The New York herald., 1869-05-31

The Neutrality Question At Washington.
In the present aspect of the domestic and
| international questions in the minor countries
south of us it is not remarkable that the Cabi-
| net at Washington finds itself sorely puzzled
how to shape its policy under the encumbrances
| of the existing neutrality laws. Cuba now
| presents two governments to the world, each
with valid claim to recognition. The
| island OF st. Domingo, divided between the
| negroes of Hayti and the mixed population of
the Dominican republic, offers tour, if not fve
| claimants to legitimacy as the ruling power
Mexico, with larger territorial scope is again
on the verge of domestic revolution. Among
all the contestants the only apparent ground
for stability of rule is found in the recognition
| by and active sympathy of the United States.
The result of our own civil war and its appli-
| cation in the case of Juarez has made this
evident to the world.
Accordingly we find President Cespedes
| and the Spanish Minister at Washington; !;
| President Baez and the agents of Cabral, who
is said to be again afoOt in St. Domingo; EN-
peror Salnave. and General Dominique. of
| Southern Hayi, and others whose schemes are
less prominently developed as yet, all pulling
their wires round Mr.. Secretary Fish and piz-
zling his honest and slow Knickerbocker brains,
rendering his latter days miserable. Popular
sympathy and the national interest combine on
one side, and the stipulations Of the neutrality
laws are appealed to on the other. No man
can fail to see-and, therefore, the entire Cabi-
net perceive-that if the present complications
in the American Mediterran can are forced or
| even allowed to develop in a manner antago-
| nistic to our permanent interests the admins
tration will lose its hold on the respect of the
country and acquire merited weight of
popular obloquy.
The difficulties in the case are in no small
degree enhanced by the past practices of men,
bers Of the Cabinet to use the neutrality laws
as a means for defeating the aims Of rivals.
Thus in the well known case of the steamer
Massachusetts, during the administration of
| General Pierce, Marcy, as Secretary of State,
| availed himself of the tribunals to defeat the
| schemes of JEFF Davis, who was Secretary of
War The neutrality laws have been used
| also by political partisans to Illustrate rival
parties, as was evident under President Fill
mores administration, and they are to-day
relied upon by set of copperhead politicians
who, when in power, were hot for their repeal
| to thwart the administration of General Ora mt
| and prevent its gathering Of an overwhelming
popular support, by initiating policy which
shall contemplate the admission to the Union
of Cuba, st. Domingo aud Mexico, and solving
at an early day the practical formula of this
| great advance in our national march,
| There is but one safe course for the Cabinet
| TO adopt in this dilemma It must abandon
| the petty paths which have been trod by its
predecessors, and which have led the United
States government into the anomalous position
of being constabulary force for the minor
| despotisms of America and converted the
neutrality act into parochial relief law The
| act itself is a remnant of our national weakness
during the early days Of the government, and
should have been modified long since to make II
conform more truly to the development of our
national power and the spirit of our age. The
Cabinet cannot repeal the law, but il can
modify the practice Of its Interpretation to
such degree as TO relieve it from the dilemma
| in which the government now finds itself of
having to decide on the opposing represen-
tations Of two foreign Ministers accredited to
Washington. The spirit of the law never con-
templated the conversion Of our power into a
safeguard for effete and rejected forms, aud
much less into an instrument for private wrong
This Interpretation will necessarily be mod
fed by the course Of circumstances and the
moral relations which exist with surrounding
States The law of nations is itself continually
modified by circumstances and the changing
forms Of national development, and IL can
nevoa undertake to do more than to define
the moral relations which exist between our
selves and our neighbors. 1t Is these which
the Cabinet must consider, and If il will do 50
In an enlarged and enlightened spirit that con-
sideration will lead il 10 the adoption Of truly
American policy and state smanship which will
be ip accord with the permanent interests OF
peace and command the respect Of European
Cabinets. The law and the practice of every
European Power recognizes the right Of citi-
zens OF neutral States TO take service under a
belgereut nation, and traffic in arms, ships and
munitions of war is held TO be no violation oil
the rights of neutrals II the traffic is not de-
MED TO either beligerent. II is only the &C,
of Congress passed during period Of national
childhood and timidity that makes the exer.
else of both of these rights msdemeanor,
punishable by fine and imprisonment We
look TO Mr. Hoar for an opinion on this impor-
| Il II r. -. n.
true spirit of the moral obligations of neigh
boring nations, and which shall relieve our
government from the degrading and disgusting
position Of preserver of the claims OF every
wornout aud dying system with which the