The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-04-14
The Cuban Question.

The Cuban Question.
From the NJ Y. Herald
The resolution passed by the House Of
Representatives on Saturday last, by the large
vote of 98 yeas to "a nays, Is clear and
truthful exposition OF the feeling entertained
by the people Of the United States in regard to
the revolution now in progress in the island
of Cuba. Its words are these:-
"ResolUed by the House Of Representatives., That
tbe peope Of the United States synpathze with the
people OF Cuba in their patriotic efforts to secure
their independence and establish republican form
of government guaranteeing the personal liberty and
the equal political rights of al the people, and the
Uouse of Representatives will give its constitutional
support to the President OF the United States when
ever, in his opinion, republican government shall
have been i'm fact established and he may deem il
pedlent to recognize the independence aud soye-
reignty OF such republican government"
Had time permitted in the short session of
Congress which has just closed that the reso-
luton should have been offered in the Senate,
it would no doubt have been passed by an
equally large vote in that body. The passage
of this resolution by the Senate would have
strengthened its record before the people, but
could have added nothing to the strength of
the resolution nor to the duty incumbent
upon the administration to recognize the wish
of the country and to act in accordance with it.
In all great questions Of national polity the
instinct of the people is always in advance Of
the politicians and placemen; and these are
SUCCESSFUL III Ouly
as they recogDiZest the ideas OF their age and
act in accordance with them. The Cuban
question is the touchstone of President Grants
administration. He will succeed or fail in
proportion as he exhibits capacity or incapacity
to grasp the problem now presented to him.
II he fail to comprehend the true grandeur
and power which attend the march of the
American idea, and waste in diplomatic parley
and inaction the precious moments, when
Al Inx1c ~ gG.N1t1
flower safety" he Will forfeit the high conf
dence which the country has reposed in him,
and consign his administration from its very
start to the distrust aud dou bt of the people
Of America and to the contempt of the states
men Of the world. The resolution offered
on Monday by Assistant Alderman Stephen
Roberts, and SO promptly passed by the Com
mon Council Of New York city, is the true
echo of the popular voice to the House reso-
luton we have quoted above, and we hope,
and the whole country hopes, that the Prssi-
dent will listen to the call OF duty and prove
himself equal to the task OF its requirements.
The first step for him to take is to lay down
a bold and national line Of policy for his ad-
ministration in this great question, and to re.
GuiIe every member of his Cabinet to live up
to it. When the fires of civil war were lighted
in this Union the Cabinets of Western Europe
did not hesitate to show their sympathy with
the Rebellion, and Eugland, France, and
Spain in rapid succession proclaimed their
neutrality between the coutending parties,
which was in fact a proclamation of their
sympathy with the Rebellion. Upon the
heels of this announcement came the great
fact that the harbors of England and Spain in
the islands Of the American Mediterranean
were converted into nests of block ade- runners,
while France undertook the still grander role
of establishing an empire in Mexico. From
all these points war was actively made upon
us, and the conflict was greatly prolonged,
and our sacrifices of treasure and of blood
were enormously increased in consequence.
When victory perched upon our banners, our
hrst step was to drive the French out Of
Mexico. This We did, not because the con-
tending parties in Mexico had no right to in
vite French intervention there, but because
France made that Intervention part of the
war of Western Europe against the integrity
of the American Union.
The march Of events leaves us no choice in
taking the next step in this truly American
policy. Spain converted Cuba into picket
post hostile to US during the late Rebellion,
and now that the natural development of
American ideas and the love of freedom have
led the Cubans to proclaim their indepen-
dence we owe it to ourselves and to the cause
of humanity and civilization to throw the
moral weight of our sympathy and favor in
their behalf. The war which Spain is to-day
waging in Cuba is much more a war against
us than was French intervention in Mexico. 1t
is a war to perpetuate African slavery. 1t is
awar to perpetuate q hostile position on our
coast, from which to annoy and harass us
whenever occasion shall offer. 1t is a
war to stay the march of American pre-
ponderance in America. We should accord
to the Cubsns at once the bslligerent
rights which Spain hastened to accord
to the Rebels. When the Sumter ran out
from New Orleans to insugurate the Rebellion
upon the seas, had she run into Havana she
would have been perfectly safe, aud the lives
OF her crew secure under the proclamation
the Spanish Government. TWAS the activity
of our own cruisers in those waters only tina
closed the ports of Cuba to Ssmmes. When
few Cubans boldly captured Spanish steame,
on the high seas, a few days since, had they
taken refuge in an American port they weulC
have been subject to trial and execution a
pirates; and if the friends of free Cuba nov
buy q few arms from us to help the cause O
freedom, they subject themselves to fine aa(
imprisonment; while the agents OF Spain ar
allowed free access to our workshops and pri
vate arsenals, and are literally availing them
selves thereof to arm their troops and thsi
mad volunteers.
Let an end be put to this anomalous stat
of things, and let us confer upon the patriot
of Cuba the rights of bellgerents by procls
nation. They have earned these rights by
successful prosecution OF war for six months
by q conquest of more than one-half of th
territory of the island; by pouring out the
blood and treasure freely in behalf OF freedom
and by their indomitsble resolution in burr
ing their towns and the seat OF their FRI
government when the tide OF war has sweI
ad n than Lat fhQ a. mniatrati0n