Year: 1875




all of our 'sbounce," all of our defiant men
aces to poor Spain, all of our war prepara-
tions, our diplomatic notes. our yelled threat
enings, our mysterious hints about Cuba and
manifest destiny" and the American eagle
and our whipping all creation" have come
to nothing Spain, as might have been ex-
pected from thoroughly peaceable nation,
with more than she can do now, with her
Carists in the north, her ''Irreconcilables"
in the south, her finances all going to the
bad and the country rent with internal dis
sensions, with religious and political ques-
tions disturbing the government, ministry
after ministry endeavoring to steady an un-
certain and trembling throne, surrenders'
What could have been expected but the result
which comes to us from Madrid and Washing
ton? Spain, undera pressure which we would
never have applied to q nation not IN the
throes of revolution and civil war; has
/ yielded to our demands The military prep
arations, about which there was so much
teleeraphing to General Sherman, will cease.
| The refitting Of ships will be interrupted.
| Mr.. Cushing will exchange assurances OF
distinguished consideration with the high
mettled Dons of Alfonsos Cabinet. There
will be new shipment of troops to the Ever
Faithful Island. and the Cuban question will
be forgotten with the many deplorable and
humilating exhibitions of American di-
plomacy, which have given our country
reputation so unenviable in the past.


1t would be interesting to know if General
Grant is really satisfied with the result of
this opera boufe diplomacy. 1t reads as
we look back upon it like one of
Offenbach's operas. We might have had
something of the kind in the Grand Duchy
of Gerolstein or in one of the queer king
doms which Swift describes in his '"Travels of
Gulliyer." But we can hardly believe it
chapter of real contemporaneous history 1t
is certain that the whole business like so
many of the exploits of the administration,
is the Presidents own work. In this respect
it resembles the St Domingo business, the
''peace management" of the Indians, the first
appointment of the Cabinet and many of
the achievements in which the President
acted from his inner consciousness and not
from the advice of men like Mr.. Fish and
Mr. Pierrepont, who are not, SO far
as we know their record, men who
would seek complications rs Don
Quixote sought antagonists, in wind
mills and travelling menageries The
whole business is the Presidents own. No
one can deny him the credit. 1t bears the
marks Of his handiwork. General Grants
civil triumphs are unique. He is himself
alone, as much as Bombastes Furioso, who
wanted to make war on account of the dis
placement of pair of boots, or of the Cap
tain Bobadil, who had mathematical process
for extinguishing his enemies by single COM
bat or of some of the widest madmen in
the Reign Of Terror, who insisted that when
the enemies Of France were swarming on
the frontier II was only necessary for the sons
Of freedom, like the Spartans Of old, to wear
flowers to show that the country was in dan
ger 1t is nothing but rhodomontade.


The lesson to be learned from this whole
business is the danger Of dragging our inter
national relations into politics This was
the way of the Napoleons When France
became restless and the people began to
chafe under Imperialism and to yearn for



questions which are ever present in Cont
mental politics and declared war. The peo-
pie rushed after the flag, and when the war
was over they were too exhausted to do any
thing but submit in patience to whatever
their master determined. Napoleon ].
made strange confession of the necessity of
war and Of ''glory" which the Empire forced
H. r,,1a Nv
keeping the people in q constant excitement.
Every aspiration for freedom was drowned
in blood. The way to Imperialism Is
only another form of that Cnsarism against
which we have never ceased TO warn the
people since we first saw the tendencies to
it in the policy Of the President. The
Cuban question, as we have managed it in
the past few days, is C@sarism in its most
dangerous form It shows that we have an
administration not above bringing the Sc
verest calamity that can befall people upon
the Republic only to perpetuate the rule
of a party and satisfy the ambition Of
President. The credit Of this must be said
to originate with the President. He is the
first President who reduced his Cabinet to
the rank Of mere staff officers and his party
4 to the level of enlisted dragons. So he is the
first who ever found in the always delicate
relations with our neighbors and peaceful
nations a means Of political success. 1t was
not 50 with Fillmore, who had twenty times
more reason to quarrel about Cuba than
Grant has found. 1t was not 50 with Pierce,
who would not allow Minister as fiery as
Soule to disturb the peaceful relations be-
tween the two nations. 1t was not so with
Mr.. Lincoln, who stood alone against the fury
Of the people when they insisted upon fight
ing England rather than return Mason and
Slidell. 1t was not so with Mr. johnson, who
knl nr nlnnnst irrnsietiLln nnntntior, "a nnr,d