The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-05-07

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of the Arago with an armed force on board on
the alleged ground that it has received no notice
of the fact from the Federal ohcers hero Rut
the Federal officers here understand perfectlv
well that the President is inclined to viii, ~
such expeditions. As a matter of course thev
are conveniently blind. If General Grant bod
followed the precedents set by his Dradc
cessors if he had published a proclamation
warning the people against violating tbc nen
trality laws, and stimulating the Vigilance of
our officers, the expedition would hot bovc
sailed, or, at any rate, the Government couId
not have pleaded ignorance and affected disbe-
lief. There is no danger in this voluntorv
blindness; but is there no dishonor? Gcn"rI
Grant is sworn to take care that the Laws ba
faithfully eXccuted; and in his inauOuro1 hn mo
missed to enforce all laws, whether they met his
personal approval or not, saying that the hest
way to make bad law odious and secure its ree
peal was by its strict enforcement. He is neither
fulfilling that pledge nor keeping his official
oath. And he conniyes Mt law-breakinp without
any chance of benedting the Cubans; for there
is no good reason to suppose that their effort
for independence will be successful
The meeting at the Cooper Institute was n
splurgy affair, which amounts to nothing unless
General Grant should choose to consider il os an
evidence of public sentiment and make II an
excuse for continuing TO give his moral sunport
to the insurrectiOn. The speeches, with the ey-
cepton of Mr.. McKeon's, were mere gushes of
unreasoning sympathy. Mr.. McKeon dealt
largely in precedents and historical citations.
and his argument was perfectly conclusive on
the point to which it was mainly directed
namely, that the Government of this country
has always taken lively interest i'm Cuba and
has long cherished fixed determination that
it shall never pass into the hands of
any other European power than Spain
But that argument has no relevance to
the present state of facts. There is not the
slightest evidence that any other European
power is attempting to acquire Cuba. If there
was any such design, the public sentiment of
the country would be unanimous against toe-
rating it for an instant. 1t would be strenuousy
resisted by the whole force of public opinion,
and by the Jealous application of all the re-
sources of the country. The Cooper Institute
meeting was not directed against the ACQUISITION
of Cuba by other European powers but against
its retention by Spain. Mr.. McKeons citations
have therefore no pertinence to any real ques-
tion. They make against him, for our Govern
ment has constantly protessed its acquiescence
in the sovereignty of Spain over the island un-
less she should choose voluntarily to part with
it for a valuable consideration.
The avoWed purpose OF the meeting was to en-
courage the Government to recognize the inde
pendence of Cuba. Except with view to its
immediate annexation to the United States, the
independence of Cuba would be a doubtful
advantage, either to the Cubans or to us. There
Is no reason to suppose the people of Cuba are
capable OF organizing and maintaining wise
government; and unless they can, their indie
pendeuce would be anything but a blessing. If
Cuba is to beaminiature Mexico she would gain
nothing by throwing off the Spanish yoke. From
the MO GranQ6 10 cape HORN, Iuer6 is nOCnlng
in the condition of the countries on this conti-
nent to justify the expectation that Cuba would
be well governed and prosperous as an inde-
pendent community. With the exception
of Brazil, which is monarchy, none
of the South American countries have
established governments that promote order and
progress. There is no reason to suppose that
the Spanish race in Cuba is endowed with politi-
cal capacity superior to that OF their brethren
on the continent. Training in free institutions
they have had none: and they are entirely desti-
tute of all the habitudes that conduce to politi-
cal success. The following extract from Mr.
| Richard II. Danas book, ITO Cuba and Back, !"
published in 1859, shows how utterly destitute
the Cubans are of the qualifications requisite
| for conducting tree Science,
arts, letters, arms, manufactures, and the learn
| ing and discussion of politics. of theology, and
! of the great problems and opinions that move
| the minds of the thinking world-in these the
| people of Cuba have no part. These move by
them as the Gulf Stream drifts by their shores.
| Nor is there, nor has there been in Cuba
in the memory of the young and middle-aged,
debate, or vote, or jUres or one of the least and
| most rudimental processes of self-government.
No Cuban votes, or attends a lawful politi-
| cal meeting or sits on a jury, or sees a law
| making assembly except as a curiosity abroad,
| even in municipality nor has he ever helped
| to make, or interpret or administer laws; or
borne arms, except by special license of govern
| ment granted to such are friends of govern
| ment." In another part of his book Mr. Dana
says that one who reflects on the character of
the Cubans may well be slow to believe that,
| with their complication of difficulties, and their
causes of disorder and weakness-with their
half million and more of slaves and quarter
million or less of free blacks, with their
coolies and their divided and hostile
races of whites-their Spanish blood,
and their utter want of experience
in the discharge of any public duties, the Cubans
will work our successfully the problem of self
government. You cannot reason from Massa-
chusetts to Cuba. When Massachusetts, entered
the Revolution, she had had one hundred and
fifty years of experience in popular self-govern-
ment; under system in which the exercise OF
this power was more generally diftused among
the people, and extended over a larger class OF
subjects, and more decentralized than had ever
been known before in any part of the world, or
at any period of the worlds story She had
been all along, for most purposes, an indepen-
dent republic, with an obligation to the British
empire underlined and seldom attempted to be
| enforced"
With the example of Mexico and the other
rickety and anarchical Spanish-American repub
lies staring us in the face, it is a very wild eX
pectation that the Cubans would succeed, as al
independent nation, in establishing and admin
lsterlng good government. But unless they
have capacity to do this, their independence
would be a curse instead of a blessing The
immediate annexation of Cuba to the United
States is a different question. Under the super
intendence of the Federal Government, and Will
the large emigration of American citizens whicl
p would flow into the island it might in time be
come successful republican State; but thu
Federal Government has, at present, too mucl
OF that kind of superintendence already on 1t
hands, in the negro governments it is attempting
to establish in the South This country haC
better be in no haste to swallow any more o
! such crude food, until il has digested the heaY