New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-11-18
TEE RIeHrs OF NEUTRALS

| one Sue IL auVUCthtSo SAC 1CIosoAAtAOA
the beligerent patriots and adds:
But the people Of the United States d
mand something more than auch
recognition of the existence OF the go
eminent of Cespedes. They deman
that the island of Cuba shall no longe
!. stand barbarous and irresponsible
appendage of distant country, def
| ing the wishes and authorities OF the hon
government. plying the slave trade with IT
voting cruelty, enforcing brutal peonag
| and insulting the civilization OF Chistei
dom. They demand with one voice, tror
Maine to Texas, that Cuba shall no longe
remain standing menace to the Unite
States.
| Another department of the same journa
says:
The President can not declare war, ant
will scarcely dare to commit any act
hostility that the sober second thought o
the people would repudiate There ar
those who would fain believe that war TO
the acquisition Of Cuba would benefit New
Orleans, but a moments reflection will con
! vince any one that this city mas much II
lose and little to gain by either wal
for, or the actual conquest OF the Item o.
the Antilles"
| The scene of hostilities would be directly
| Ill Lib LTdCh Ol our IcAcisu NOuA1OASCs Guu
| therefore more or less I'M uri0us to this port
| The acquisition Of the island would remove
| the duty upon Cuban sugar and utterly
destroy the sugar industry in this State.
These two views are taken from differ
ent standpoints. The first looks to the
| maintenance Of national honor as of more
Importance than any possible consequence
resulting from it. The other would seem
to have been written at the instigation of
some British cotton buyer and maintains
the same argument with The mercantile
and money interests, which evidently en-
endeavor to operate upon the policy of the
government. The assertion that New
Orleans has nothing to gain by opening
the ports of Cuba to the free products of
the West will not meet the views Of the
Western provision trade. of the planters
or laborers. The same argument that
free trade or annexation would destroy
protection has been made before and al
ways with the result that free trade or
even annexation has furnished domestic
prod uction with far better demand than
that which it was predicted to destroy.
This brings up properly the last war be.
tween the United States and England.
1t was fought on identically the same
cause that is now pending between the
United States and Spain. England had
affirmed the principle that subject could
never divest himself of his nationality.
The United States maintained the oppo-
site. England asserted her right to board
the vessel of any nation in search of her
subjects alleged to be on board those YES
sells. The United States maintained the
exemption of friendly or neutral vessel
from the right Of search.
IL 1907 England and France were at
war: the United States was a neutral. Up
to that period England had exercised the
right of search and seizure without trial,
until more than six thousand American |
citizens had been impressed into the |
British naval service. A decisive test of |
this claim was as follows: Three seamen,
American citizenship. quit |
British war vessel and enlisted on the
American frigate Chesapeake. This yes
,el was boarded at sea by a British officer,
With demand for the delivery of the }
alleged deserters. The demand was re-
used. The British vessel thereupon fired
lpon the American vessel several broad
ides. inhicting damage upon hull and
igging, killing three men ard wound
ng eighteen others, whereupon the
lmerican vessel without serious re-
hauled down her flag.
he alleged deserters were seized and
arried on board the British vessel, court
1agshaled for dcsertion and sentenced to
e hanged. Their sentence was COM
lnted to service in the British navy. |
he British government disavowed the
# Of the British naval officers. but no
,paration was or. indeed, could have been
ade for the outrage. The survivors Of .
le three men so seized continued in the
ritish service for five years, and were by
,cident restored TO their rights upon the
me deck from which they had been
ken. The American ministry then Ell.
favored to tempor:ze with the public in !
gnation, and succeeded in postponing the r
dress for several years, but Nh. Madison | :,
d laid down the American doctrine. "We .
nsider neutral flag on the high seas
a safeguard to all sailing under it, and q
e American people ultimately forced the \
10 enforce this doctrine n
wax in which the gallantry Of I
r soldiers and sailors vas demon t,
ated shield to the rights of our citi- il
rs. England did not formally recog- IL
.e the American doctrine, but she has 81
yer since that wax exercised the abso- Of
e right of search, and the neutra! flag o,
low q safeguard on the high seas to all
0 may be sailing under it.
The relations Of the United States TO
island of Cuba as a colonial de- a,
ldency of Spain should be more &C. da
ately defined than they seem to have Vi
~. Spain is the nominal mistress Of la
) province. She appoints its chief Off tn
5 and collects an annual revenue from AZ
property and commerce. There would as
IS seem to result an obligation on the be
t Of Spain to the nations whose com %
rec is thus taxed to guarantee re- ut
ct for the laws OF nations on the part co
her Cuban dependency. If Spain. til.
'efore, can not comply with this obliga- CO.
/, it will become the duty Of foreign or