The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1875-12-02
wARAlKE APPEARANCES.

tivity in the Navy Department, in
the way of putting all available YES
sells Of war into condition for hostile
operations and the recalling. Of squad
rons from distant waters, gives rise to
many surmises ~ to what it all means
and to some anxiety. The Secretary
Of the Navy grants no explanations:
These movements arc supposed to be
made in view of certain probable OF
possible complications with Spain ;
yet, if reports from Washington and
Madrid are TO Be relied upon. what.
ever Misunderstanding there may
have been between the two countries
have been satisfactorily arranged,
Moreover it seems scarcely probable
that the Government would make
such extensive preparations on the
strength Of q Mere possibility OF
trouble with some other nation and
before all efforts of diplomacy had
been exhausted. The United States
are too thoroughly committed to the
policy Of peace through arbitration
to hastily accept preteNt for going
to war or Of provoking it by an un-
necessary exhibition Of power. 1t
must be that the Government is in
possession of certain information not
yet known to the people.
An explanation is offered in the
statement that Valmaseda, the Cap
ain-General of Cuba, has demanded
that the Republic of Guatemala shall
Immediately withdraw her recognition
Of tho Cuban patriots As belligerents,
and that Spain sustains him in this
demand. A refusal on tho part Of
Guatemala and a persistence ON the
part Of Spain would undoubtedly lead
to = war between the two countries, in
which the Republics Of. Chill, Peru,
Venezuela and Colombia would! eer-
tainly join forces with the former, n
they also have accorded to the Gu
bans the rights Of belligerents. In
the event of struggle Of this kind
the United States could not remain
quiet and DISTINGUISHED spectators. The
attempt by foreign power to con.
quer = Republic on the American
Continent or to coerce it into q COM
pliance with its demands would'be a
violation of the Monroe doctrine
which the people "of this country
would not submit to. Hit is to be
in case Of an emergency
such as this that the navy is being put
into condition, the action of the Gov
eminent will be sustained by all par
ties.
The people of the United: States
have long sympathized with the Gu
bans in their struggle for liberty; and
that that sympathy has not led them
to render to the patriots Of that is
land the same assistance which
France gave to this country when 1t
was carrying on an unequal struggle
for independence is perhaps more to
their credit as q nation wishing to
remain at peace with q friendly ma
ton than as men who remembered the
succor that had been extended to
their fathers in . time of sore need.
But if Spain, in following up, her
and brutal but unsuccess.
full efforts at subduips.the Qubens,
should undertake to coerce the Re-
publics of South America and should;
thereby become involved in d war
with the United States, there would
then be no reason why the cause for
all such future trouble should not be
removed by helping hand being ex-
tended by this country to Cuba. It
would hut be the doing of a duty
forced upon us.
Whatever the activity in the Ma.
Wy Department may mean, it will be
interesting to know its exact strength,
as shown by the latest Macy Register.
There are now twenty-four .clads.
carrying sixty-three of the heaviest
guns aAoat, all of which can be put
into service in two weeks. They are
Of the turreted, monitor pattern, and
many of them are armed with ram
prows. There are thirty-nine wood
en- vessels Of all classes, carrying 500
guns, which are all in condition for
active service. Besides these there
are eleven vessels on the stocks, car
rying 1A gums, all of which will be
ready within six months for sea.
The total number Of vessels now. ready
i sixty'three, carrying 572 guns.
TIE Bismarck Tribune has appear
cd - . tri-weekly, with the regul1r,
associated press dispatches, and the
weekly has been doubled in size. = The
venture is q hazardous one, financial.
ly, and Col. Lounsberry deserves a
long mark for his pluck. and energy.
The Tribune, Which has heretofore
been Independent, now takes its: posi-
ton under, the Republican banner.
1t is a. first rate paper in every way
WITH its last number, the Roches-
ter Post started out on its seventeenth
year, hale, handsome and hearty. 1t
is certainly a model weekly paper
its editorial columns show'sbility. it
So ell u, ,,,,o,.:,> -. ~~..a~ -