The Portland daily press., 1873-11-18
New YORK. Nov. 16. 1877,

the authorities of Santiago de Cuba have shock
ed the sensibilities of the civilized world have
served to transform filibusters into mission
aries, Adventures Into patriots, and invaders
into martyrs. A few blood-thirsty Spaniards
in the West Indies have Gone more in day for
Cuban independence than all the Leagues that
might have been formed could have done in
a generation. Considerations of neutrality,
international law and even treaty stlpulations
fade into momentary insignifcance In the
presence of crime against humanity, so de-
moniac that everybody feels that people who
could perpetrate or tolerate it are unworthy to be
dealt with diplemstioally, but should treated as
outlaws, not only unfit to govern, but unworthy
to live.
The emergency calls for instant and decisive
action. The dallying of courts and cabinets i'll
aceords with the te mper of a nation smarting
under sense of insult The flag which waved
over the deck of the Virginius, whether 1t
rightfully belonged there or not should have
been perfect guarantee that every human be-
ing who sailed under it should receive fair
trial, and both the forms and the reality of
justice. The Laste of the Spaniards was I'M
seemly and barbarous, but haste fpf reparation
is necessary and indispensable to the appease-
ment of our national pride, and the expiration
of an unparalleled malefaction. The public
will be impatient of any waste of time in de-
batting nice questions of jurisdiction, or con-
struction of codes. They will rather incline to
the English fashion of ayenging insults, by be-
ginning hostilities and negotiations smpltan-
eously. They recall the characteristic course of
Palmerston sixteen years ago. Commissioner
Yeh of Canton maltreated British subjects.
The two governments took the matter in hand
at onceo China made ample apologies But
meantime Palmerston had ordered fleet to
capture Yeh. Before il conld reach him the
difficulty had been arranged, but the guilty
commissioner was captured all the same, sent
to penal settlement and died there. Suppose
our government should send q feet to Santiago.
seize the monster Burrel, and bring him to
America for trial and condemnation, without
consulting with Madrid or submitting to the
tedious delays Of state-craft, would not the
whole world applaud the proceeding?
There is Just one excuse for temporizing and
no more 1t is quite possible our naval prepar-
ations are not adequate to the undertaking.
Spain is strong in ships We are not. In spite
of the warnings of four years of insurrection
on our coast, we have neglected to keep our
navy in condition for instant belligerent SER
vice. If there should be any serious delay in
the prosecution of measures for redress it will
undoubtedly be attributable to this cause. AL
ready there are signs of preternatural activity
in the Departments of War and the Navy, indi-
cative of full appreciation of the requirements
nf fln oil nit cla e.,
anger, and plenteous in mercy, has soldier
like sensitiyeness about any indignity offered
to the escutcheon of the Republic. There
is little bit of history not yet recorded gen.
orally known which goes to show most forcibly
the breadth and comprehensiveness of Gen.
Grants craftsmanship. After the surrender of
Lee his first act was to send 10000 troops to the
Rio Grande. This thoughtful and far seeing
policy, Indicated with remarkable clearness the
bent of the Generals mind. Having conquered
the rebellion he saw that the next step was to
drive the French out of Mexico. And so he
sent an army of observation to the Southern
frontier. Louis Napoleon took the hint and
Maximlian's principality fell.
The General has always had an eye to the
rich soil of the tropics. His St. Domingo Com
mission was no holiday project. 1t was care
fully conceived and deliberately pursued scheme
of acquisition founded on principles of practi-
cal craftsmanship. In that matter he was
wiser than Congress or the people, and
the country threw away an Island
wnvso vapaDlliU,es trvuuvVlvm
have augmented that balance of trade in our
favor which is destined to work out our fnan-
cial redemption.
When the history of these times shall have
been made up for the judgment of posterity it
will be recorded of this quiet, unobtrusive, un-
demonstrative man, of whom it has been the
current small change of superficial dabblers
in politics by pen and tongue, through the
newspaper and on the stump to speak as def
Gent in craftsmanship, that he had larger
grasp of affairs of Government than any of his
contemporaries in public life. Out of my per-
feet faith in his firmness and discretion, grows
my abiding conviction that the present interna-
tional difficulty will be of brief duration, and
that it will end in the incorporation of Cuba in
to our territorial system. st. Domingo will
speedily follow as matter of course and with
these rich acquisitions our capacities for pro-
duction will be far 'beyond the dreams of avar-
ice."
1t is not impossible that the Cuban excite
meDt may so entirely occupy the attention of
Congress next month as to supersede the finan-
cial discussion. 1t is to be hoped so. One of
the most unpleasant auguries of the approaching
session is the idea so generally entertained that
Congress must do something for the immediate
alienation of the monetary distress. What that
is there lis wide disagreement |
about, out that there is patient suffering and |
a doctor to be called is accepted as fixed fact
by all but a few unfeeling skeptics who have |
small faith in nostrums and an uncomfortable |
lstrust of quackery.
And yet expedients contrived to meet tenn
porary exigency rarely bear the test of time. |
If we are to be guided by the laws of political |
and the light of experience we shall |
need very little legislation. If we are to take a
new and fatal plunge into the sea of lrredeema-
bility, it is no more than fair that the conserya-
tive minority who protest against this dsas- |
trous voyage should have time given them to ut |
ter and emphasize their remonstrance. At the
of the rebellion. Congress spent eight
cen months in considering plans of taxation. at |
a time when the national expenditures were of
prodigious magnitude, and the loyalty and pa
triotism of the people at such an exalted pitch
that they were clamoring for opportunities to
pour their treasure into the national Golfers.
Now forsooth, when we are grayely deliberat- |
ng whether we shall pursue the road to ruin
because it is smooth and level, or follow the |
path of safety even though it be rough aud hill |
", we are to be borne down by the mere force |
Of numbers and driven to an instant decision.
No! Precpitate action is not the thing for |
the crisis. We want calm. patient, careful de- |
liberation. Remedies which would have been
urged month ago. are acknowledged to be I'M
avaing now. Projects which may find favor |
to-day, will prove futile month or two later.
The representative who discourages hasty ac- |
ton will deserve best of his constituents and |
the country. The west is to dominate this ma |
ton, and it is emnently desirable that voice |
so potential in the disposition of this great |
question should pitch the right tune. This Sec
tion is presumably heretcal the subject of f.
nance 1t wants light. Its leading men of
both parties have been unsound in their theory
about currency and debt. They need enlight-
T% e