The New York herald., 1876-01-24
Are We Drifting Into WAR;

! On the 5th of November he caused Mr. Fish
to communicate formally to the Spanish
government his determination in these
words -
The President hopes that Spain may spontaneously
adopt measures looking to reconciliation and to the
speedy restoration Of peace and the organization OF
stable and satisfactory system OF government 10 the
island OF Cuba In the absence of any prospect OF
termination OF the war, OF any change IN the man
ner In which II has been conducted on either slde no
feels that the time is at hand when may become the
duty Of other governments TO intervene solely with
the view OF bringing TO end disastrous and DO
structve conflict and OF restoring peace IN the Island
of Cuba He WILL therefore, feel II his duty
at an early day to submit the subject in this light and
accompanied by expression Of the views above pre-
sented, for the consideration OF Congress-
In his annual Message he repeated, in the
same mysterious language, his determine
ton TO make a proposition of some sort
evidently unpleasant to Spain-to Congress.
Belligerent rights, he explained in the clear
est language, it was neither wise nor proper
to grant the Cuban insurgents; recognition
was still more out of the question. But
peace in Cuba be believed necessary, and he
added these significant words =
I shall feel my duty should my hopes OF salts
factory adjustment and OF the early restoration of
peace and the removal of future Of complaint be
unhappiy disappointed TO make further communica-
Congress period not far remote and dur
ing the present session recommending what may then
seem TO me to be necessary.
Now what does all this mean2 Why so
much mystery2 Why keep our merchants,
our importers, our manufacturers and ex-
porters, all the producing and trading
classes, so long in terror of some vague some
thing which he says he will presently, by
and by, directly, after o while, when it suits
his convenience, propose? In the Message
he speaks plainly of mediation and inter
vention" as 'the only remaining measures
possible" But mediation may be peaceful
indeed, must be 80 Intervention is neces-
sarily all act of war. Which does the Presi-
dent intend to recommend to Congress, and
whenp
study of the situation in Cuba, of the
strength of Spain in the island and at home,
and her consequent power to restore peace
in Cuba, and comparison of these with the
menacing language of the Message does not
help to solve, but rather to deepen the mys-
terry. The precise situation may be stated
in few words. General Grant says that
unless Spain restores peace in Cuba within
q recommendation to Congress. But Spain
cannot restore peace in Cuba in few months.
She is probably unable ever to restore the
island to tranquility, except by abandoning
it. This the President knows as well as any
body else. But why, then, knowing this,
does he in his Message pretend to wait for
what he knows will not happen? And why,
L ko1.., H. l.
for the correspondence with Spain, does he
send only part oft? The House demanded
of him to know the precise condition of our
relations with Spain; the President has
really told it nothing
There is one explanation, and only one, so
far as we can see, of all this fuss and mystic
rious threatening. The European Powers do
not want to interfere in Cuba. We have no
reason to--none sufficient to justify us before
the world or to ourselves in so grave an act
as intervention. The House of Representa-
tves and the country will not permit the
President to declare war against Spain, for
the country desires peace and has no griev
ance in Cuba which cannot be peacefully
adjusted. But it is not impossible that long
| continued nagging, course of threatening,
public but also private, and under the
seal of diplomatic secrecy, may drive
Spain-a weak but not the less O
| proud and sensitive nation-into some
imprudent act of aggression, which would
excite our own people to anger and thus
allow the President to plunge US into war
and make him the head of what in such
case would have the appearance of popular
movement. If this were the secret object of
General Grant then his whole language
toward Spain would be plain. If he means
to bully the Spanish government until,
goaded to fury, it rashly strikes out at us,
then not only his mysterious threats, but
also the no less mysterious delay in their
fulflment are at once explained. In that
case, too it would be easy to understand why
he has withheld from the House the most
recent, and, of course, the most important,
parts of the Spanish correspondence.
And there is no other explanation possible
which would reconcile all the details of the
Presidents Cuban policy. If he has any
recommendation to make to Congress there
is no reason why he should delay it circum-
stances cannot change vitality in Cuba
within few months. If, however, he is
waiting for Spain to take the offensive-if he
is pushing and threatening, in the hope and
expectation that she will presently, like q
goaded whale, lash out at us-then we can
understand why General Grant is quietly
concentrating an iron-clad feet at Port
Royal why ships have been ordered home
from distant stations why the whole feet
has been put in order for war; why
suddenly Port Royal has been found
to be the best port for fleets winter
quarters; why, finally, he utters threat
after threat ana delays action, and why,