Year: 1869

Secretary Fish is the stumbling block in the
path of President Grants administration. He
sympathizes with the struggling Cubans, but
is opposed to the granting of belligerent
rights to them. He is willing they should
fight it singe-handed, and just as willing that
they shall be hung or shot. He Is afraid that
England and France will combine with Spain
and whip not only Cuba, but us too, If we
show any sympathy for Cuba. In these
puerile sentiments and inane fears we are glad
to see that he is alone in the Cabinet and
that the President and every other member is
wisely in favor Of vigorous policy in the Gu
ban question. Mr.. Fish Is no doubt very
worthy old Knickerbocker, but as state sman
he is far behind the times, and his duty to tho
President and to the country calls him to re-
sign at once the post he is not fit to ill. The
position he has taken on the first live ques-
ton presented to the Cabinet is one
which. if maintained, will disgrace the
administration and place it before the
world in the ridiculous attitude Of making
Andy Johnson's administration respectable by
comparison, just as Buchanan made the ad-
ministration Of poor Pierce respectable. Ex-
Secretary Seward, compared with and measured
by Secretary Fish, becomes perfect are-eater.
If we look back over the past eight years Of
Stewards administration we see that he
had some comprehension Of the march of
the American republic, and that he labored to
prepare the ground for our absorption Of the
whole archipelago of the West Indies


To-day the question presents itself to us in
living and urgent form, and Secretary Fish is
afraid, forsooth-is afraid that it may involve
us in a war with France and England. While
we do not share these childish fears we can
not but perceive that at the present juncture
in our domestic affairs war with England and
France would be the greatest good that could
happen to the United States. Thanks to one
or two English privateers, under the Confede-
rate flag. we have been deprived of that large
and remunerative share in the ocean carrying
trade of the world which once was our boast>
and our pride. The American flag
driven from the sea has left our shipyards
without employment and our mariners without
occupation. A naval war with England and
France would restore us to our equal position
upon the ocean, and nothing else will do it.
Give our seamen but the shadow of chance and
they will soon make the ocean as unsafe to the
British and French flags as the British priva-
teers made it a few years since to the Ameri-
| can. Our shipyards would leap to new life,
and our docks would throng with prizes before
whose numbers the Alabama claims would
| sink into the merest insignifcapce.


But the man who to-day aspires to direct the
foreign relations of the United States of
| America must lay aside oil such childish fears.
He must address himself to higher motives of
action. Our great questions Of public rcla-
| tions must be considered in their relation to
the rights, interests and dignity of the nation
and of Christian civilization. And herein


is where Mr.. Fish shows himself
to be incompetent to the post he fills and to


the duty he is called to discharge. The patriot


Gubans are to-day brnvely treading the wine


press which our fathers so nobly trod before


them. By their sacrifices and their deeds Of


arms they have raised a great American ques-


ton, and we are called upon to decide it, not


by the standard whether Spain is friendly


Power or not, but whether they are entitled to


the justice they ask ut our hands. And in


matters of purely American interest Spain has


no claim to friendship from us. In these she
has ever proved hostile to the American Union


and to the principles Of freedom which 1t


cherishes. But beyond all this we are called


by every impulse Of Christian charity and


of civilization to withdraw our friendly counte-


nance from the bloodthirsty and furious prac-


tices of the Spanish volunteers in Cuba. They


are shame and disgrace to the Power that


practices them, and still more so to the Power


that, without the incentive of either anger or


ambition, pallates and excuses them.


When Mr.. Fish acknowledges that he would


falter in the path Of duty, through fear oi


complications in our relations with France and


England, he brings blush Of shame TO every


American cheek and casts o dark shadow


across the hopes the country has entertained


of the administration of President Grant.


Rather would we trust the honor of the repub


lie to the truly national impulses of the daring


Admiral Porter than to the timid fears of Q
Secretary Of State who seems to belong to the
, age of our grandfathers, and to be inspired II


his counsels with the fears that animated the
I public mind seventy years ago. 1t was o


such men that John Randolph declared they
bad to be kicked into n war with England
The sooner President Grant purges his Cabinet


of such towards the better will II be for him
and for his administration. Let him judge
the spirit of the country to-day not by the cold


blooded fears of Fish, but by the overpower
). ing vote Of the House Of Representatives oil
Q the Cuba resolution, and the still more patriotic


vote of the Senate Of the Upited States