-
pie with the enormous expenses of an agrees
sive war.