, 1869-09-24
FRIDAY. SEPTEMBER es, 1869.
CUBA AND SPAIN.


Mr. Sumner has, somewhat siucularly for
hin, in his speech At Worcester, stated tho
true position the country should maintain
respecting Cuba, and that is, absolute non
Intervention, except in the way Of good
Offices Spain and her Cuban subjects
must settle their controversy themselves,
snd the United States. however strong may
he our feelings of sympathy for the cubans,
must not overstep the lines which separate
neutzals from be1ligereuts- The inte1li-
gence whscb We receive every day concern.
ing Mr. Siekles' correspondence with the
Spanish Government is very conflict
irg, and much OF it SO very absurd
that it can deceive no one, That
there is strong prcssur.s bearing upon
our government to formally recognize the
revoluhonists as bcligeseuts is undoubted-
Is tue. There nre hundreds Of millions Of
so-ca1lel Cuban bonds in tho United States
now good for nothing. but to which such
recognition will i've IN Immediate market
abls value. The stock.jcsbing aud alibus-
ter interests are, ef course, an1ious for rec
ognition : but in point Of TACT the weakness
Of the Spanish authorities in tbs island is
such that, had there been any really for
midatle insH11ectiou Of the people, it wonld
long since have ovetthrown the govern
ment. We do not believe that the Govern
n,ent Of the United Sta.es authorized Ar.
Sieklfs to threaten Spain with a recogni-
tion Of the belligerency Of the revolution
ists, nor do we believe that be vas au~
thorizel to do any mora than to offer the
friendly Offices of the United States in the
way Of arranging terus Of peace, if such
were possible It may have happened that
Mr. Sickles. in executing his Instructions,
permitted the American Eagle to expand
his wigs slightly, and that tie Spanish
Government was thereby offended, if not
undrlr alarmed Bat We hare no idea that
Mr. FISH has presented anF cause Of war,
OF threatened wsr, nor Tint he has ever
had tie remotest expectation Of war with
Spain.
The substantial Independence Of Cuha is
amstterin which tie United States have m
interest. The entire world outside Of Spain
admits TINT such Independence is not only
the tue podey for CEba- bnt nlso for Spin
To keep standing army in Cuba is most
expensive policy, aud one which Spain is in
no condition TO maintain. Her entire his
tory in America is proof Of this. The
United States do not want Cuha, but VIC do
want Cuba to be Independent in the
snme way that Canada is independent Of
Great Britain It is because We do not
want to add Cuba to our territory .that VIC
want pence in that island, and peace can
only he preserved there by withdrawing di-
rect Spanish government, and leaving the
people to govern themselves, iHitherto,
Cuba has been mine from which the Span
ish Government drew large revenues, and
there is naturally great objection TO snr-
rendering it; but Spain must yield to what
she cannot any longer postpone, and must
eoncede to Cuba TINT which Cuba must
hereafter hive.
The movement Of large bodies Of troop!
from Spain to Cuba may, for time, quel
the revolution, but it will not suppress it,
and the cost Of these armies Will exceed Tbs
value of the island 10 Spain. But be tht
Spanish policy what it may. ous duty is I
c1ear one,-to offer friendly Offices when
ever We can, and, throughout the whole
struggle, observe that neutrality and gooi
faith which the nation So emphatically de
manded our government shall require o.
other nations toward our own.