Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1849-01-13
CUBA..THE UNITED STATES.

Several of the Paris journals Of Novcm-
Der 10 published the following paragraph,
which Us supposed to have emanated from
the Spanish Embassy:
"The English journals speak, for some
days past, of negotiations opened between
the United States aud the Court Of Spain
for the cesson of the island of Cuba to the
United States. We are authorised to de-
clare that this piece of news has not the
slightest foundation"
The runor that negotiations were going
ON in Madrid for the purchase of Cuba by
the United States enlisted the discussion Of
the London Times. That paper denies tho
right of Spain to ALLEVIATE its most marketa-
bic property to the detriment OF its creditors,
who have claims, it says, to the amount Of
some three hundred millions Of dollars. As
to the general consequences of the purchase,
surprising IL 10 be made, the "Iimes" thus
speculates:
s. In the first place, one half Of the slave
trade would he summarly struck of, aud
this infamous traffic, which SO effectually
dehes our misjudged efforts to suppress il,
would be reduced to such exports as the then
isolated demands of Brazil might require.
Even on the abstract question Of slavery or
tip SuNSiN ii OuUu, tutTC WOuta pTOOuUty
be a hot dispute among the States of the
Union. Ii Is not, however, probable that
the terms of the Wimot Provso could, I'M
der all the circumstances, be extended to
Cuba, aud the Southern and Western States
would succeed, in all likelihood, in assimil-
ating the institutions of the new acquisition
to those retained by themselves. Still there
would he no more importations of Africans
into the Havana for, even if II be true that
many estates of the island are already own
ed and worked, without any quams of con-
science, 10y American proprietors, yet trans
actions which could be carried on under
Spanish colors will cease to be practicable
when Cuba has become IA recognized men,
Der of the Union, and the slavery of these
plantations will, at all events, assume that
modified and terminable form which il wears
in Georgia aud Carolina.
Nor is there any reason to suppose, on
the other hand, that the production Of sugar
will be diminished by sudden prescription
of the machinery which is now so unscru-
pulously employed in its manufacture. On
the contrary, we should be justified rather
in concluding that the enterprise of tho
American character would so far counter
balance the nefarious appliances OF Spanish
avarco as TO give n new stimulus TO the ag-
ricuture of the island, AT the same time that
its competition with our own colonies would
he placed Oh n less invidious footing than nj
present. This, at least, we should antc-
pate as the eveniful result.
That political school which holds colonies
as unworthy of keeping, by the same max
in on which it takes its stand upon com
merce, would of course disregard the inflI-
ence which such "a cession as this might ex-
err on the texture of our own Atlantic pos
sessions Other parties might be more ap-
prehensve of the results, but not perhaps
with any great reason. Indeed, except from
the contrast which would be offered by just
and honorable dealings Of the Supreme CO.
vernment with It's insular citizens, we
scarcely see how the change of masters in
Cuba could materially affect US. Asa mere
point of vantage ground, the possession Of
the Havana would confer no great addition
nj opportunities and as to the prejudices
likely 10 originate in the contrasted results
of two systems of West Indian policy, we
The hour of trial, however, may not be i'm
mnent aud the notification may be rather
the expression of traditional ambition,
than the publication of an accomplished
fact. At least we can certify, that If we
had always placed implicit reliance on those
sources of information in the Spanish capi-
tai, to which our transatlantic contemporaries
so proudly appeal, we should have introdu-
ICED our readers 10 many stories far more
wonderful than the bargain and sale Of a
West India island"