Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-06-29
From the London Times of June 8.
'UBA AND THE UNITED STATE

From the London Times of June g.
CUBA AND THE UNITED STATES.
The conversation last night in the House of
Peers with reference to the expedition against
Cuba at least furnishes US with the opinion of the
responsible advisers of the Crown upon the cha
racter OF that movement. The Marquis of Lans-
downe, tongue-ted in certain respects as he was
by his official position, boldly designated the ex-
pedt as &c pratical'' expedition. He informed
the House-although the information was not
very startling from its novelty-that the bucaneer-
ing band which had sailed from New Orleans had
gone forth under the entire I" disapprobaton and
reprobation" of the Government of the United
States
Nor was this the only result of the desutory
conversation amongst the Peers last night Lord
Stanley pressed the President of the Council with
series of questions in order to elicit from him
the nature of the instructions sent out to our
cruisers in the West Indies. The reply of the
Marquis of Lansdowne is significant enough -
The instructions could only be eventual instruc-
tons, and such instructions it was not usual to
make known" We trust we are not overstep-
ping the legitimate limits of inference in supposing
that the instructions sent carry some sort of pro-
vision for the contingency that has actually &C.
Cured. Should there have been hiatus in the
orders given to the cruisers in place of very clear
and definite instructions to put down the pratical
expedition of the New Orleans Buccaneers by the
strong hand whenever it might be met with, a
heavy responsibility indeed will rest upon the pre-
sent advisers of the Crown. We will not, how
ever, indulge in supposton that will no doubt
be contradicted by the event.
Except for the points we have named there is
but little to be CLEANED from the desutory discus
sion of last night. The Peers who spoke-name
1v ordS apcdowpo Ahardoo,, Cro,r D.o,..L.-
and Stanley-appeared to be perfectly of one.mind
as to the light in which the expedition should be
overwhelmingly, as piratical incursion, such as
was usual enough in the Cuban waters or on the
Spanish Main in the palmy days of bucaneering
chivalry. So far all is clear. But we do not see
that the debate brought out with sufficient clear
ness the responsibility which is thrown upon the
United States Government from the circumstances
that the expedition was prepared within the United
States Territory, and actually sailed from one of
their ports. it may be perfectly true that the ac-
ton of the Central Government upon the local
administration of each particular State may be
weak and insufficient. 1t may be perfectly true
that Gen. Taylor's policy and instructions might
be dsregarded at New Orleans. But what then?
When the armament was once quit of the shelter
of the port, and out upon the high seas, it came
once more fairly under the action of the Central
Government at Washington 1t is difficult to con-
ceve thatif proper precautions had been used the
expedition should not have been intercepted in its
progress; but we now learn that portion of it
has succeeded in effecting landing upon the
shores of Cuba, and has Immediately entered upon
course of warlike operations against the autho-
rity of the Spanish Government.
But if the United States cruisers kept so slack
look out that the armament in its progress evaded
their grasp, at least nothing can be simpler than
that they should put the important portions of the
Cuban coast in state of blockade. At least
Gen. Taylor and his Cabinet are bound to assist
friendly power by all the means at their disposal
against the incursions ola gang of pirates and BAN
dltt who have sailed from their territory. The al
Tentative is obvious enough. The civilized nations
OF the world are beginning to ask themselves the
meaning of this extraordinary SYSTEM which
untes many provinces for the defence of one, if
but leaves that one perfectly free to at
tack any friendly power in defiance of the wishes
OF the other members of the corporate govern
ment. Had Spanish ships blockaded the port of
New Orleans, Spain would have been at war with
the United States collectively. An armament is
fitted out at New Orleans to invade the Spanish
territory, and the Government which represents
the United States is powerless to prevent its pro-
gress or departure. Surely this is an anomaly
II on the one hand we give General TAYLOR and
check the lawess banditti; and if we maintain,
moreover, that the Government of the United
States is in peculiar way bound to intervene in
ms transactlon-we are not blind to the evils of
Its exclusive Intervention. We give President
Taylor, as we have just observed, all due credit
but the prospect of blockade of the island of
Cuba by the United States cruisers, and the &C.
cupation OF the territory by United States troops
is not one upon which the Imagination dwels
with any satisfaction. We know how weak the
Executive Power in the United States is, and how
it may be pushed on at any time TO imprudent &C.
ton by vote of Congress- tselfa body peculiarly
susceptible to the turbulent impulses of a wild de-
mocracy out of DOORS 1t would seem to result
that other friendly Powers must leEd helping
hand in freeing Spain from her embarrassment
Thus it may eventually happen that what is called
the "Cuban question" may receive permanent
and satisfactory settlement. Certainly, Great
Britain cannot stand by an anconcerned spectator
tohlle The reign Of uiolence is an Of inaugu
rata"n IN the acaters of the Antilles.
From another article.l
Cuba has long been the object of American de-
sire, and it has been seldom that year has lately
passed without manifestation, in some shape or
other, of these ambitious hankerings. At one