The national Republican., 1869-02-27
our washington Corr..popdenoe.
FzBRrARr %. lsoo.
spkNIsu-rI'uAN NEWa,


twill be well for the public to receive,
with many grains of allowance, most Of the
information that comes BY telegraph from
Cnba. The Spanish authorities exercise
strict surveillance over every channel for the
diffusion Of news from that quarter, except
such as are secret, and permit nothing to
reach the American public that they cnn
prevent, which falls to represent their cause
In rosc-colored hucs. Their alleged VIC
tories are sedulously magniHed, and their
ruinous checks invariably pooh.poohed. Pri-
vate advices represent that they are not hold
Ing their own, In spite Of the considerable
reinforcements Of troops they have Of late
received from Spain. It Is clear that they
have so far failed to accomplish anything to
speak of towards suppressing the rebellion,
while interest in Its cause is spreading wider
and wider throughout the island.
cuBA AND GRAsT's ADMINISTRATION.
The Cuban question Is destined to be among
the first Of Importance with which the Ad-
minlstratlon Of Grant will be called on to
grapple. Grants views, so clearly expressed
In the last two or three years on different oc-
casions with reference to Mexican affairs,
embrace guarantee that he will deal with
the coming Cuban question from an Ameri-
can standpoint, rather than from one die
tatcd BY super-serviceable considerations for
the parent government, whose interests In
the premises are directly opposed TO ours.
His administration will be unembarrassed
by commlttals Of any description upon the
subject, except such as are incidental to our
no obligation on this Government to turn its
hand over to help Spain to keep the Island;
but simply to restrain citizens Of the United
States from interfering unlawfully in the
contest by the use Of our ports and our war
making resources In aid Of either side. Tho
time when this condition Of neutrality on our
part may cease, It Is the province Of Grants
administration to determine. It Is not to be
expected that Ii will strain point to post
pono that time longer than the fitness Of
things and law may absolutely require.
A GRAND FUNDAMENTAL AXIOM LAID DOWN.
The action Of Congress in finally passing
yesterday the 18th amendment to the Con-
stitution just as 1t passed the House was en-
inently wise. It is not certain, as yet, Of
the sanction of q sufficient number Of State
Legislatures to make 1t sure that II will be
incorporated In AmericatD fundamental law,
as eminently wise, patriotic and proper rs 1t
is. Its opponents will make more dos
pcrate struggle against II, because they have
hopes Of defeating 1t, than they have so far
made against any other legislation or ma
tlonal policy resulting wholly or in part
from the late civil war.
THE DANGER.
The amendment which the Senate sought
so pertinaciously to inject into the measure,
had II triumphed, would have been likely to
have greatly endangered Its success befo
the Legislatures of half dozen Northern
States that will he likely to adopt 1t as It
stands.
1T IS SUFFICIENTLY COMPREHENSIVE AS
PASSED.
The right to vote accorded past peradven-
ture to all citizens without distinction OF
right to hold Office II they can get it, and no
party seeking votes will or can afford to de-
prlve men having them by thousands, tens
and hundreds ofthousands, ofany right under
the law enjoyed by any class or classes ot
persons in the United States.
WORK OF CENTURIES ASSURED.
Nothing has occurred of late years IL
either hemisphere more likely to speed civ
ilizatlon onward towards Its grand ultimat
aim than this action Of the Congress Of tn
United States. When all men shall be re
spected and valued by society, according t.
their intellect, intelligence, morals, knowl
edge and utility to their fellow men, civil
zation will have accomplished its grand mis-
sion for the benefit Of the human race, and
not until then. Since the middle Of the six.
teenth century, when some men began tC
realize that the term by the "grace of God
was but contrivancc to enable usurping
and privileged classes to deprive other classes
of men Of equality of rights God designed
them TO enjoy, the civilized world has becl
gradually working Its way up to the point O
enlightened civil liberty involved In thi
legislation Of our Congress consummate
yesterday. That most misunderstood AM
most mlsrepresented series of evcnts-th
French revolution Of l799-inyolving sucl
horrors as Ii did, set the cause back half
century; but 1t had not power to more thai
check it, as this grand legislation of tn
American Congress proves. The horrors @
the French revolution were but natural an
' inevitable reaction against and retributio
| fnr 4 ha ,,it O.,
:, centuries on centuries the so-callod "grace
:, God'-prccedent and privilege-had perp
trated on the mass Of mankind. Especial
In France, wherein Church and State,
combination, were for hundreds of yea
:, (except when Henry ~ and the great IN
a patriotic Rlchelieu and Mazarin) daily pei
A petratlng wrongs on the people as atroclor
a as any charactcrizlng the rule Of Danto
and Marat.
a 1t is proper, indeed, that the first Cover
ment known to the worlds history profes
l.. ing to be based on human rights should |
4 the Government to establish those rights
their thorough incorporation into its fund
n mental law. Our wonderful national indu
O trial progress, though greatly due to our n
tural industrial resources and opportunitle
J.. are in far greater degree due to our appro,
A. nation to the condition Of liberalism in o
/. government and in the institutions of o
4 Northern States based on the principle
. this last grand step than to aught else. II
~ intelligence, individual independence, al
/. political equality of labor throughout o.
+ North have done more for all commendat
!, interests there than Was ever accomplish
a by all the wealth, experience, class attai
a ments and governmental "protection" al
- aid enjoyed by any other nation. YestC
days action of Congress simply proposes
the several States that hereafter, under Il
Government of the United States, those el
ments of the condition of our northern lab
shall be guaranteed for all time to lab
everywhere under the Jurisdiction of Il
! Government. This legislation Is but an a
.e propriate acknowledgment by the Unit
y States Government Of the true sources Of t