New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-04-08
OUR RELATIONS WITH SPAIN.

OUR RELATIONS WIN DTIIN.
T. il evident from the two recent speeches
of the President to the arriving and departing
Envoys of Spain III tlis country that our atti-
tudc in regard to that power is about to under
20 n material change. There is so little gene
raj attention paid TO what seem merely the
forms of diplomacy, that these remarkable
speeches have as vet creat,d no echo in this
country. But there can b little question of
their effect in Madrid. 1t is very rarely that
these cercmOniOus remarks contain anything
more than assurances of dep regard for the
person of the sovereign represented, and OF
especial qualification that h, has selected so
competent and agreeable al Envoy. But 1t
sometimes happens that in one word OF
speech of welcome an entire plan of policy
may be embodied Napoleon HI. carried con-
stcrnatiOn into all the 3OursCs of Europe, and
filed the pockets Of his confc!erates, by say
ing on New y ears Day to the Austrian En-
bassador that, though lis political relations with
the Kaiser were not satisfactory, his personal
affection for him had Suffered no diminution.
The same sovereign announced his intention
10 desert Macmillan ~ similar insult to
Gen. Almonte. The sIcccheS of Gen. Grant
to Mr. Lopez Roberts md to Admiral Polo de
Barnabe are not less significant than those
historical utterances. Tiey appear to indicate
the close OF one stage of our negotiations
with Spain, though the. leave Us II the dark
as to what the next may be-
Last Monday, Mr.. LopZ Roberts presented
his letter of recall. In the usual conven-
tional diplomatic language he expressed - the
" satisfaction with which ne had seen secured
"the purposes which had constantly animated
him in contributing to strengthen and make
"more friendly the good relations which have
always existed between spain and the United
States 1t is not diilimlt to imagine how
the genial current OF his soul vas frozen by
the dry response of the Iresident 3" receive
with satisfaction the expression OF your
"OpniOn that the purposes OF your mission to
"this country have been accomplished, and
trust that the future will not show you to
"have been premature i'll the estimate which
"you make of the effects Of your endeavors
upon the relations between the United States
and Spain at a critical period Ill the history
"of that country He then intmates that
the kindness with which Mr.. Lopez Roberts
has been treated in Washington VAS due to
his amiable qualities, and closes WITH personal
good wishes.
The coolncss which might be called reserve,
and which an opposition paper Gale. awkward
ness in the speech OF congo tc MI Lopez
Roberts, became even more clearF defined Ill
the speech of reception to Admiral Polo dc
Barnabe. 1t was minated bcfOrCthis gentle
mans arrival that his sentiments toward the
United States were violently hoSile, and that
his appointment was regarded a an unfriendly
demonstration on the part OF enOr SaSasta.
But this rumor proved errOneOs, and whether
it were true or not. the Administration GER
tainly acted wisely in taking 10 action upon
il. But Gen. Grant, in the Dw remarks he
made on Friday when AdmiralPolo presented
his credentials, left no doubt whatever as to
the meaning of the words viii which he had
taken leave of Mr. Lopez ROerts. He an
swered the Admirals friendly IMPRESSIONS with
corresponding civlities, hopin that the good
relations between the two countries might be
confirmed and improved, and dded: 1T is to
" be hoped that your disposition to promote |
"this policy may lead to rests not yet ac-
"cOmplshed, but which for some time past |
"have earnestly been sOughtby this Govern |
"ment in It's diplomatic intercourse with |
"yours.' Admiral Polo has dubtless conveyed |
these significant words to hiiOwn Government |
by this time, and Senior Saasa is fully in
formed of the changed position of the Gov
eminent of Washington in relation to Spain. |
1t requires little acumen to CESS what are |
these "res,ltsn which our Government has
"lot yet accomplished in lis dplomatic in
tclcourse with that of Spain. Fc three years
th, Government of the United Sites has been
ur,ing upon the Cabinet of Madd the expe-
di,ncy and the necessity of introducing into
tn. Antilles the social and political reforms
imperatively demanded by he sIrit of civili-
eaton, no less than by the llnos unanimous
desire of the native citizens If tbse islands.
We have urged the abolition If Slvery, some
measures of administrative reDrm which shall
give to the Creole population shire in their
own government, and, finally, We ave most
earnestly insisted upon the ,ppkation of
some check to the brutal violence O the Vol
unteers, which is equally injurious the in
terests of Spain and dangerous tC tn peace of
the world. In many of these reGiesi the En-
glish Government has cordially pine. These
oyertures have been met by theSpatsh Cow
eminent sometimes with reserp All dplo-
matte evasiOns, but generally wit frank
Acknowledgements and ready pomiss of re-
form. In relation to most of the ubjects
referred to, they have gone tothe lcgth of
incorporating into statute fOrmstle masures
we have advised. But three years q this
mockery have passed by, and nthing ha been
accomplished. Slavery is as firlly established
as ever in Cuba and Porto leo. The very
hope of administrative auton0y has aided
away. The war in Cuba has gwn every day
more and more brutal, until wldesale murder
has ceased to attract the att,tOn of the
world. Outrages upon private gbts continue