The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-06-25
OUR NEW SPANISH EXPEDITION.
From the NJ Y. Herald.

Il
Our telegraphic report from Europe ON
Wednesday brought consoling advices to Mr..
Secretary Fish in the shape of an encourage
ing pat on the back from ohm Brights Quaker
organ the London Star, 'for taking measures
to prevent the departure of flibustering par
ties for Cuba" The only drawback to the
pleasure of our worthy Secretary of State if
it is drawback, is the fact that his measures
do not seem to have prevented the departure
of single filibuster. We admit the doubt
because private assurances from persons very
near to Mr.. Secretary Fish insist that he SYM
pathizes with the Republican cause in Cuba,
that he desires to see it triumph at an early
day, and that he is only coquetting with Spain
for the purpose of keeping dreadful Euro
pean complication off the backs of the belli-
gerent Cubans. The said private assurances
furthermore intimate, with q tone of in
tense wisdom, that something particularly
private in relation to Cuba is going ON be-
tween our Government and that at Madrid
that General Prim has been seen, Serrano
looked after, and that the best results may
be hoped for if we will not commit the Gov
eminent.
Our experience in both public and private
affairs is that straightforward truth and man
hness is the best and, as Sir Boyle Roach
said, that the only way to get round difficulty
is to meet it plump. Now, as the administra-
ton is about to send filibustering expedition
into the very heart of the Iberian peninsula,
under the command of one of our most keen
and audacious generals, and as the Cabinet is
preparing his instructions, both public and
private, we desire to say few words on the
state of affairs in these Spanish-American
questions. The first point of interest is that
we mean to keep faith-not such faith as Spain
kept with us in our late war; but loyal, good
faith--with the friendly powers of Europe and
America, and we wish it to be distinctly under
stood that this determination does not commit
us to the policy of assisting Spain to break
faith with her own people, or to the waging
of a style of warfare in defense of her re-
sisted claims, which shall be an outrage to
humanity and Christian civilization. The
! second point of interest in these great ques-
uon is this-In common with the whole
Worio we hold that a prisoner is not to be
punished for availing himself of an oppor-
tuhlty 10 escape, nor an oppressed people for
improving an occasion to throw off the hate
tul CHAINS OF colonial despotism; and we
desire that this feeling on our part shall not
be hidden from Spain, but rather do we desire
that it shall be clearly made known to her
The third point with which the commander
of this new Spanish expedition should be i'm
pressed is this:-Should any of our enthusias-
tic and liberty-loving citizens, believing that
the cause of republican Cuba is the cause of
freedom, which all true men love, choose to
emulate the example of Lafayette, and, rum
ming the risks of hostile cruisers at sea and
wellarmed (seeing that we sold them their
breech-loaders) foes on shore, proceed to take
part in honorable warfare in Cuba, we will not
under any circumstances hold that they are