The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1869-07-15
THE WEEKLY COURIER
The Coming Question: !,

1ay5 Lu0 NOAAAA1k OUO0OAO4Ass s.
Now that the country has had
time to recover from tho prostitution
consequent upon the celebration of
lthe,annivorsary ofiits independence;
now that the great bird Of freedom
has rested bis pinions after bisrccent
soaring fight, II is fitting. time
not for retrospeot--but for aupros-
pect1ve view Of the national prob
lens, which are imperative Of solu-
tion within tho next decade. And
there are many open questions, many
unsettled propositions, many subtle,
but none the less important, points,
awaiting the analysis Of our states
men, legislators and scholars -
The United States arc just enter
ing manhood. Their hitherto won
derfal growth has been but thcrapid
growth of youth; the development
Of their wonderful resources but the
growing of the muscles; the settle
ment of their territory bnt the last
stage of growth which ushers into
the world a nation great among ma
tions; country whose influence is
potent among potentates, The late
civil war was the ordeal through
which every nation---as we'll as eve-
ry man--must pass, before it can as
sumo It's proper place, before it can
shake off the errors and the evil hab-
its which gather round it and cling
to it in its early days. Emerging
triumphantly from the test, standing
now free and untram1nelled, from this
time dates its progress or it's fall, its
grandeur or its degradation. a7aa
There are many who suppose that
craftsmanship is o cheap artiole.-
There are those who think that the
Republic cannot be dismembered,
that the machinery of government
will move ITSELF that the ship Of
State will ride the waves without the
guiding hand Of the statesman at the
helm. But the experience of the
past teaches widely different moral.
Not a Republic has arisen, but to fall;
not a free constitution has been made,
but it was writ in sand" Our gov
ernment, successful as it has been
thus far, is only experimental ; afew
mistakes would pull down what a
century has built up. All around us
we SEQ the tottering ruins Of young
republics, and tho examples teach us
that we are not infallible because We
are prosperous at present: Then, in
tho past and present lights, both our
domestic and, our foreign policies
should be well marked out and care
fully followed, lest, in the outset of
our career, we are called upon to join
the funeral train of Republics gone
before. al fI = s
The most important of oil ques.
tions now before the government is
that Of its policy towards Spain and
her American dependencies. 1t is a
question as to whether policy the
outlines of which were traced by
Monroe, shall be followed, or wheth-
er the practice of non-interyention
shall prevail: Shall tho policy of
wedding out the European monar-
chies from this continent be enforced;
or shall the time honored principles
OF the old, republican party Of fifty
years ago, be forgotten? Our con-
clusions are in favor of the former
line of action, because we believe
that this continent is for Americans !;
because we believe that unless we
ontor crusade against Spain no,c, it
will cost money and bloodshed untold
in the end to settle questions now
ready for settlement; because we be-
lieye that the existence Of o Vice.
royalty on either border Of the Uni
led States works a pernicious influ-
ence; because we believe that the
hearts and voices of the Cuban peo-
pie are pleading with the despair ofa
crushed community for the helping
hand of her who should be the stead
fast friend of all oppressed national
tiles. A word from us and Cuba is
ours; her people and her slaves are
freed, without war, without difficult
", without cost. A Few years heuv.
European affairs will have become
more settled. Quiet will have been
restored to Spain, her grasp on Cuba
will have become frightened, and the
roots Of monarchial principles will
have struck deeper into American
soil. Now, we may voluntarily do q
good deed without expense or trou-
bic; later we may be compelled to do
the same decd in self defense, and at
fearful cost. Bat we, in common
with many Republican friends, are
panied to SEQ that tho sympathies Of
tho State department are altogether
on the side of Spain, although Con-
gress, by its resolutions, hasexpress-
cd tho deepest sympathy with the
Cubans, and although the American
people, irrespective Of party, hope
and trust in tho success of thorpa-
triots. Such a policy, if persistedin,
will render tho Department odious,
| and we are much mistaken if tho gen.
ial Secretary and accomplished goasr-
met docs not soon follow in the wake
| Of tho distinguished SBoric. Presi,
don't Grants sympathies arc known
| to be with the Cubans; his character