Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1869-11-19
CUBA.

The cable has ceased for a long time
TO chronicle either defeat or victory for
the Cuban insurgents. Their battles
have ended, and the field Of conflict
to have been recently trans
ferred from the island to Washington.
In President Grant the friends Of the
cause seem TO recognize their worst
enemy, and in the coming Congress
their stauuchest friend. In both these
estimates they are probably mistaken.
1t was expecting a little too much Of
the President to suppose he would in
volve the nation in q war with Spain,
and compl;cato the English question by
a forced recognition of the Cubans-
taking the entire responsibility Of such
a measure upon his individual shoulders.
On the other hand, the lower House of
Congress may be quite ready, in advance
Of an election, to pass sprsad.eagls
resolutions Of sympathy with struggling
patriots Of any cline; but when the
time comes for that body to let slip the
dogs of war, to vote supplies and equip
armies, their sympathy will probably DO
modified by the policy of expediency.
In most cases we have remarked it is.
Resolutions are absurdly cheap, and war
is prepos,erously dear. Besides, the
Senate, though a smaller body, moves
much more slowly than the other House,
aud we have no doubt that if the Cuban
question is forced on Congress during
the coming session, the Senate will eI-
tend to it no moro sympathy than the
President has done. We are sorry that
we cannot just now elevate Cuba to a
place among the nations, for her strug-
gle has been noble in its persistency and
valor. So was that of Crete; yet We
sent it no official recognition. In Spain,
Minister Sickles has tried diplomacy,
not very successfully, in behalf Of Cuba.
Il seem to us that our Government, in
il. present condition, could not we'll
have done more. Individually President
Grant possibly represents the feeling OF
the country, in its wish to see Cuba
freed from the Spanish yoke, but as tho
highest executive officer Of the nation,
In whose hands arc held peace aud war,
he more nearly represents the common
sense of the people, which quality holds
his sympsthies in wholesome check
against pluusing into another conflict
Of arms. We do not want war in our
present condition with even so insig'
ni6cant a foe as Spain the country hal
had its battles, and now that the smoke
has cleared away, it everywhere sees
that its victories were only q little les:
disastrous than its defeats. Both robbed
Us Of men aud treasure, both almos'
equally depleted our strength and in
creased taxation. We want rest now,
that in the more profitable pursuits Of
peace we may rscuperate, and build
anew a gigantic commerce swept from
the ocean ; we want time to till The lons
untitled delds, to make subject every
mill stream to new wheels, to extend
railroads, pay our taxes, establish fra
tcrni,y between long divided sections,
sudiu every way to carry out our manifest
destiny. Such business will not allow
opportunity to fight our neighbours bat
ties. We see the nobility Of the strug'
gls of tho Cuban patriots, aud such
means as we can employ for their beu-
eft have been already used. There are,
however, other meaus-,uch as war
that we cannot help them with, and the
Presidents will in this matter is the
peoples will.