The Sun.
London, England, 1853-11-18 00:00:00

CUBA AND THE UNITED STATES.

We have received the following correspondence
between Lord Howden, the British Ambassador at
Madrid, and Mr. Corbin, of Virginia, on a subject
which has lately excited great interest on both sides
of the Atlantic :

" Paris, November 13.
"Dear Lord Howden,—l have been ruminating upon
some of the topics of our conversation yesterday evening
on American affairs, not chewing the cud' of any
bitter fancy,' for of that ingredient not a scruple ever
escaped your lips during our long and friendly inter-
course, when my countrymen, or my conntry and its
institutions, were the theme. One of the subjects to
which I allude, and with reference to which your lord-
ship spoke so frankly, is the suspected coquetry (I will
not say intrigue) which England is said to he practising
with Spain, in order to control the ulterior `destiny' of
the island of Cuba, and meantime to regulate its internal
government and change its social economy, in at least
one pregnant sense of the latter expression. On this
head some of the leading, and, from their relations to
the Federal Government, most authoritative journals in
the United States, have, in my belief, as erroneously as
too hastily, imputed to Downing-street, and to your
lordship specifically, under inspirations from that far-
famed locality, the design of Africanizing ' the Queen
of the Antilles.' As the most efficient anxiliary to this
end, she is not only to be allowed to import ad /ibittint,
but to be incontinently aided in importing, the abo-
riginal sons and daughters of Ham in masses in-
numerable by numbers that have a name,' thereby
rendering her not only, as is supposed, a dangerous
neighbour, but an unamiable possession in the paulo-
post-future, for the insatiate archers' on her northern
flank ! Now, the whole range and precise modus ope-
randi of this portentous scheme I pretend not to coin-
prebend even darkly, much less to indicate the ways and
means, open or subdolous, by which it is to be carried
into effect. I cannot do more, therefore, to enlighten
you on the subject, than to commend to your attention
two or three articles, with the commentaries thereon,
contained in some of the Washington and other papers,
herewith sent, and which I have just received. Among
them are the National Intelligences- and the Union, journals
of repute, and conducted with sagacity ; and both, it is
believed, incapable of inventing or perverting facts upon
any subjeCt ; and, least, of all, upon one of so much
pith and moment' in a national, not a party point of
view. Whence the information was derived, or how
transmitted, upon which their several speculations and
provisions are founded, it is not now important to your
lordship, any more than it is to the object of this note, to
inquire. That it has a cis-Atlantic origin is next to
certain, and therefore the sooner it is, in the interest of
truth and of both countries, nullified by an authentic
contradiction, the better. You will perceive that the
American papers are discussing the subject under different
points of view, as best suits party purposes, but they nearly
all deprecate, and with notable vivacity of expression, the
project, which England is said to have ever and anon in
her 'mind's eye,' of trying to effect the early manu-
mission of the slaves of Cuba. To this end the poor
African is to be rescued from his thirsty deserts and the
pursuit of his man-eating compatriotes, and consigned,
with exquisite humanity, to a servitude, under the name
of 'probationary apprenticeship,' of ten years. At the
expiration of that period, if he be reported alive, and
hard-winking captains general do not for the sake of
their pockets, extend the term to that of his natural
life, lie is to be set free from his friends, and no more
cared for by them—the world all before him, and Pro-
vidence his guide.' Now, my lord, it is hardly
necessary for me to assure you that my faith is not facile
enough to credit the existence or the proximate contem-
plation, on the part of your Government, of any such
bold and bootless experiment—profitless, because its re-
sults would be mischievous to the poor negro himself.
In addressing you this letter, I build largely, but I hope
not too boldly, upon the general dispositions which, for
long years, you have manifested towards myself, and, if
possible, still more upon the friendly sentiments and
lofty unprejudiced views which you have always enter-
tained towards the United States. But as the subject
is a delicate one for you in your official position to treat
further than a correction of the statements here referred
to, I would have you dispose of it as you deem 'wisest,
discreetest, best.' Meantime, as always, I remain, my
lord, very faithfully and sincerely yours,
"F. P. CORBIN, of Virginia.
"To Lord Howden, &c. &c."

