Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-05-08
UNION AND AMERICAN.
EDR0FEAK RELATIONS TOwARD
40 -. ~ cTRA ~ -. 80 ~

the rumer going round in the ps
pers, that England will conced
belligerent rights to the Cubans
and indirectly favor their efforts a
independence of Spain. No en-
couragement to that idea is to b
drawn, from the activity of prepa
rations going on to strengthen thu
Notifications and increase the gar
rison at Nassau. These are ordi,
nary precautions, made necessary
TO meet contingencies arising out O
the disturbances in the Antilles
One Of the consequences Of this
state of affairs has been the viola.
ton Of British waters in the seizure
sof the Mary Lowell, for which
Sreparation and indemnity have
been already asked. There is nc
doubt that these will be granted
Spain is not in a condition, or in a
temper, toquarrelwith England, MOI
bas the conduct of England given
ground TO believe she would ever
cooperate in detaching Cuba from
Spain. Indeed, the policy of Great
Britain has always been to Sc
cure the island of Spain. Eng
land, and France with her, have
shown, at different times, ia very
decided manner, their opposition
to any change in the condition Of
Cuba which would increase. the
chances of its annexation to the
United States. independence
would, by the necessities of politi-
cal gravitation, end, sooner OF
later, in the absorption of Cubs
into the american Union" Hence
no policy can be looked for from
either England or France, which
has in it the design TO assist in
separating Cuba fiom Spain. Any
complication of events which would
restrain theml from active oppo.
sition, would be against their known
laclinations, and no story Of any
encouragement to the Cuban in.
surgents which it is in the power OF
France or England to withhold, is
credible.
The disposition of these two pow
ers TO act conformity was shown,
says the PieayaRe, in their sending
fleets of observation into the West
Indies, on the outbreak Of dis
turbances in Cuba in 1872, with
out any previous notice to the
United States. This proceeding
Mr.. Marcy, as Secretary of State,
took occasion subsequently to com
ment upon as "not respectful to this
republic" A more formal demon
stration was previously made to the
administration of Mr.. Fillmore, by
the proposal to the United States
of tripartite convention between
England, France, and the United
States, for guaranteeing the Span
ish dominion over Cuba. 1t was
declined by Mr.. Everett, who had
succeeded Mr.. Webster as Secretary
of State. Mr.. Everett's letter to
M. Sartiges, the French Minister at
Washington, declining the propO-
sal, put an end to the project.
1t was of course given up, but
the two powers were not satisfied
with the general views Mr.. Everett
expressed in that letter, with great
ability, on the subject of the right
full Jurisdiction of American ideas
over European in the affairs of thi
continent. Their ministers joinet
in protest against these doctrines
When Mr.. Marcy, who succeeded
Mr.. Everett in the State Depart
ment, took occasion to notice thi
protest, he described it as convey
ing "a distinct intimation by bot
England and France that they vii
resist the transfer of Cuba to tn
United States, and assist Spain j
case of foreign interference in al
of the colonies, whether openly q
covertly applied, in any attemI
they may make to escape from til
Spanish yoke
In alIusion to these European il
terventions, Mr. Marcy, in Jul
1853, wrote, with an air of injurC
innocence, that they gave ''unque
tiOnable evidence that both EnglaI
and France suspect the Unit,
States of a design to detach Cul
from Spain, and appropriate it
themselves, without regard 10 &
rights Of Spain or the law of n
tons" Mr.. Marcy repealed this
an unworthy suspicion, and d
MED with Indignation that t
United States, in its territorial a
QUESTION, had ever given the groun
to Justify the slightest suspicion
rapacity.
The diplomatic relations betwe
the United States and these t
powers have not been changed
any correspondence since.
At the Ostend Conference, h
in 1854, to which Mr.. Soule,
American Minister to Spain, !
Buchanan, the American Minister
England, and Mr.. John Y. Mas
the American Minister to Fran
were parties, greater extension