The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-11-21
SPIRIT OF THE PRESS.
The Spanish Question.
Some for War and Some for Peace.
New York Herald. Nov II. ]

| New York Herald, Nov II.
| In presenting point of this kind TO the Span
| ish Government The administration makes the
strongest possible case. But what is there about
| even this point, appear g as il does TO sense
of duty to protect our citizens, which did not ex-
| list seven Years ago? Why, alter our admins
traton has tolerated from Spain'all manner OF
liberties with the rights of American citizens,
after it has looked on acquie cent, at least if not
| with content, upon painful rebellion, should
| this demand be made almost as menace?
| Five years ago, and we could have decided the
Spanish question without any special strain upon
! the resources of the country. We could then
have appealed to the sympathy Of the world, to
| the common sense OF our own people. TAere
would have been no imputation OF Presidential
| ambition or desire to serve perplexed politi-
| cal party. There would have been the natural
sympathy of an independent Republic for strug-
| Cling Republicans. Then we had not encountered
the financial disasters and business difficulties
and widespread mercantile ruin which have since
| befallen 80 many Of the States. If we now force
SPAN to an issue that can only be met by war, we
give that country all the advantages that she
encountered with every disadvantage to ourselves.
| 1t is not, after ALL what England or France
may think that WILL in the end, affect our policy
but what is best for ourselves. We do rot need
| to spend penny nor waste life (, r Cuba. 1t is
|
| into Our lap We have our internal affairs to ar
range, our finances to strengthen. War would
interrupt all this. 1t would be a relapse, bring
| ing up again and in an intensified form all the
evils of rebellion, so far as the war for it's sup
preston Effected our industry, cur credit or our
| commerce 1t would send our bonds rolling back
| upon us. It would weaken our credit in every
money market Of Europe. 1t would advance gold,
paralyze our revlving manufac and add to
the currency millions of greenbacks-enoue h.
we fear. to satisfy the most enthusl astic infla-
| ZIONIST.
| For these reasons we can not resist pointing
out to the administration and the people the duty
| Of absolute peace. Nor should we Suspect the
| administration OF any purpose to break 1t were
| not the signs so omlnous, and ii we did nobsee
surrounding the government an ambitious party
| resolved TO ret ain power at whatever cost. What
! may be called the regular army of the Republi-
| can organic alton, the drilled cohorts who observe
it's discipline and follow it's flag, mean to fight
for the third term, and, il possible, to wiz it.
| TO them war ls nothing but step toward power.
If they can infiame the country either by the
| fear of Reputation or by forcing war upon the
| country to resent the "outrages of Spain and
| to free Cuba" they will do 70 as deliberate
| act of political management. Against his we
| earnestly protest We urge the President to
| remember thai for him the highest fame is what
| is TO be fund IN peace. He has won laures
| enough on the battle field to care nothing for
West Indian trophies or for military success
New York Sun Nov. 1871
In this esndltion Of things, the only practical
measure that is necessary Is to utter such word
as Mr. Seward spoke to the French Emperor in
1867. As that great potentate obeyed then, in
the height OF his power. 30 the feeble and pre-
carious Spanish Government could not hesitate
TO obey now IN the hour of its debility. There
is no war and no probability Of war in the case;
nOI) any active warlike measure necessary. Let
the American Government quietly say to spain
You had better go away from Cub, and leave
her people to manage their own affairs for them
selves; at any rate, if you will not go, you shall
buy for your troops no more supplies of any sort
in the United States )" and Spain will not hest
tate. She vii not stand upon the order of her
gong she will so at once. Exclusion from the
markets of this country is the exclusion of the
Spanish Government and Spanish troops from
the island Of Cuba.
But now Hamilton Fish is Secretary Of State
a man who IN this very question has sacrificed the
honor OF the United States while fees have been
paid by Spain to his son-in-iaw; and Ulysses b.
Grant is Presidents msu whose conception Of
his Office and Of his responsibility is that he can
make money by 1t and secure for himself All
easy, luxurious life. Will tDese men follow the
example of Mr.. Seward and Mr.. johnson Will
they speak the word? Will they tell Spain to de-
part from the Western hemisphere? Possibly
they Will, provided they can use it as means OF
giving them longer posser sion OF Office. As for
humanity craftsmanship, the dignity and future
safety OF the Republic, all that is something they
do not care for except AZ they may coincide with
their personal interests.
IN. Y. World.1
Our own experience has taught us how difficult
it il in times of intestine commotion to enforce
upon military officers real respect for personal
rights In any form and under any guarantees
But one thing which the American people never
have pardoned, never will pardon, and never
ought to pardon to any American administration
is the slightest negligence or. hesitation in en-
forcing respect for the personal rights Of Ameri.
can citizens upon foreign powers 1t s notorious
that during the earlier years of the Cuban insur-
rection both the persons and the property of
American citizens in the island were once and
again objected to illegal " embars oes" and ode
tentions )" and it was in consequence Of proceed.
ings OF this sort that the Convention Of February
r. 1871, entered into, by which, in conformity
with article OF the treaty OF 1875, Spain agreed
to the establishment OF commits sion, presided
over ny M. Bartholdi, for the examina alton of
alleged violation of that article and the award of
damages to all persons proved to have suffered
convention certainly covers all cases of the sort
down to the 18th Of February, 1871, and in MAX
ing it spain proved her fidelity to her treaty en-
engagements Of 1895. II this convention has
proved inadequate, the administration at Wash
lngton may count upon a severe reckoning with
the people OF this country, and if any new COM
plicaons affecting the personal rights OF Ameri-
cans IN Cuba have arisen out of the course OF
events in that unhappy island, these compca-
tons must be dealt with to secure, once for
all aud thoroughly, indemnity for everything that
has been suffered in the past, and solid guaran-
tees against the recurrence in the future OF any,
thing approaching to an outrage upon citizens of
this republic, being lawfully within the jurisdic-
ton OF the Grown Of Spain.
That our government should be Instant and
explicit in enforcing upon spain the strictest
adherence to the obligations assumed by her in
article Of the treaty OF 1895 obligations, by the
way, which though reciprocal in their nature
were practically disregarded by Secretary Seward
in the case OF Col. Arguelles), is the more i'm
portant thai this same treaty of 1876 contains
certain other provisions which in the not impos-
able contingency OF a recognition by the United
States OF the Cuban insurgents Is belligerents
NAV, and probably will, subject to very serious
embarrassments
In the eighteenth article of the Spanish treaty
of 1895 as IN the Netherlands treaty, and in the
twenty-seventh article of the French treaty of
1878, we find the phrase which, when either
party to the treaty shall be belligerent author
1Zes its shiDS of war To stoO MT sbIrs 81