The New York herald., 1870-01-26
Spain, Cnba and tho United states.

to decide tho election.
Spain, Cnb. and tho United states.
The course OF our government with regard
to Cuba will stand forever AZ shame to the
nation. It will furnish the most painful his
tory anywhere to be found Of golden oppor
tunty lost through pitiful vanity and silly
fear. At the beginning Of the Cuban insur-
rection what was our situation with regard to
the combatants and what our plain duty, sup
posing us governed by the principles that uni
versally sway nations qualified by our own
theories and declarations In favor Of freedom
We had just come out Of war during which
we had received from all the governments of
Western Europe such evidences Of unfrlendli
ness as ought to have left no doubt what our
course should be whenever we had any one Of
those Powers ION the hip" The whole nation
teemed with expressions Of desire to repay
in kind the ill-will Of England, and against
France we had made our sentiments effective
by driving her from Mexico, coveted con-
quest, simply through the assumption Of
threatening attitude. Spain was the third
unfrendly Power, and the only one, that
fingered within our reach in this West
ern hemisphere. AS If an evil destiny
would make her still more helpless before
US she was disorganized by an internecine
struggle revolution waged not for freedom
or republic, but only against dynasty and
in the interest Of intriguers for power and
place. At such time and in such circum-
stances o people near us, living within the
radius of our influence. but held as subjects Of
the Spanish crown, revolted against the Span
ish rule, demanded their freedom showed
their readiness to fight for it and called for
assistance.
Will it be credited by the future that we suf-
fersd this people to call in vain? Will it ever be
believed that we squandered such chances as
this fact gave to strike our declared enemy
and to give timely and vigorous assertion to
that principle of our political system which
contemplates the exclusion of European gov
ernments from this hemisphere9 We had
driven out France-why should we spare
Spain9 Every people that appealed for free
dom on the earth looked toward us for SYM
pathy. if not for assistance. Why should Cuba
alone fail to find its Hungary, Germany, Italy
and every free State of South America have
felt the good effect Of comforting and encourage
ing words from us, and we assume to sway
the world with the force Of free thought; but
we permit our neighbors to be crushed in
our presence by the most brutal and tyran-
nical Power Of Eur0pe--a Power, too, with
which we have bitter score to settle. And
what is the reason? Because this Power
amuses US with diplomacy. Because 1t plays
us like trout on line, and fools to the top of
its bent the vanity of our State Department.
There was the plain, straightforward, honest,
bold, practical American way to end the mat
ter. Our duty was to recognize Cuba as d
belligerent Power. That was the way to
befriend her and to pay our debts In Europe.
That was the way to show England the exact
effect Of her declaration in favor of the Con-
federate States. That was the way to send
Spain to the right about. That was the way
to show that we really believed in those doc
are always hurrahing about
But stay! Here comes from Massachusetts
q reason why we should not recognize Cuba
as bclligerent Power. 1t will affect the Ala
bama claims. Our theory on those claims is
that England was wrong in her recognition of
the Southern States; but if we recognize
Cuba it will be doing just what she did, and
50 declaring her right. Pitiful trash, this, to
come in the name Of reason. When did
England ever pay anything because it was
right2 When did she ever fail to withhold any
payment because it was wrong2 Our recogni-
tion of Cuba might have furnished England
with new pretext; but shall we lose grand
opportunity to assert our own power and
principles lest we give our adversary one
more pretext, when she has ten thousand
already2 Our way to make England pay the
Alabama claims is to show her that we are
people not to be trifled with; and this we could
have done to some extent by recognizing Cuba
at the earliest possible moment. This argu-
ment Of the Alabama claims seems to have
been the only one against recognition and
this feeble argument against recognition by
proclamation pushed our feeble State Depart
ment to the plan Of securing recognition by
diplomacy. In this effort Spain, as we have
said fooled us to the top Of her bent and so fool
log us kept us quiet till the opportunity passed
away. Henceforth our record toward Spain
and Cuba will be just what the record of Eng
land is toward the Northern States and the
confederacy, and we shall be hated by one side
and despsed by the other.
A FIELD DAY FOR PRINog ARTuUR--The
triangular fight between Ben Butler, Farms
worth and Bingham in the House on Monday.
His Royal Highncss must entertain a royal
opinion of American legislators after this speci-
men Of their forensic powers.
CoNNRCTICUT POLIuCs. The Connecticut
democrats have, it seems, concluded to run