Year: 1871

The Spauiards ON tho Eampnge-E xcitc.
uicnt In Spain Over President Grants
| Message.


| The respectable old kingdom of Spain Is in


ferment. The Iberian blood is up. Titu-


lados and Hidalgos, Caballeros and Escuderos
| twirl their terrible mOstachos, and swear by
| the blood of CASTLE that an insult has been


offered to the nation. From the Bay of Bis


cay to the Strait of Gibraltar, and from the


Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, the


whole country is boiling over with excite


ment. The HERALD special cable despatch
from Madrid, received late last night and


published this morning, informs US that all
this tremendous turmoil has been caused by


the remarks of President Grant, in his recent


Message to Congress, In relation to Cuban af-


fairs. The position taken by the President is


construed by the irascible cavaliers as a


threat or defiance, or something else Of
ightable nature, and with all the valor of


Don Quixote firing their veins they hasten to
pick up the gauntlet. If General Grant


means mischief they are ready to meet
and defy the power of the United States,
and to show their earnestness we are told
that they have resolved to despatch immedi-
ately to Cuba four thousand real Spanish SOL


diers, with two generals-regular ones too,
and no militia shams-and four iron-clad ves-
sels-of-war.


In order that our readers may understand
what all this fuss is about we reproduce else


where in to-day's HERALD all the paragraphs
in President Grants Message having reference
to Spain and the affairs of Cuba. The first
allusion is 10 the organization of the Mixed
Commission to adjudcate upon the claims of
citizens of the United States growing out of the
Cuban insurrection, and the President ex-
presses the hope that the Commission will
afford the claimants a complete remedy for
their injuries. Surely Spain can take no ex-
ceptions to this, as the Commission is looked
to as the means Of healing the difficulty and is
friendly method of settling what might other
wise prove very unpleasant controversy.
Nor can the most fiery spirit take umbrage at
the Presidents statement that it has been the
agreeable duty of the United States to assist
in bringing about an armistice, with reason
able assurance of peace, in the South Ameri-
can republics. Upon the subject of slavery in
tho Spanish West Indian colonies the Message
regrets that the voluntary promise of the
statesmen of Spain to elevate labor has not
been carried out, and points to the fact that
the laws and regulations apparently made for
the abolition of slavery in Cuba and Porto
Rico leave most of the laborers In bondage.
But the President does not propose to inter
fere in matter which does not concern this
country, except in 80 far as to recommend to
Congress the prohibition by stringent legisla-
tiou of any holding, owning or dealing in
slaves, or being interested in slave property
in foreign lands, either as owners, hirers or
mortgagors, by citizens of the United States.
This re ecommendation, however, has probably
been regarded everywhere, at home
and abroad, as a sort Of rhe.srical
flourish thrown into the Message out of re-
spect for the old dead-and-gon, doctrine of
aboltionism which in its lifetime did such
good service to the republican party. 1t
because of the solid sense contained in the
rest of the document. There is nothing in it
to excite any other feeling than merriment in
the mind of American or Spaniard.


We must attribute the anger of our Spanish
friends, therefore, to that portion OF Presi-
dent Grants Message which refers
more particularly to the present troubles
n Cuba. The President regrets that the
disturbed condition of the island continues to
be source of annoyance and anxiety, espe-
cially in view of the close proximity of the
protracted struggle to our own territory. 1t
must be well known that the sympathies of the
people of the United States are with the
Cubans who are fighting for their independ-
ence, aud hence it would have been a nom
sensical piece of ceremoniousness to ig-
more that fact. The Cuban war is signally
an object of concern to our government, be-
cause, while our principles prompt us to alb
stain from interference in the affairs of other
Powers, and while we desire to maintain in
good faith our neutral position as q nation and
to enforce the observance of neutrality upon
all our citizens, we are sensible that the whole
people of the United States would joyfully see
the islanders snake OH the yoke OF EURO
pean monarchy and win those rights to
which every people are entitled. The knowl-
edge of this popular sentiment not only en-
barrasses our own government, but Is the
incentive TO many unjust and inhuman acts
on the part of the Spanish authorities in
Cuba towards American citizens. To guard
against any outrage on the part of
indiscreet partisans President Grant in
forms Congress that our naval commanders
in Cuban waters have been instructed, in case
it becomes necessary, to spare no effert to
protect the life and property of bona tide
American citizens and maintain the dignity of
the flag. The President of the United States
could say no less than this, and certainly
that gallant old grandee, the Spanish