1 " Paris, November 14.
"My dear Corbin--I have this moment received your
letter of yesterday, and I can assure you that it has not
in the least embarrassed me. Our long friendship gives
you a perfect right to ask me any questions that in a
public situation I can answer with propriety, and your
tact will have told you that in the present case I must
be fully as anxious to impart the truth as you can be to
know it. I have read the strange statements you have
sent me about England wishing to ' Africanize' Cuba,
and about the arrangements which I have been making
at Madrid to that effect. I give you, in the most
solemn manner which such laughable (though wicked)
fabrications allow, my unqualified contradiction of the
whole matter. I have not the slightest hesitation in
telling you what have been, during the last three
years, my negotiations with the Spanish Government
respecting Cuba, and you will see whether there is even
the slightest foundation for rumours which seem to have
been most sedulously spread abroad in the United
States. Firstly, I have been making unceasing repre-
sentations at the number of slaves annually imported
into the island, and complaints on the almost open
manner in which the traffic was carried or under the
very noses of the Captains-General, always excepting
the excellent General Concha. Secondly, I have
been making fruitless attempts to get" the Spanish
Government to declare the abominable traffic in men
piracy—that is to say, to follow the example of the
United States in this particular. Thirdly, I passed
my time in anxious solicitations to obtain the
ultimate and complete freedom of those negroes
called ' Emancipados,' which have been fraudulently de-
tained in bondage since the year 1817, in disregard of
treaties, I rejoice to say that the Spanish Government
has listened to the dictates of justice and humanity, and
has granted me this boon. Fourthly, I have been en-
deavouring to procure an abrogation of that intolerant
and immoral law by which foreigners wishing to settle
in Cuba are obliged to change their religion, on the
somewhat startling principle (not understood elsewhere)
that becoming bad men is a satisfactory preliminary to
becoming good subjects. To these official negotiations
I have added, at various times, friendly and officious
exhortations to improve the internal system of the
island, by facilitating the administration of justice, and
by liberalising the nominations to office and employ.
ment among the natives of the island. You will see
what I really have done, or rather attempted to do, is
very different from what I am said to have done in your
papers. When the true state of the case is known, and
ignorance or malevolence dispelled, I even reckon upon
the good wishes of your countrymen in the success of
the measures I ask, so consonant with your own laws
and institutions. In all that I have here told you, with
entire candour, the United States can only see the
natural working of England's declared and unchanging
policy in a cause which is dear to her ;. and Spain herself
must feel that, in days like these, unless she executes
her engagements, and modifies her intolerance, she can
never hope to enter again, and as she ought to do, into
the hierarchy of nations,—Believe me, my dear Corbin
with great regard, yours sincerely,
"F. Corbin, Esq., Paris."
—Galignani.

" HOWDEN,

ACCIDENT AT THE KING'S CROSS STATION DURING
THE FOG.—During the fog on Tuesday afternoon a man
named Martin, in the employ of Mr. Gregory, potato
salesman, who rents one of the arches under the Great
Northern Railway, was killed on the goods line in at-
tempting to cross the rails to proceed to the store,
situated in Maiden-lane, King's Cross, by being jammed
between the buffers of an engine and a goods train that
was on the point of starting. The poor man was held
between the buffers several seconds, and he fell groan-
ing to the ground. He was picked up insensible and
conveyed to the Royal Free Hospital, Gray's-inn-road,
where he rapidly sank, and died shortly after his ad-
mission.

THE WINTER ASSlZES.—Yesterday Mr. Baron Alder-
son and Mr. Baron Martin appointed Tuesday, the sth
of December, for the commission day at Liverpool,
Mr. Justice Coleridge and Mr. Justice Wightman also
fixed Saturday, the 10th, for the commission day at
York. None but criminal business will be taken, and
the calendars are said to be already heavy.
[ADVERTISEMENT.]---The Earl of Aldborough and Hol-
' loway's Pills.—An astounding cure by this miraculous
medicine after every other means had failed. See ex-
tract from his lordship's letter, dated " Villa Messina,
Leghorn, Feb. 21, 1845. To Professor Holloway.
Sir,—l beg to acquaint you that your pills have effected
a cure of a disorder in my liver and stomach, which all
the most eminent of the faculty at home and all over the
Continent had not been able to effect—nay, not even the
waters of Carlsbad or Marienbad. (Signed) ALDBO-
BOUM" These wonderful pills will cure any disorders
of the liver or stomach.—Sold also Holloway's ointment,
at Professor Holloway's Establishment, 244, Strand,
London and by all medicine venders throughout the
kingdom

_ADVERTISEMENT.I—DA RK DAYS AND LONG
necessity of having the most perfect eye-
sight and hearing.—Messrs. S. and B. Solomons, opticians
and oculists, 39, Albemarle-street, Piccadilly. Observe—
opposite the York Hotel. Newly-invented preserving
Spectacle Lenses. Immediately they are placed before
extremely imperfect vision, every object appears clear and
distinct ; the most aged, defective sight becames bright
and brilliant, is brought to its youthful, natural, and ori-
ginal state.—RoyalExhibitions, 1851.- --A valuable, newly-
invented, very small powerful waistcoat-pocket glass,
the size of a walnut, by which a person can be
seen and known one mile and a half distant ; they
answer every purpose on the race-course, at the opera-
houses, country scenery, and ships are clearly seen
at 12 to 14 miles. They are invaluable for shooting, deer-
stalking, yachting, to sportsmen, gentlemen, gamekeepers,
and tourists. Telescopes—A new and most important
invention in telescopes, possessing such extraordinary
powers that some, 31 inches, with an extra eye-piece, will
show distinctly Jupiter's moons, Saturn's ring, and the
double stars ; with the same telescope, weighing only 3
ounces, can be seen a person's countenance three miles
and a half distant, and an object from 16 to 20 miles.
They supersede every other kind fpr the waistcoat-pocket.
and are of larger and all sizes, with increasing powers
accordingly. Opera and race-course glasses, with wonderful
power; an object can be clearly seen, from 14 to 16 miles
distant. Deafness—New Discovery—The Organic Vi-
brator, an extraordinary powerful and newly-invented
instrument, for Deafness, entirely different from all
others, to surpass anything of the kind that has been,
or probably ever can be, produced. Being of the
same colour as the skin, it is not perceptible ; it enables
deaf persons to hear distinctly at church and at public as-
semblies ; the unpleasant sensation of singing noises in
the ears is entirely removed ; and it affords all the assist*
ance that possibly could be desired.-39, Albemarle-street,
Piccadilly. Obeerye, opposite the York Hotel.