Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1849-10-25
General Intelligence.
From the London Times.
ANNEXATION OF CUBA TO TIE UNITED
0uN a a w.

must have noticed an island conspicuous above tho
rest Tor Its size and It's position. Commanding the en-
trance to the Cult Of Mexico, aud possessing Que of tho
nohlost hnrbors in the world. Cubu crowns by her DO.
ltieal Importance the commercial advantages Of u rich
soil. n varied md teeming productiveness, and a eli
mate which ot1oys the genial warmth hut escapes the
iierosr heats oi tho tropics. The occupation Of such an
island must give strength and wealth To any n,tion.--
Cuha is the strength and wealth of Spain. She ia tho
last fragment Of the vast colonial empire OF Spain aud
the Indies" ID all those splendid provinces which nt-
tested the genius OF Columbus and tho fortunes of the
Eseurial, Cuba alone IL left, the earliest and the latest
memorial ola brittle glory. When Guhn is wrcnolcd
from Spain, then will Spain be poor indeed. And, If
our Transatlantic reports prove true, this eonsumma.
lion is not distant.
There are but two powers in the world who could 90
copy the island with profit but there is none which
could occupy it without dishonesty, Tho two to whom
the occupation of Cuba would ho profitable arc grcnt
iifitian and the United States OF America. The tor.
NOR has n sort of equitable lien upon it tor the money
which she hns lent Ia Spain. The latter has not even
this right to 1T. Bath ARE equally able to make thcm.
selves masters OF it by force. In the hands of either,
perhaps, its eventual fortunes might be the sumo. -
The possession OF it by Great Britain would crush sln.
very and the slave trade immediately in tho western
seas. In the hands Of tho American Republic II would
nggrnyatc the causes of disscnsion betw ccn tho Aboli
tionista aud their opponents and by tho menace OF n
rupture insure n compromise IN lavour OF the slaves -
But to roither eau IL be annexed without trenohory or
Justice, or the combination Of both.
1t is true TINT the President has officially nnd nu
t%horltiSely discouraged the project Of Cuban annoxn.
ton. 1t IL true TINT he has warned the free corps 81
armed adventures, with which tho eastern PORTS were
rife, TINT the occupation or invasion olterritory belong
ing to n friendly Power IL u violation. not only of inter
nntionnl, but of American law, II is also true, We he
liesc, that these dissnnsyes mud prohibitions nre moi
merely formal aud illusory. We are inclined to believe
thnt General Taylor has scanned with correct eye the
prospective dangers Of c%nlnrging, tho territory of tho
q 80 1a,fa. a.. 1...t...,t. L.A.l.. - a 4.A..
aud TINT his npprehonsions no not nnioundcd. But
this unfortunately. gives no assurance to the worh'
that the central Government Mt Washington will con
tinuc to maintain n pacific tone and r~epudinte the prize
of conquest. Tho Government of the United States is
II weak Government II IL often forced to follow where
it wished 10 lead to obey where it ought to command
Wherever the Ministry are not the willing and avowed
servants of popular passions and popular ignorance,
they ultimately become their reluctant Instruments
The policy oithe Cabinet Is oftoner decided by the rap.
id movements Of II resolntc lhotion, and the clever
schemes Of unprinciplod nd,enturcrs, than by the coun.
sells of statesmen, aud the advice Of legislators.
There is always in the States n large body of loose,
reckless, and daring men, TO whom all peaceful occu-
patton Is dull, the amusement OF home politics ynpid,
aud the wide plains Of tho Missouri and Michigan mar.
row and confined. They cast their eyes about the sur
rounding regions for novelty and excitement. Texas,
Mexico, California, Mosquito. or Cuha--it is all the
same to them. Mother hand nor ocean bounds their
desires and their curiosity. They mc troubled with
no unnecessary soruplcs they have a phIlosophio in
difference to treaties they have n comprehensive Ar
dour OF responsiveness. ifan opportunity offer itscli
for extending their travels and improving their fort
uncs in another land, they willingly seize it. Tl,oy care
little for proclnmations from Washington and notiiicn-
tons from the White House. They have n shorter
and reader way Of solving state problems than is
known to diplom0tists aud iurists. They put them
selyesinto communication with the democratic or con
stitntional or some other party of II neighbouring and
friendly state, they send over dctacl,ments of sympa
thizcrs, they organize n conspiracy among such troops
ns the degenerate colonies ofSpnin or the unscttlol re
publics Of the New World boast of-ihcn. whom all is
ripe II fresh detachment ofinyaders, open md nvowed
bursts across the border, mites itself to tho former
bands of sympnthizers CORFU ts divides, or masters the
native %soldiery, and, taking one ofthe native commas
ders Tor its head, proclnims II new constitution, or, at
once, nnncxation, The Cabinet vt Washington has no
option but To acquiesre in this abrupt policy, or else
to endure n "Noung America on its frontiers, with all
the insolnnee aud all the liontiousncss Of youth -
Having objected, discouraged, md forbidden, as long
rs it could, 1t is obliged, Mt the last hour to sanction
by its authority, nnd solclnnizc by It's ceremonies. the
victory which il denounced, aud the acqi ,itons which
il deprecated.
Such bids fair to he the course Of action in Cubn-
For some timo past there has been in Cuba n party
friendly to America, na there used to be in the l6nian
colonies parties friendly to Athens. II would DO Wis
ionnry to suggest the motiys which inspire the Amer.
lean fhetion IN Cuba. Whether tho Cuban planters
tblnk thht theY would got more slaves, aud thus cul-
tiyatc their soil more clcaply or that African slave
trnde would BE- suppressed, and that they would sell
their slaves more dearly under the government Of the
States, it is idle to ask. Suffice 1t to say that there
does exist in the Spanish Colony a rarty friendly to
Americap rule and that American patriotism is not
likely to reject tho advantage Of such an alliance
How far the desire Of suelI ACKNOWLEDGMENT has spread
through the Republic, we know pot; but the history of
rcccut inyasions tells us, that When the idea of con.
quest has once been brultcd about by rumor-whcn
it hns been seconded by the public press Of America
and when the politics Of the obnoxious state nre
favorable to interference that the period of aggrcs-
sion is not remote. Any or no pretext for n rupture
will suffice md tho abduction Of Juan i.ey. together
with the subsequent trial Of the Spanish Consul at
New Orleans, supplies ample materials for d,scord,
which American cnpidity will clutch, and American
diplomacy mny recognize.
How far the interests ofcivilization wonl he promo
ted by the substitution Of American for Spanish rule,
is hard to determine. 1t would replace tho dospotisn
Ola monarchy by more than the usual la,ity of a re
public and it would introduce n new energy into the
political and industrial condition Of Cuba. 1t would
weaken it not destroy the influence Gifts present rei-
giQn, and perhaps engraft no otior upon Ii. 1t would,
however, sooner or later strike n fatal blow ut slavery.
because it would at once destroy the slave trade with
Africa. THIS is "A good which would cuuliteryail ma
ny evils.
AFFAIRS IN CANADA. =
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