The New York herald., 1869-04-18
Cuba-The Forthcoming Proclamation from
Washington.

Cuba-The Forthcoming Proclamation from
Washington.
Events are evidently eliminating, both in
this country and in Cuba, which will call from
the administration of President Grant at an
early day q proclamation of our status on
the Cuban question. The revolution in Cuba
is too patent and the movements Of its friends
in this country are too actiys tq render silence
much longer possible. In this condition of things
it is well for us to look at the record. The ex-
perience of the past will, if rightly accepted,
afford us valuable light for our future course.
Proclamations affecting the Cuban question
have been issued by two previous administra-
tions-that of General Taylor on the l4th Of
April, lS49, and that of Mr.. Fillmore on the 25th
of April 1851. The first of these was issued
short time previous to the sailing of the first
Lopez expedition, and is a calm and dignified
peaceful subsection to the Crown of Spain, and
General Taylor's sets forth in moderate terms
the fact that persons undertaking to make war
against the territory of q friendly Power will
''subject themselves to the heavy penalty
denounced against them by our acts of Con-
gress, and will forfeit their claims to the pro-
lection of their country"
The proclamation of Mr.. Fillmore was
issued on the occasion of the preparations for
Lopez's second expedition to Cuba, and is
remarkable for the antagonistic feeling which
it breathes against the general tone of
American thought, and which at the time
caused universal censure in public and in
private circles. We give the Introductory
portion of this curious document as a land
mark in statecraft. If it had been prepared
by Spanish satrap it could not have echoed
more perfectly the views of Spanish colonial
despotism -
whereas there is reason to believe that military
expedition is about to be fitted out In the United
States with intention to invade the island OF Cuba
colony Of Spain, with which this country at peace;
instgated and set on foot chiefly by foreigners who
dare TO make our shores the scene OF their guilty
and hostile preparations against friendly p0wer T.
seduce our own citizens, especially the young and
incOnsiderate, into their wicked schemes-an un-
grateful return for the benefits conferred upon them
by this people In permitting them to make our coun.
try an asylum from oppression. and In nagrant
and DdSe whereas ~ s such EXPEDITIONS can only be re-
garded as adventures for punder and robbery,
and must meet the condemnation OF the civilized
world, while they der0gat0ry TO the character OF
our country in violation Of the laws Of nations and
expressly prohibited by own; now, therefore, &c.
This document is the last that has emanated
from an American administration. Its chief
popularity consists In its rejection Of that
political hospitality which is the boast and
pride of every land where the English tongue
is spoken, and in branding as ''adventurers
for plunder and robbery, who must meet the
condemnation of the civilized world" Of that
glorious list Of names led by Lafayette and
which includes q Dundonald and Porter, an
O'Higgins and a De Lacy Evans. The ground
on which the friends Of that administration
defend this proclamation are that at the time
when it was issued Cuba was in state Of
peace and had not shown, by any overt act Of
the people, that they desired separation from
Spain.
Whatever may have been the condition Of
Cuba at that time 1t is widely different now.
The sword has been drawn. The Spanish gar
risons have been driven to concentrate in larse
masses by the unanimous uprising Of apeople
without arms, without military organization
and without skilled leaders. Every mail,
every pulsation Of the electric telegraph from
that island brings tidings of battles fought, Of
captures made, Of executions performed
with unheard of cruelties, of depor-
tation of shiploads Of political sus-
poets, of murderous shootings by mad
volunteers into crowds of unarmed people,
of the murder Of women and children because
their husbands and fathers are in the field, of
the burning Of towns, villages and plantations,
of the fleeing of the inhabitants to the woods
and mountains, and of the ever varying tide OF
success and defeat in the unequal battle. In
the midst of this terrible picture stand the
undaunted Cespedes and his noble bands,
striving in their country's behalf with admi.
rable heroism, and pleading for the sympathy
of every freedom-loving heart; while the myr-
midons Of Spain clamor to their Crown for
more men, thousands more of men, to suppress
the revolution, appeal to the binding effect Of
treaties which they Of late so willingly
ignored.
| Cuba has drawn the sword and cast away
the scabbard. This fact must be taken into
consideration by the administration in its con-
sideration Of the terms of the proclamation
which, in the natural course Of events, 1t will
soon be called to issue. The entire field oi
diplomacy is to-day agitated with the ques-
ton, for II touches nearly almost every
present national existence. But 1t must be
~
ciples than those embraced in the wordy falla-
cies of diplomatic reasonings or the weak
clauses of existing treaties. Had these pre-
vailed Stuart would have still ruled England, a
Bourbon France, Italy remained geographical
expression, Prussia be limited to the duchy ol