New Orleans Republican., 1875-11-21


Castilian pride, and they will deal then
outall The more freely because they Cal
scarcely believe that tue United States in
tend to strike. Meanwhile. it is said, OF
ders we're given On the twenty 18th of lac
month to prepare five ironclads and ter
frlgates for the Cuban station. Reinforce
Ments are already arriving at Havana
These prepa -ations have caused much rest
lessness at Washington, and the govern
lnent Is said to be also preparing its navy
Tor sction. Eight sloops-of-war are under
going repairs. ten ironclads are ready fol
outfit, and the Navy Depart nent hopes tha,
the fleet will be we'll strengthened by the
seriously determined to set Cuba free, there
could be but one end to contes, with
Spain. The richer, more vigorous, more
compact nation would, of course, ultimatel '
| win.
But it is almost equally certain that the
United States would not win at first. Weak
and embarrassed as Spain is, she has more
available fighting power at present, for her
fleet is ready and it is really formidable,
while by turning the war against the Car.
| lists into a merely defensive contest Ktug
Alfonso could spare large body of soldiers
for service in Cuba. The United States, on
the other hand. would have to equip both
| an army and an effective fleet, and before
that could be done Spain might gain some
| cheap glories. Nor can King Alfonso's
\ ministers dismiss the reflection that if Spain
| must lose Cuba it would be better for her
to lose it in contest with a gre at power
| ike the United States than in series of
skirmishes with half armed iusurgent.
But we do not anticipate that the result
OF the quarrel will be SO grave. Perhaps
the contents of the Presidents note are less
merry than they are represented to be by the
American press. Perhaps he has used
threatening language loosely American
diplomatists have been known to do so. and
there ls no reason to believe that President
Grant has mastery over the del!cacies of
political speech. If Mr.. Caleb Gushing had
any hand in the composition of the note, it
might easily betray little spread eagle
ism without doing violence to the rhetUri.
cal reputation he won by his reply to Sir
Alexander Cockburn's Judgment on the
Alabama claims. But the more probable
explanation is that President Grant is not
unwilling to try whether the prospects of
the Republican party or of a third term can
be frightened by Esprit foreign policy"
large party in the United States would
certainly like to annex Cuba, and another
large party would be glad to See it formed
into an independent republic. The insur-
rection hinders American trade SO much
that peace is loudly demanded bv MANY of
PRESIDENT Grants countrymen who care
little what may become of the island. All
those Glasses would be gratifed if the Presi-
dent should give Spain peremptory notice
to quit, and If she should obey.
But the success of such an experiment
will depend partly on the degree of skill
with which the note has been framed, and
partly on the behavior of Spain. If it has
left sufficient means of iigniiied escape,
all may be we'll, for the government of the
United States will not have bound itself to
do anything, and yet it will have limited
that some day it may do great deal
Cheap hopes of one day governing Cuba
may have certain electioneering values
but the diversion may be disastrous to
Presidents Grants party if the note has
been 30 insulting as to draw forth defiant
reply. We can not believe that the good
sense of the American people would per
init them to be provoked into a war for |
Cuba by any pitch of Spanish haughtiness.
The majority of them will reflect, when |
they coOlly look at the disorganized state |
ct Cuba, that they would only increase
their present difficulties by the annexation |
OF 80 unruly an island. We refuse to be. |
lieve, then, that the warlike preparations |
in the United States faithfully express the |
deliberate intention of the President or of |
the people.
The New York Herald of the sixteenth
comments on the above:
What renders the present aspect of the
affair SO serious is the now ascertained fact |
that the public opinion of Europe, and |
especially OF Great Britain, will support
Spain and Justify her resistance to the de-
mands OF our government We predicted
this before We had any knowledge OF this
article In the London Times. The British
ISLAND OF Jamaica is nearer 10 Cuba than
the southernmost point of Florida. Great
Britain owns Jamaica, the whole of the Ba-
hama group the Bermuda Islands, the
greater part of the Windward Islands, and
The Belize or British Honduras, in Central
America. The two navigable channels
Gulf run one of them close to the eastern
and the other close to the western extremity
'f Cuba, and if this island were in posses.
'ion OF strong power hostile to England,
Ter intercourse with her own DO sessions in
he West lndies and her commerce with
Mexico, which is larger than that of any
,ther nation, might be interrupted
lotive and watchful interest in all mat
ers relating to the distribution of power in
ne West Indies than any other nation. and |
he will never voluntarily consent to |
manages which would endanger her inter
ourse with her own possessions or her com.
nerce with Mexico. If events should show |
hat the President means business and not |
it is certain that the British
overnment will not be a passive spectator.
n view. OF its interests and jealousies, it |
vas an inoautious mistake on the part of
Fish to say, as he did in dis- |
atch to Mr.. Gushing last year, that "the
'nited States would prefer to see all that
emains of colonial America pass from that
Onditiun to the condition of absolute indie
endence Of Europe" 1t does not tend to
acllitate the peaoeable settlement of the |
..uban question for our government to warn
treat Britain Of our wish to disposspss and
ust her from her colonies on the Western
ointment and its islands. When her own |
is-atlantic possessions are thus threat
ned in q published diplomatic docu.
lent her vigilance will be uuickeued
gainst every movement of our government
necting the colonies of any European
over on this continent and it's outlying
lands. The warmth and vigor of the Lon
on Times in encouraging Spain to resist
ur demands, II they Ehould prove to be Sc
ous, show that Gfeat Britain is keenly
live to her own interests, and that she will
y to mako President Grants Cuban policy
dious in the eyes of Europe as means of
ringing the British public to q temper 9
'hich vii! ultimately support the govern
ient in taking the side Of Spain. All this {
etokens that Spain will not fight single
andcd If We force her into war; and this /
the most serious Aspect of the Cuban com
Our government can not foresee {
what stage OF the conflict the British gov, q
'nment would Interfere. 30 long - Spain
rst, England would stand aloof: but "a |
'on as the fortune of war should begin to |
lrn against her England would find some Z
retcxt for coming into the quarrel. It is
q egreRious blunder for the President to | 4
. contest ct this time, if he ia | q
'aIy in earnest; and If he 10 not in earnest,
the London Iimcs supposes, he is dis 6