Spain and the United States.--Considerations for foreign Powers.
--Her Most Catholic Majesty will feel sorely aggrieved when she learns that the New York
Herald, in consequence of the courtesy extended by the
Captain General of
Cuba to the
Confederate flag, threatens the
Spanish Government with the annihilating vengeance of the
Lincoln Administration.
The naval force in the
Spanish waters will of course be doubled at once, and the army in
Cuba quadrupled No one can tell how soon an expedition will sail from New York, or
Old Point, and swallow the
Moro Castle and all its appurtenances, including the most faithful island and the
Governor-General, before breakfast.
The
Herald not only threatens
Spain, but frowns savagely and menaces ferociously
England and
France, whose cat's paw
Spain is assumed to be. We would invoke the
Herald to put a curb upon its excessive valor, and take the nations of the earth one at a time.--In view of the fact that the whole
United States have not been able yet to conquer the single
State of Virginia, discretion would seem to be a virtue.
Even
Spain alone, or at any rate,
Spain in alliance with the
Confederate States, would be an enemy who might give Brother Jonathan a great deal of tribulation.
Of late years
Spain has risen from her former decline, and has made as rapid progress in every element of greatness as any nation in
Europe or
America, not excepting the
New England nation, which prides itself upon its superior speed, and demonstrated at
Bull Run that in one department of going ahead it has no equal on this continent.
The public works, and the commercial and manufacturing interests of
Spain, have all advanced of late years at a rate which has astonished those who supposed that once power- ful empire had sunk in irreparable decay, and that the
Spanish people, once the most energetic and warlike of the earth, had become hopelessly degenerate.
Spain is ascending every day to a proud position among the empires of the earth.
Her army is one of the best disciplined and most efficient in
Europe; her navy is larger than that of the
United States, and includes more steam vessels in its ships of war than the fleets of the
Union.
In the event of a war with
Spain, the
United States would find its navy overmatched, whilst the Spanish privateers, always famous for daring and enterprise, would scourge Northern commerce from every sea. What would become of the rich argosies from
India, and the vessels, deep laden with gold, from
California?
What arrant nonsense in the New York
Herald to threaten
Spain with the vengeance of the
United States, when
Spain has no assailable point upon which the
United States could wreak its vengeance, except
Cuba, which the
United States was unable to take even before the
Union was dissolved, which is defended by fortresses that could sink the whole United States navy with ease, which is guarded by watchful Spanish squadrons, outnumbering the war vessels of the
United States two to one, and which, moreover,
England and
France have guaranteed to defend against all enemies.
The
Herald evinces some surprise that the Spaniards should so readily affiliate with the
South, off the ground that the
South has been prominent in endeavoring to wrest
Cuba from
Spain, and has led the filibustering expeditions of American citizens to
Central America.
This is a false allegation, and none better understand its falsehood than the sagacious Spanish Government.
They are well aware that it was Northern commerce and Northern greed of gain which have prompted every demonstration ever made in the
United States towards Cuban annexation.
The South could never have acquired any advantages by Cuban annexation comparable to the enormous gains which would have been insured to Northern commerce.
The filibusters, it is true, were not confined to Northern men; but, with its usual dexterity, the
North knew where to employ fearless fingers to pull its chestnuts out of the fire, and at the same time relieve itself of the odium of a prominent participation in the robbery.
Spain understands all this as well as it is understood by those behind the curtain in the
North.
She looked to such a man as
John C. Calhoun as the type and representative of Southern sentiment, and it is well known that
Mr. Calhoun, like the majority of the
Southern people, was opposed to the high-handed robbery which sought to despoil
Spain of her Cuban jewel.
Besides all this, similarity of institutions and character creates sympathies and affinities between
Spain and the
South, which would readily incline her to prefer a slaveholding, chivalric hospitable people, to the abolition, cold-blooded, cynical, and commercial North.
Such menaces as those of the New York press against the whole foreign world, at the very moment that they are thrown into ecstasies at the slightest mark of their favor, going into hysterias over every batch of foreign adventurers that accepts provant and pay in their service, are simply preposterous.
At the same time, it is evident enough that if they could succeed in the work of Southern subjugation, the
brutum fulmen of to-day would, twenty- five years hence, be a genuine thunderbolt of Jove.
It becomes those who wield dominion in
Europe, and who desire to transmit it to their posterity, to seize an opportunity of ensuring stability to their Governments which, once lost, will never be regained.
If Lincolnism be successful in this war, a Democratic Military Despotism will spring up in
America which will wipe out every foot print of
European power on this continent and which, combining itself with the hereditary despotism of
Russian, will be able to crush as between an upper and nether millstone every constitutional Government of
Europe.
No fast and loose policy on the part of
England and
France, no blowing hot and cold a this critical juncture, will propitiate the
North if successful in this tremendous strife.
The
North not only suspects their real motives but accuses and denounces them every day and, if successful, will embrace the first opportunity to retaliate.
If they are wise in their generation, they will avail themselves of an opportunity to consolidate their political power, and to secure to their subjects the supreme control of the looms and of the seas, such as will never occur again.
