The New York herald., 1872-01-10
CuDa and Mexico, or Either General
Grants Great Opportunity.

Grants Great Opportunity.
There has never been offered to any admin
istration at Washington, or to any candidate
for the Presidency, such splendid opportu-
nifty for stroke of overwhelming popularity
offered to General Grant in the settlement of
the manifest destiny" of Cuba and Mexico.
Our relations with Spain have at length
reached that point from which, in ad-
vaucing, we enlarge our national domain,
wealth and power, hut from which, in retreat
ing, we gain nothing but postponement of
the inevitable settlements postponement
which may prove disastrous blunder. Mex
ican anarchy, still tending from bad to worse,
and the annoyances and losses which we suffer
from 1t along our whole frontier, and In all
our commercial relations with that distracted
country, demand some form of decisive inter-
vention in behalf of law and order there and
here again postponement only prolongs and
aggravates the manifold evils which might at
once be remedied, and for which the only
remedy is active Intervention and annexation.
In Cuba and In Mexico, then, or in either,
there is an opportunity for General Grant to
make his administration the most distinguished
in the history of the United States, and his
second election as much the general choice of
the people as the second election of Monroe.
The outrages of Spanish officials upon Ameri-
can citizens in Cuba, the intolerable insults
from Spanish naval officers to our flag In the
Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, the
IF tbo o1a
trade in Cuba, and the numerous savage afro
cities of Valmaseda, afford sufficient grou uds
for decisive ultimatum from General Grant
to the Spanish government. It is understood
that, in reference to the outrage upon the ship
Florida, an apology and reparation have been
demanded Of Madrid, and 1t is to be hoped
that no diplomatic evasions or equivocations
will be accepted in this matter. Should
ample satisfaction be given upon these points,
the common cause Of civilization and humanity
still requires the active Intervention of our
government for the suppression Of the African
slave trade and these horrible atrocities of
Valmaseda and his savage volunteers. Upon
all these things, If General Grant Is only half
as much devoted to the Idea of the acquisition
of Cuba as he was to tho annexation of St. Do
mingo, he may within few months make the
Cuban question the overshadowing political
issue of the day.
But, whatever the result of the diplomacy
of Mr.. Fish in reference to Cuba (and we are
not very sanguine of anything but tenn
porizlng peace policy from Mr.. Fish), there Is
still the golden opportunity of a new depar-
ture in reference to Mexico. Let the Pres-
dent ask of Congress the power to punish the
Stree zone" smugglers and border ruflans Of
Mexico, In the authority to cross the Rio
Grande with an armed force in the enforce
ment Of our treaty stipulations with our dis
orderly neighbor, and We shall soon have
settlement of the Mexican question. How
was Texas annexed By joint resolutions
from Congress, providing, in the Presidents
discretion first, for the imperative annexation
of the Texas republic, regardless of its Mexican
boundary dispute; and, secondly, for the set
Element in advance with Mexico of the boundary
question. President Tyler had yet one day, or
rather one night, Of his term remaining, when
these joint resolutions were submitted to him for
bis approval, March 8, 1845. He acted, after
signing the resolutions, in accepting the Grst
proposition, and at once he sent off his mes
senger to Texas with It. under cover of the
night, so that when President Polk came in
next day, Ohere being no telegraph at that
time except the experimental line between
Washington and Baltimore), he had nothing 10
do but to abide by the consequences Of the
decision Of Captain Tyler.
Texas was thus annexed on her own as
sumptions of boundary, and so her claim be-
came our claim. She claimed the Rio Grande.
Mexico insisted that the proper boundary was
the Nueces, small river running into the
Gulf some fifty miles, moro or less, this side
of the Rio Grande. Between the two rivers
the Mexicans had posted an army to maintain
their claim. Between those two rivers Old
Zach Taylor came into collision with that
Mexican army; and this was the beginning of
our war with Mexico. Polk supported Taylor,
Congress supported Polk, and so the Mexican
war was declared and fought through 10 ''the
Halls of the Montezumas. Aud what were
the results? They were the most momentous,
the most wonderful and the most important In
the whole history Of the United States as an
independent nation. Had Captain Tyler left
the alternative of annexation to his successor,
Polk, to whom 1t properly belonged, it was
understood that The peace alternative would
have been adopted, and that this annexation
business would have stopped by treaty at the
Rio Grande, we paying Mexico the difference
for the disputed territory TO the Nueces. But
Tyler, in assuming the responsibility of the
war policy, upset the democratic programme
and spoiled the calculations Of Calhoun, who
foresaw the danger to Southern slavery from