292 H. L.Janes boding. The foreign representatives at Washington were fully alive to the gravity of the situation. England and France were quite sure to be behind Spain with their advice and encouragement, and the other powers followed their lead. Secretary Marcy and President Pierce were known to be greatly incensed over the affair, and it was apparent to every one at the nation's capital that strong pressure by powerful influences was being brought to bear on the President in the effort to raise the incident to the dignity of a casus belli. The general situation has an additional interest if told in the words of the Spanish charge ; the essential portions of the confidential cipher despatches are here in- serted in translation :^ As soon as the news of the detention of said steamer by the authori- ties of Cuba reached this point by telegraph from Charleston, the press broke out in diatribes against the government of Cuba and that of Her Majesty, each of the editors proposing a mode of avenging the so-called outrage ; only the chivalric and independent " Intelligencer " and one other sheet counselled moderation and an impartial investigation of the matter before passing judgment upon it. A representative in the House proposed the suspension of the laws of neutrality as regards Spain ; this proposition was rejected. On the following day another moved that the President be requested to transmit to the House the official correspond- ence relating to the affair. This was approved, and in conformity therewith the President yesterday transmitted to the House the inclosed message, regarding which I believe I may be excused from making any commentary, as up to this time I have been able to study only the portion furnished by the American acting-consul in Havana, whose report is for the most part founded upon suppositions. The agents [Tyng and Com- pany], however, state that they have been guided in everything by the counsel of this consular agent. I beg to advise Your Excellency that illusory hopes should not be built on this particular. From the Presi- dent down, all are disposed to take advantage of any opportunity to get possession of Cuba, whether it be by attacking the island directly or by lending aid to the revolutionaries. The situation in the Orient they believe to be as favorable to this as they have for some time desired ; and they will have it understood that the preoccupation of France and Eng- land in those regions will prevent these nations from lending aid to us and that they [the Americans] can work more freely. If I had no other reasons in support of this statement of mine than the above, those which I now communicate to Your Excellency would suffice. On the occasion of the visit of the minister of England to the Department of State, when the minister asked Mr. Marcy whether in the case of the cessation of hostilities with Russia, and in case the vessels of H. B. M. should seize any American privateer [or as the Spanish has it. corsair^, the law of the United States would be applied to the latter, Mr. Marcy replied in the affirmative; and added, as in jest, that England and France would in this respect be so satisfied with this government ' Magallon to Pezuela, partly in cipher (transmitting Magallon to First Secre- tary of Gtate, March 16, 1854), March :;o, 1854.
