The New York herald., 1875-11-19
Critical Conjuncturcs in our Foreign
Relations.


It would be very instructive if some per-
son Of competent information and ability
say Mr. Charles Francis Adams-would
write the diplomatic history of our govern
ment, presenting connected and compre-
hensive recital of our intercourse with for
eign nations and our generally consistent
foreign policy. In such work the critical
periods, when peace has been imperilled,
would stand out in great prominence, for
these are the most interesting as well as the
most instructive parts of this subject. This
important branch of our history lies at pres
ent in state of chaos, scattered through doc
uments not easily accessible to the general
public, but which, if collected, sifted,
arranged, and their pith presented
in readable style, would be,
intellectually at least, the brightest part of
our national annals There is nothing which
reflects greater credit on the national charac-
ter than the sound Judgment and genuine
ability of our successive Secretaries of State.
In this brief article we can hardly lift one
Of the corners of the veil which rests upon so
broad a subject but the recent complication
with Spain tempts us to throw passing
glance on the varying, we might almost say
variegated, history of our diplomatic relations
with that country. There is no other with
which we have been SO often in diplomatic
hot water, and yet, by fortunate events
and the skill of our statesmen, the
United States and Spain have never
been at war. The policy of peace
which has been. steadily pursued by those
who have had charge Of our foreign relations
is siqnally illustrated by our constantly
emerging difficulties with Spain and the uni
formity with which every wave has passed
under the ship and left it to float on in
safety
| Our difficulties with Spain began from the
moment that we were acknowledged in
Europe as an independent Power. At that
time Spain possessed the whole continent
south Of us and west of us. Georgia was
our southern limit Spain held Florida, a
i continuous belt of territory extending thence
along the Gulf to the Mississippi, the whole
western bank Of that river and the vast
region stretching behind it. Our first
difficulties with Spain related to the
navigation Of the Mississippi which con-
tinued long, and were only partially settled
by the treaty Of 1895, and which broke out
again in the early part Of Jeffersons admin
istration, when Congress passed an act au-
thorizng the President to call out eighty
thousand State militia to be used against
Spain in asserting our rights. Spain had al
ready, without the knowledge of our gov
ernment, ceded the Louisiana territory to
France by secret treaty, which did not
come to light until 1902 The next year we
gained complete possession of both banks of
the Mississippi by the purchase Of Louisiana
from France but Spain still retained Flor
ida, and questions Of boundary and diff
cultes relating to the depredations of the
Florida Indians kept constantly arising to
disturb the relations Of the two governments
until that source Of strife was at last closed
by the purchase Of Florida in 1919. But
new differences with Spain Immediately
arose. in consequence of the revolt of her
South American colonies, to whom we first
accorded belligerent rights and afterward
recognized their independence There was
then an interval Of quiet until our filibus-
ters began to fit out expeditions against Cuba
during the administration Of President Fill
more, which caused great irritation on the
part OF Spain. This slight sketch shoys that
our relations with Spain have been disturbed
and precarious during a great part Of our
national existence but peace has never been