The New York herald., 1875-11-02
The cuhan Question.

tention when read in connection with a
suggestive extract from the London Times
advising Spain to abandon Cuba as ''a dis
tant dependency which can never be gov
erned save by military power" In this
Washington despatch, which bears the marks
of official inspiration, we find that the Pres
ident has informed the Spanish authorities
that the time has come for our government
to consider carefully its duty in reference to
Cuba he thinks that the sanguinary hos
tilities which have prevailed in Cuba
for the last seven years produce an effect
in this country second in gravity only to
that produced in Spain. He points out that
our relations to Cuba are SO anomalous that
we can only obtain redress for injury done
to our citizens in Cuba by tedious appllca-
tions to Madrid. The insurrection grows
day by day ''more insupportable to the
United States" which, laying aside the nat
ural feeling of humanity cannot for6ear TO
reflect ''that the existence Of slavery in Cuba
| lies at the foundation Of all the calamities
which infiict that island" In conclusion,
the President looks upon the emancipation
Of the slaves and the independence of the
island as 1.-THE only certain and even neces-
sary solution Of the question" The despatch
assures us that 'the policy Of the United
States in reference to Cuba at the present
time is one Of expectancy, but with positive
and fixed function as to the duty of the
United States when the time of emergency
or action shall arrive"
AT the same time we note a singular move
ment of activity in our Navy Department.
Our men-of-war are called home, and there
is an unusual gathering Of vessels in the
various dockyards and waters Of the country.
What this means we do not pretend to say.
The country will be excused for feeling that,
sooner or later, we must do something in ref
erence to Cuba The difficulty about any
action Of General Grant at this time is that
the near approach of the Presidential election
would give it the appearance Of political
move. Those who have studied General
Grants government carefully have felt that
his trump card in a Presidential game
would be war or a foreign complica-
tion. We have had three opportunities
to make war during his administration
The first was with England on the
Alabama question This was settled
by the great good sense of Mr.. Fish and Mr..
Gladstone at Geneva. England, therefore,
as point Of hostility, is out Of the question.
Our relations with the mother country are
on a sounder footing than they have been at
any time since the foundation Of the govern
ment. There have been temptations to
make war in Mexico, opportunities enough
and proyocation, but the President, many Of
whose pieasantcst recolleetions are associated
with his life in Mexico, has always shown
| special friendliness for that Republic. The
experience Of the French in conquering q
4 Mexican empire is not Of character TO ex-
cite in rs any hope Of cenquering Mexican
republic Then comes the Cuban question,
which is traditional in our politics. going
back to the time Of Jefferson, and which
every few years assumes a prominent posi-
ton in American affairs. The annexation Of
Cuba has gradually grown to be as much Of
an American idea as the annexation of Ire
! land to the English Empire is a British idea
I When President Buchanan took his oath Of
Office Robert j Walker wrote him an enthu-
siastic letter, telling him that Cuba was the
golden aim Of his administration, and that
whoever annexed Cuba would win immortal
reputation President Grant in his effort
to annex St. Domingo showed that he was
not insensible to the ambition Of annexation.
Y Even Mr.. Greeley, who had morbid hatred
to anything like annexation, who opposed
Alaska and Texas and believed that we
should develop the country before We ex-
tended its area, was convinced that Cuba
] and the United States were necessary to
each other.
/ 1t would not surprise us, therefore, now
that the third term has received 80 terrible a
blow in Ohio, and now that the republican
leaders are growing desperate with the
prospect Of their declining power, that we
should have the Cuban question suddenly
thrown upon the country. AS we have
shown, it comes under better auspices than
most questions of this character. The only
objection to Cuba as an American de-
tendency is the practical one that annexa-
ton now would not be feasible. We do not
need the country. We do not want any
trouble with Spain. We do not care to
offend the susceptibilities Of the other
Powers, who when they are not robbing their
neighbors, constantly declaim against the
sin Of robbery and national ambition. We
\ have rs much as we can do in this genera
ton to obliterate the traces Of the war and
re-establsh our finances. The annexation
Of Cuba, except in one way, that Of har-
monious concession on the part Of Spain,
would bring war which, even if we had a
series Of uninterrupted victories, would cost
us more even in money losses alone to
our commerce, our industry and our
credit, than ten Cubas would be
worth. Any action looking to war; or
| r,oaninr yrar In the gli0htqst contin0epcv