Year: 1873




say things in private confidence that might be
used to embarrass hun and his admin
istration when called upon TO act ON
claly Consequently nobody has SO far
any authority to go behind the record
made in mis- messages and the action OF the State
Department for the purpose OF asserting as had
been done. that the President would have done
otherwise II not held back by oiicia duty or neces
city and by the influence OF his Cabinet officers.


PRESIDENTIAL PREcEDENTs.


In every important matter tnat has arisen during
his term OF ONCE the President has found he says,
two limitations upon what he has been able
to do-the first being the precedents that
have arisen out OF the action taken by pre-
vous administrations upon analogous cases aris-
ing in their day. and the second the necessity OF SO
acting upon every important question as it arises
SO that the precedent growing out oft shall not
be quoted to the embarrassment and disadvantage
OF our government when in future questions 1t
shall have changed Sides as it must do at
times. In some OF the instances where his admin
istratlon has been most severely attacked 1t
has acted in strict conformity to preceden's set by
the very acts quoted by his assailants as being in
strong contrast to those OF his administration,
while the doers had been held up as examples OF
statesmen whose character and abilities were
wholly lacking in public men Of the present time.
II he has been Indifferent to public opinion, as
charged in many things, it is because he finds
hat hot ofa Inlet +tov,
OF the government has called public opinion
has been their own disagreement with everything
that the administration has done or proposed to
do, and their own perversions OF facts and mo-
tives. Such has been the experience OF the gov
ernment from the time OF Washington down, and
as all other governments seem to suffer in the
same way he makes no special complaint, except
to friends, who take it more to heart than himself


ON THIS VERY CUBAN QUESTION,


which has proved, perhaps, the most harassing
subject taking all things together OF his term OF
Office as President it has been thrown up to him
that, when Lieutenant General IN 1885, he favored
and even proposed summary way OF ending the
question OF French Intervention in Mexico by
marching paIt OF the great army of volunteers
that had just ended the rebellion across the Rio
Grande and driving Bazaine out OF the
country, while he has shown no such energetic
disposition to drive the Spanish out OF Cuba But,
apart from the fact that the two cases different
in every essential point, he had only his military
responsibility to consult in 1885, and was quite
certain that he could, through General Sheridan,
or any other officer who might have been put in
command, have successfully done his part OF
expelling the French army. The political
questions he then left, always before ana after
during his whole army service, with those to whom
they belonged, it being his uniform course to take
except when his opinion and advice were asked or
duties Of a political nature were imposed upon
him by Congress or his superior officers.


THE PRESIDENT AND PUBLICITY.


From suggestions that, In the present ex.
cited state of the public mind over the virginius
outrage. an authoritative though unofficial state
ment through the press or what the administration
feels and thinks and intends to do would be well
the President dissented, taking the ground that,
though strict notions of etiquette would
be allowed to interfere with such
course If it were deemed advisable, it was
quite certain that those who habituaily
found fault with everything would continue to do
so just the same, and that such portion or the
people and press as were willing to judge dispas-
sonatev and impartially had already every reason.
able assurance that the government were not lag
gard in defending American honor and protecting
the lives and property OF our citizens, even where
appearances were sometimes the other way. In
fact the principle OF protection had more than
been stretched to cover isolated cases. though
1t is not admitted that the principle had ever been
actually extended too far. 1t too often happens to
every government, the President thinks, to be.
come inv olved with this or that government over


THIS QUESTION OF CITIZENSHIP AND PROTECTION
in behalf Of persons not really deserving OF the
consideration they receive and certainly not usti-
fable causes OF the wars they sometimes nearly
cause and the bad feeling they generally manage
to stir up between otherwise friendly nations
This not intended to apply to the present case
OF the yrginius, in which the facts are as yet too
much in dispute to warrant any such opinion; ;
but during our own civil war we had numerous il.
Illustrations, especially with the British and
French governments, and having generally
yielded ample recognition to the principle
of protection OF citizens and subjects then, the
President thinks we ought to maintain it now, as
far as can consistently be done. 1t is inferred by
the Presidents friends that he is very far from
in this country. He inclines to the opinion that
our hospitality has been rather abused than other
wise, and that, in no grateful spirit, the slightest
indication Of sympathy with the idea OF
Cuban independence on the part or any