New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-01-23
ARRECTIs ArPrRut



| ARRECTIs ArRrBus.
Our Cuban Policy.
! Although the policy OF the present Admin
| istration, with reference to Cuba, has hith-
erto been of a nature at least negatively
! friendly to Spain, it has not been so without
a reservation, and this reservation has been
repeatedly, clearly, and even emphatically
expressed. The polio itself has been, as
1 the President remarked at an early period of
/ his term, in conformity with strict justice,
/ and law. international and local" These
| required that the Cuban instruction should
not receive recognition at our hands until it
| showed such reasonable prospect of success
| that we Could look to its leaders to observe
| the duties OF a de facto Government. and to
| protect the rights of American citizens COM
ing within their jurisdiction. 1t was also
requisite that until the time for recognition
came, we should perform our own duties as
neutrals in strict accordance with the law of
nations, and our own legislation upon the
subject. This has been done with the scru-
pulous fidelity and the careful inpartiality
traditional with our Government. The Pres
ident has never encouraged any hope that
he would recognize the belligerency Of the
Cuban insurrectionists, while they were no
more responsible than they have shown
themselves to be; and every attempt to vio-
late the neutrality laws of the country lac
knowledged to be the most stringent known
to modern nations) has been promptly and
thoroughly dealt with.
At the same time, as we have said, there
has been frankly avowcd an important reser-
walton. This was stated in the annual mes
sage OF loC9 with unmistaEable clearness.
The principle is maintained,' Gen. Grant
announced, that this nation is its own Judge
when to accord the rights Of bellgerencv
either to people struggling to free them
selves from Government that they believe
to be oppressive, or to independent nations
at war with each other" And in the same
document, in order that the Spanish Govern
ment should have no excuse for misappre-
bending our position, it was declared that we
entertained 1.-THE same warm feelings and
sympathies for the people Of Cuba in their
pending struggle that We have manifested
throughout the previous struggles between
Spain and her former colonies in behalf Of
the latter"
While this was the frank and dignified at
titude of the Government, with reference to
the Cuban questions, many events have taken
place which have rendered the policy exceed
ingly difficult to maintain. On the one hand.
spain has practically abandoned the Island
to the volunteers" body of as rapacious.
insOlent, blood-thirsty, and lawlcss men as
ever bore arms in a bad cause On the other.
Spain has herself acted IN many respects
with more energy than discretion, and with a
disregard of the rights of others, which was
neither creditable to her good faith, nor war
rantcd By her position in the family Of ma
tons. Between the two, the rights OF Amer
lean citizens in Cuba have been frequently
violated. Our Government has, of course,
as frequently sought redress, until the num-
Der Of questions on which the two Powers
are at variance Is very considerable, and the
patience Of our own Government Is well-nigh
exhausted.
In addition to this source of difficulty, our
Government has from the first labored with
great earnestness, but with little success; to
induce spain to abolish slavery in the island,
believing it to be an important, mot con-
trolling, source Of the discomfort of the Gu
bans and the weakness Of the Spaniards.
This view has been shared BY the Liberal
party in Spain, and has been understood to
have the sympathy Of the King himself. In
accordance with it, Spain has promised the
ultimate and gradual abolition ofslavery, and
has also undertaken other reforms.
But promises are of themselves not worth
much. The institution is as strong as ever.
The instruction maintains itself beyond the
reach Of the Spanish troops. The rights Of
Americans arc still covertly disregarded, and
more often openly threatened. Small salts
faction comes from Spain, and the acts Of the
Kings Government makes their promises APP
pear empty. On the 29th of October, our
Government directed our Minister to Spain
to announce that the limits of our patience
were approaching. lie was instructed, in SUBJ
stance, to say that the position of watchdog
over our own ports, in order to prevent aid
to an instruction which Spain could not put
down, was becoming both wearisome and diff
icult that our Government had pointed out
one of the principal causes Of the instruction
in the maintenance OF slavery, and had been
promised its extinction, and that no practical
measures had been taken to carry out that
promises; and that we had numerous causes
ofcomplaint, which were treated by no means
in as candid and friendly a spirit as we had
shown on our part. Since, then, we are in
jured by the continuance of the Instruction,
and have indicated effective measures with
reference to it, further failure twill force
upon this Government the consideration of
the question whether duty to itself and to the
commercial interests Of its citizens may not
demand some change in the line of action it
has thus far pursued" Moreover: "Wc
expect redress, and if il should not soon be
afforded, Spain must not be surprised to find,
as the inevitable result Of the delay, marked
change in the feeling and in the temper Of
the people and Of the Government Of the
United States"
This notification was conveyed to our
Minister some ten weeks since. The reply
of the Spanish Government is friendly in
spirit, but vague in form, as will be seen by
our Washington dispatches. Renewed as
surances are given as to reform in Cuba, and
one case of complaint is settled by restitution
of certain coniiscated estates. How much
further Spain is willing and able to go in the
direction so plainly pointed out by our Gov
crnment it is impossible to say. But it Is
plain that point has been reached where
important changes in the attitude Of the two
countries toward each other are possible at
anv time. --Ne,c York Times.
Jewish Longevity.
There are very many curious facts related
with regard to the Jewish race many, no
doubt, are true, and some certainly have no
othor foundation tbop fancy profasS or