The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-10-20

not been built untl after Lopex hat been /,
executed. But that didn't calm the en-.
press; she informed hin that France
would help Spain IL there should be a wal
and that they might libernte the negroes
In Cuba and thereby revolutlonize the
United States.
Sumner got mad in turn and said:
Madame. l beg to say, with the highest
respect for your majesty, that we are
not afraid of Spain; hat we are not afraid
of Spain and France together; that we are
not afraid Of Spain and France together.
and the n.ggers in CUB to boot"
How Judge Mason dashed from the PAL
ace is pic'uresquely detailed. This story.
If true. shows crude diplomacy m Colonel
Sumner. Anyone but a shirtsicevc diplo-
mat would rave lied to the empress.
Soute's passionate desire to obtain Cuba
warped his judgment. Between the lines
CT these dispatches he saw his country in
arms against Spain, working vengeance
for the insults which lie had suffered from
the Spanish and French aristocracy and
for the wrongs of Cuba to this country.
He Immediately presented the demands.
April s, 1854. The next day was Sunday
and the beginning of Holy week. The
hot-headcd Soule. making no allowance
for the prcverbial representation of the
~Spaniard, nor for the observance of Holy
week, waited i1npatiently for a reply. No
answer came and ON April II he sent a
~pcremptory and unnecessarily rude de-
mand for the indemnity and the dismissal
of all persons concerned in the wrong.
The Spanish secretary CT state, backed up
apparently by the ministers of England
and France, replied to Soulc's imperious
demand with c~orlr,cndable spirit and
mildly rcprimandcd him for the harsh
and .mperious manner with which this
matter has been expressed" Soule sent
the rep.y Of Spain to Washington. Before
n a 1,.:1.nI loy-a,,n, 4NN ID1o11y ~ rrinr
with her cargo had hccn released and she
was pursuing her old route from Mobile
TO New York, via HaNana. Marcy wrote
TO Soulc that the wrong and insult to tho
nation had MOI been atoned, but told him
to take no further steps CT that time in
relation to the outrage. War was st.N
imminent; flibusters were active; our
eaGcrness to acquire Cuba was growing
stronger. particularly in the south, and
but fer the fact that BLEEDING Kansas"
Was absorbing the interest of the nation,
We should probably have entered INTO .
wal for the conquest of Cuba.
y revolution in Sra.n brought In a new
administration. Marcy, still hoping to get
Cuba p~oaceably, wrote TO Soule suggesting
"a full and free Interchange of views be-
tween him, Buchanan. our minister to
England, and Mason, minister to Franco.
These three men first at Ostend, then at
AiA-la-Chappelle, where they issued the
famous Cstend manifesto which embodied
motions abhorrent to justice ard at war
with the opinion of the civilized world"
1t argued that tho transfer Of Cuba would
be mutually advantageous to Spain and
the United States; that since we We're
willing to pay a good price for IL, If Spain
refused 10 sell VIC must apply the great
law of sc,f-prcservation to the acquisi.
ton CT Cuba: that if Cuba endangered our
internal peace and the existence OF our
,nJ ~, sI~r ,,-,,, 1.-. L.--.-..
and divine, We shall be justified in wrest-
ing it from Spain if we possess the pow
er." The document was written by Blu
chanan and his signature appeared first;
then came the signature of Mason, fol-
lowed by that of Soule. 1t is quite true
that this triunvirate planned a magnifi-
cent burglary and published the prospec-
tus in advance" Our diplomats grossly
exceeded Their authority, were guilty Of
misconduct which in our day would re-
suit in immediate recall.
Soule, though an ardent champion of the
extension of slavery. seems to have been
sincere in his devotion to the union. He
was tho handspring of the proceedings at
AiX-la-Chappclle, Ii his enthusiasm car
ricd the other ministers along. Buchanan
probably saw visions of the White House
and felt the need Of southern votes. AS
for Mason, an article which appears in
the May lumber of Harper's magazine.
1870, avs that he can scarcely be held ac-
countable-dependtng Very much on
whether it was before or after dinner that
he signed the paper.
Our secretary of state. Marcy, replied
to the manifesto in a chilling tone. He
pointed out to the ministers the absurdity
of their position and told them that there
should be 10 attempt to push on a ne
gotlatlons.' Sou!c resigned his post and
came home to work for the acquisition OF
Cuba. Although President Pierce was not
in sympathy with the manifesto, his adj
ministratson gets the d.scredit of 1T. Such
plumbers as this manifesto OF the brig
ands,' as it was called by one newspaper
belong to other days. American d.plom-
acy, owing largely to the work of John
Hay, is recognized the world over as en-
bodying everything that is meant by "a
square deal"