The New York herald., 1870-06-15
The Presidents Bfessase aud Congress on
Cuban Affairs

the messace OF The President on Cuban affairs
published on the very morning OF the
day when the whole question relating to
Cuba was coming up in Congress- 1t
| appears that this message was sent to Con-
| cress rather late in the afternoon Of Monday,
| and It is said the President hesitated to sign
it until two o'clock, one hour before 1t was
despatched to the Capitol. The motive for
sending the message at that particular time Is
apparent to every one. General Banks was to
make his report and there was to be discussion
on Cuban affairs the following day yesterday
and the President was anxious, no doubt, to
place his policy and position relative to Cuba
in the most favorable light 1t was a sort Of
coup d'etat to head off any possible action of
Congress that might prove inconvenient or en-
barrassing to the administration.
The real point of the Presidents argument
in his message is that the Cubans have not
established such position in the war as to
entitle them to recognition by this governme mt
as belligerents, and that to accord to them
such recognition would lead to embarrass-
ments between the United States aud Spain,
and possibly to war. General Grant has ap-
prehension of trouble and wants peace. His
language on this subject is directly TO the point.
He says in the message: eff it be war between
| Spain and Cuba, and be recognized, it is our
duty to provide for the consequences which
may ensue in The embarrassment of our cop.
J ineree and interference with our revepre. If
beligerency be recognized the ships of the
commercial marine Of the United States be-
come liable to search and to seizure by the
commissioned cruisers of both parties, and
they become subject to the adjudication of
pr.zerourts. Our large coastwise trade be-
tween the Atlantic and the Gulf States, and
between both and the Isthmus OF Panama and
the States of South America, engaging the
larger part Of our commercial marine, passes,
| Of necessity, almost in sight Of Cuba. Under
| the treaty with Spain of 1876, as well as by
the laws of nations, our vessels will be liable
to visits on the high seas. In the case of bel
lgerency the carrying Of contraband, which
now is lawful, becomes liable to the risks of
seizure and condemnation" The President
says nothing about an American policy in this
hemisphere, the Monroe doctrine, the diffusion
of republican ideas and institutions, the rights
Of colonial people struggling for indepen-
dence, or Of the sympathies and interests of
the American people in the struggle of the
Cubans, except in general terms in the COM
mencement OF his message he refers to the
feelings and sympathies OF the people and
government of the United States for the
people of Cuba as for all peoples struggling
for liberty and self-government. He confines
himself strictly to his view of the condition of
the war and the dangers that beset the United
States in case of favoring the Cuban cause.
'Let us have peace" is the motto of the
President, and in this the American people
will say amen, so long as the dignity, honor
and cherished policy of the country are not in
question. Some may doubt if Spain would
venture to make an issue or 60 to war with
the United States should our government re-
cognize the belligerency of the Cubans or
otherwise favor the cause Of Cuban indepen-
dence; but the President ought to know best,
and he being the Executive his opinion should
have due respect. No one can doubt the valor
of General Grant, but it must be remembered
that prudence is sometimes the better part
of valor." We are a great nation, doubtless,
and in American affairs we ought to be and
can be supreme; but we have had enough of
war lately. The President wants peace, and
under that to pay the enormous debt of the
nation. This is his policy. The Spanish gov
ernment, we suppose, has spoken very plainly
and decidedly to ours, and we, who are
not behind the scenes, must give due credit to
the administration for its apprehensions We
are told by the President, however, that ener-
getic remonstrances have been made to the
government at Madrid against the atrocities Of
the war in Cuba, the murder OF American
citizens and the gross insults to the American
flag. We know, too, that the Secretary of
State many months ago officially described all
these in his dispatches to our Minister at
Madrid. But the administration has, no doubt,
some assurances or, at least, some hope,
that Spain will act more like civilized nation
in the war, and will give ample satisfaction for
the murder Of American citizens and insults to
The flag. AT any rate the policy is to attend
to our own affairs at home and to let Cuba
work out her destiny as she best can, with the
full expectation that in time, by some means
or other, that island and all the rest of the
Antilles will fall into the lap of the United
States.
The subject in Congress on General Banks
Cuban resolutions, and particularly the ardent
speech Of the General himself, has aroused
great deal Of feeling. The'Secretary Of State
was severely attacked, and through him the
President indirectly. The message OF the
President even was said TO have been pre-
pared by a well known agent of the Spanish
government, who happens to occupy
distinguished position at Waahington as q