Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1849-09-26
FROM THE LONDON TIMES, AUGUST 81.
The Cuban Question i'm England.

proclamation by the President Of tho United
States has given reality to rumor which probably
had not been regarded by any of our readers with
very serious attention. This document officially
recognizes the fact, that among the speculations Of
the present "fall" season is armed expedition for
Ahe aggressive and deliberate invasion Of the terri
tories Of some neighboring state. The tone Of tho
iremOnstrance which this project has thus provoked.
1is highly creditable to the good sense, temper and
justice of the American Government nor have we
| any doubts that its arguments would be firmly Sc
oouded by the measures of the Executive If ths
measures were really attempted. A conception.
however, SO extraordinary in the eyes Of more set
tied nations deserves some comment, although the
current reports concerning the proposed expedition
supply scarcely sufficient materials for forming any
| conclusive opinion.
The project may be regarded in two. fold light
either as the piratical f6ray of company of adj
vcntuTers as the deliberate movement of por-
ton of the Union based upon political considerations
OF more serious import To comprehend the solu-
tions of which the case thus appears to admit, it
VIII be necessary 70 recall not only certain traits of
American character, but certain conditions of tho't
and feeling which have remained legacy from
the late wars of annexation. For some time past
the Inhabitants of the States have been habituated
to acquisitions of territory by means Of operations
which in their origin differed not very greatly from
the expedition now denounced. The original move
mcH'S aSaihSt leAdS, uUu lIOn texas against NICK
leo, savored much OF popular, and somewhat of a
speculative character Even the facility with which
emigration is conducted to the wild districts of the
West. tenanted only by aboriginal tribes, tends to
accustorn the American people to such kind of ex-
petitions should it be concealed that the LOOSE
and almost nominal tenure of vast provinces Of the
continent both Xplains aud encourages such ideas
To all these favorlng circumstances has recently
been added that restlesness of spirit which nvara-
bly, survives war, and which in the present case
is not little stimulated by the conditions under
which the war had been carried on. However IL
might have been distinguished by individual brave
ry, the American army lately engaged in Mexico
was certainly not renowned for discipline nr obet-
ence. Composed in great part of volunteers from
the Southwestern States, differed by men sympa-
thlzing wholly with the general disposition Of the
troops under their command, and not opposed toany
enemy whose power could compel the observance
Of regular military habits, this army, when disban-
ded, threw upon the world some thousands of tur-
buent men, well stocked with personal courage,
imbued rather with the license of war than with
the discipline of soldiers, and eager perpeuate
! their recent occupation by any one of those many
opportunities which the vicinity of weak, distracted
and disjointed States naturally afforded. Perhaps
some of our readers may recollect that one of the
first incidents following upon the treaty ofQuereta-
TO was the establishment 1T Vera Cruz of a recruit
ing staff on private speculation, for the purpose Of
| picking up on their homeward march such men and
officers as were willing to renew their campaigns
elsewhere. Whether this select committee of an
army was TO be still employed in Mexico, or wheth-
e TO be turned against the Indians of ucatan
was not very clearly stated or perhaps, known !;
but SO far had the arrangements proceeded that they
were only checked by general order postponing
the disarmament Of any regiment corps till its
tual debarkation at some port of the u. States.-
These considerations, taken in conjunction with the
social condition of Texas, will probably be sufficient
TO show that there could be lack of materials for
private expedition against any tempting or acces-
sible province.
To illustrate second hypothesis of deliberate
movement on the part of political faction we must
to that element Of mischief ever present the
Union-the institution of Slavery. This, as oul
readers know has long divided in the opinions and
interests the northern States from the southern and il
is reasonably represented 10 have been in no small
degree influential in the annexation of Texas i'm The
Mexican war. and still more recently in the agita
. ton which was translently created respecting the
possible escheat of Canada to the genius of Repub
= licansm. Each division of the Union is presulner
to have sought strength by the annexation either Of
congenal populations desirable territory in order
to acquire prepOnderance in the national decisions
Thus the southern States antic paled and not with
reason strong reinforcement from The constitu-
encies of Texas, and they are now eagerly bent up
assmating to their own Institutions those Of the
coded provinces Of Mexico.
On the other hand, the northern States have clear
q y OWNED ali these intentions, and have resumed
= their own operations with prop0rtionate vigor--
There can be no doubt according to the information
we receive, that the vivid impulse just now impart
ed to- the ''free soil" question has originated mainly
o in these desperate struggles Of the south for the
maintenance of its own position. Hence arose the
prompt inclination to tTaternse with Canada dis
l. covered in the north, and hence the corresponding
r. ind!sposton to the experiment manifested in the
slave States. The latter, however, are plainly los
ing ground The abolitionjsls carry public opinion
with them and il is scarcely doubted that CONGRESS
will sanction some definite resolution against tho
institutions in question. This result il is THOUGHT
. the southern States have been preparing to anllci-
81 pate, and most notably, by the remarkable expcdi-
ton to which we have been referring.
n Ii the reader will glance at the map, he will SEQ
that even the northern districts Of ancient Nexico
J. would fall geographically TO the southern portion Of
t the Union in case Of any disruption, while those
nearer the Isthmus could of course be annexed in
the event Of break up, to no other parts. 1t has
e been conceived that the slave holding States would
not be unwilling, these considerations TO precip-
itate the dissolution Of the Mexican Republic. and
therefore the Sierra NIadre was commonly specified
Il as the goal ofihe revountary expedition. This dis
h rict includes the nOrthernmOst paris of the Mexican
States which can be described either civilized or
occupied nor is there much doubt thai The 1900
a or 800 assigned 10 the invading force could
establish themselves in these quarters without much
opposition or much disturbance of the order of things
actually existing This done, the communication
to the Rio GraEde would be easy enough and the
Southern States of the American Union would soou
be pushed to the Gulf of California. Calculations
have been hazarded that the slave holding country
would thus be able TO oppose 10 the 454 $40 square
miles of the Northern States, an area, including
California, Of no less than ,462, 396 square miles,
besides SiXlpld sunerjOry i'm extent NJ Senhnard