, 1869-05-21
England and France on the Cuba Question

III.
z2d. published on Saturday, mentioned the
speculation Of the London Post. indicating
that England and France will determine
whether the de- .igns of the United States
! against Cuba will be tolerated 1t was also
announced that the subject was agira,ed by
the French press in the same tenor and il
was reported that special meetings of the
ffeneh cabinet had been held, resulting in
sending specint ENJOYS to London with dis,
patches, referring to the present com pIca,ion
VI events
In 1880 a a'auadruple alliance was formed
between Spain and the powers of Enolaud
France and Portugal. Since that time it is
wen known that there has been move or less
dependence In Spain, in her foreign policy.
On france and England. In 1852 President
Fillmore received and declined proposition
io' a trip rite treaty with England and
france, guaranteeing to Spain the possession
OF Cuba. The subiection of Spain to Eng,
liSh and French influence was so well under
slood oy our government that when. in 1854
fre>'dcnt Fierce thought it advisable that
our ministers in England and France should
nc. IN concert with Mr.. Sonle. the, our
minister to Madrid, in negotiation for the
purchase OF Cuba, place was selected for
'neir conference, not subject to either of the
powers named. In fact, Ar. Soule was ob
l'sed TO proceed to Ostend, the seat of the
conference, by sea. the French government
refusing to give him a passport to travel
through France. Mr.. Sonle it will be r..
mcfnbercd, was himself Frenchnan. an
ultra liberal, and had become implicated In
plot against The Brurbons. He escaped TO
this country in 1895. While minister to
opaln, IN 1888, he had duel with the
ffench ambassador, whom he severely
wounded lie also was accused of giving
h,s i"tnence TO revolutionary outbreak in
Nadrid' Ihere may have been, therefore,
rehsons PERSONAL to Mr. Scale connected witt
his course IN Spain in the refusal of pass
potts t. Osttni But every one knows that
at thai time England and Fran &c would have
opposed the acquisition of Cuoa by the
United States. even by purchase. The con-
ifrenc", IL may be remarked, was adjourned
from Ostend tn.Aix-h Chapelle, but it did
hothing b.yond preparing protocol, so cal
led. containing. howeve-, no proposition, but
'ettlns icrth The advantages 3f a sale of the
island. bo,h u Spain and the United States.
The dIihculty Span would encounter in en-.
deavofhg to keep possession Of it by mere
military power. the symplthy Of our people
with It's iniiabitanlS, and the possibility that
spain. us last resort, might endcavor to
AirIcanIze Cuba, aud that, in case Cuba was
about to be transformed into another St.
Domingo. the example would act pernicious.
ly on our own slave population, in which
ease the insrinct of self preservation would
justify US IN wrestling the island by force
irom Spain. Times have changed since
then, and the Instinct OF seif-prescrvatiuu'
at least cannot be appealed to in order to
Justify the iorcib!e acquisition Of Cuba
The cable diSraicnes represcn, that The
hnalish aid French governments appre>
bend That the United Stats is haukering
aftcr nii the West Indies, and that their own
c1loni"l possessions may be ultimately in
v'iTod IN The fat: Of Cu5l # our ALLEGED de
signs upon that island are successful. 1t
may be dat such apprehen-uns are enter
iained, Gut that they have led or viii lead
10 any such aciicn On the par: If England
aud France Us is suggested is more thau
doubtful. We are aware thai Napoleon has
expressed, with emphasis, his t:islike Of the
extension OF our border soulhward, and that
other things being equal, Eu2land, if she
become convinced that this country means
war on the y iablma claims, might be dis
posed to avail herself OF. ethe opportunity
which the cable reports as offered to her,
and go To war on an issue in which she
would have powerful operation. But
neither nation could pretend to dictate to us
whether we shall 20 to war with Spain, es-
pecialiy on the ridiculous ground that, if we
do. We may seize Cuba, and if we srize Cuba
they, the first military aud the first naval
powers in the world, vii! not be able to de-
tend their own possessions, which, after all,
they woulI be more likely to lose by war
with us than by peace. Besides, France has
enough to do at present iu wa ching Prussia
At the same time the reckless nonsense of
public men and the public press in this
country about seizing the possessions of
other powers on this continent ought to be
stopped. 1t is dsgracing the American
reputation all over the world for common
dec,ncy. besIdcs in uring our own interest
We have had war enough, and are groaniug
under taxation enough already, without OPP
ening the fl ,ud gates of blood and debt again.
we know not when to be stopped. -Buhi
more Sun.