Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1819-10-02


The writer in the National 1ntelli-
gencer apologies for opinions which he
admits are more moderate than those OF
many of the . leading politicians OF the
United States. He confesses that the
acquisition of Cuba for the United States,
is fayorite topic not only in newspaper
discussions and political orations out oil
doors, but even on the floor oil congress ;
and in fact he only differs from these
spectators as to the period of making
the acquisition. They are for rendering
it an immediate consequence of the pur-
chase of Florida; he is for suffering the
ink to dry first on that treaty. They
would pluck the fruit green; he would
let it drop ripe into the lap. " In pro-
cess of time," says he, "perhaps it must
belong to us; and we must do the best
we can with it"
"To say that local proximity produces
collision, and that collision provokes
hostilites, is proving rather too much,
since it would lead to an inference that,
in order to live at peace with the United
States, we ought to give up to them sue
cessively the Canadas, Hudson's Bay,
Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and, by
parity of reasoning, that when they get
Cuba we must throw them Jamaica and
all our West India islands into the bar
gain. In truth, our possession OF Cuba,
so far from provoking either party to
hostility, would be the most likely thing
in the world to deter them from embark
ing rashly in war, inasmuch as it would
place both in an attitude of defence, the
United States possessing the harbors of
Florida, and the British those OF Cuba,
lying directly opposite.
" If the United States had not led the
way, by purchasing the Floridas, we
should perhaps have had little occasion
to think ofacquiring Cuba; but it is ne
cessary to maintain a transatlantic as well
as an European balance of power, and
their recent continental acquisition not
only holds out to us an example, but
imposes upon us, politically speaking, a
necessity Of obtaining amicable posses
sion of Cuba, as indispensable to the
protection of our whole colonial en-
pire."
LONDON, JUNE 81.
Every post, we lament to say, brings
accessions to that ominous species of do
mestic intelligence which we conceived
it our duty as journalists to commune
cate to our readers on Saturday. The
meeting held at Hurst, on Monday last,
in the vicinity of Ashton-underLine,
was as formidable to the present state Of
the institutions of this country, as that
convened on the evening of that identical
day, in the vicinity of Leeds. Nearly
$4,000 persons were present at Hurst,
while from to 10000 were assembled Oh
Aunsi Moor. Seventeen of those reso-
lutions which now characterize these
meetings, were successfully read and
passed by the multitude at Hurst, with
addresses of thanks to Hunt, Goblet,
Wooler, Sherwin, Carlisle, and Major
Cartwright, and requesting that the Vet
eran of Reform would endeayor to pre-
vail on Mr.. Goblet to return to Eng
land. Some fifty of the leaders sat down
to dinner when the meeting had broken
up, and, amongst the toasts most apI
proved, drank the " Memory of Thomas
PAINE, the author of The Rights OIL
Man 90 During the meeting the Cap OF
Liberty was paraded on white standard,
with the inscription of /" Annual Parlia-
ments and Universal Suffrage" This
same cap was also drank out of by the
party who sat down to dine. Hunslet
Moor meeting, held, as was stated, on
the same day, had its origin in causes
quite apart from the objects which its
frequenters have since embraced. "The
first of these assemblages was" observes
the Leeds Mercury of Saturday, e" to
show the number of persons out of en-
ployment, and, by awakening public
sympathy, to obtain suitable assistance,
in the shape either of labor or of relief
and in furtherance Of this purpose, depu-
tations from the workmen waited upon
the mayor of the borough, and some
hope was entertained that assistance
might be afforded them, either in their
native country or in foreign land" IN
happily, it is added, " these hopes ara-
dually gave way before the difficulties
with which the business was surrounded;
and, as they diminished, the meeting
progressively assumed political char
acter.'' Now, admitting this statement,
it may naturally be asked, what connec-
ton the object ofrelieving the distresses
of workmen could fairly have in COM
mon with the Stockport Union, which
addressed its congratulations tothe meet
ing at Hurst, and expresses the confident