Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1851-09-12
The cuban Failure.

progress
Something we do know, and if we can Judge the
whole by part, Cuba has been the scene of a bar
barous atrocity which finds few parallels in the his
tory of the past, and we hope will never find
cessor in the revolutions of the future
1t is now pretty certain that LOPEZ had no aid or
countenance from the Creoles. These people either
could not, or would not help him.. He must have
been deceived as well the men he carried out with
him. 1t seems that after the battle of the 18th
with the Spanish troops, in which Gen. EMMA, the
Spanish General was mortality wounded, LoPEz's
force reduced to the greatest extremity, their
ammunition being entirely exhausted After remain
ing together sixty hours without food, the men pre-
pared to disband, and each shift for himself One
hundred and fifty of the prisoners recently taken
most of whom Americans, have been condemned
for life to the Spanish Mines, and to be sent to
Spain Africa the district mentioned, is we believe
the seat of the quicksilver mines of SPAIN from which
the world has heretofore drawn its supplies. The
working of the mines is so preudcial to health that
believe only criminals political offenders are
employed in them. -
| The whole affair seems to have been terrible:
blunder. and LOPEZ a complete dupe He. no doubt,
had assurances assistance from the Creoles but to
what did they amount 2? Not one of them Joined
him nor did they supply him with food. He
must also have been deceived in regard to the defec
tions he expected from the ranks of the Spanish Ar
my. It would almost seem as though some Spanish
officers must have been in communication with him.
holding out false inducements to draw him into Il
trap already set fer him. Our government is by no
means exempt from blame. It's total quiescence du-
ring the fitting up and sailing of the Pampero if not
its connyance at that occurrence contrasts very
strangely with its rigid enforcement of the law after
wards to the extent of exceeding its just powers
The irresistible impression which this creates the
mind, is suspicion of completely the part of our
authorities, with the Spanish plot for the betrayal q
| Lopez. We do Motive cannot accuse govern
ment of such baseness--we cannot believe that ana
American administration could be guilty of such DE-
liberate meanness and dupHcity. But this we co
say that the conduct of the authorities in allowing
FIVE hundred Americans to go, the Pamperos e.
petition did, into the very den of the lion, and thH
Theoretically closing ports against the egress Of
those reinforcements, without which their destru-
ton was inevitable is such objectionable blum
i der as when made by government, in matter n
yolving the lives and liberties of it's citizens carries
with it all the consequences, and entails much of tie
odium of deliberate crime.
There is mistake which our people more real-
~ fall into than that of judging other nations by our
own standard. We are apt to think that, because
acts of violence and oppression when attempted uo-
on 4 free people, react upon the workers by avn
king spirit of indignant resistance that such must
be their effect with all people; whereas the very re-
verse is the case. The strength of despotism is in
the fear not the love of its Subjects and its blows
to be effective must be sudden deadly and fearful
The despotism that pretends to reason is lost The
Spanish authority in Cuba is species of terrorism
and we have how effective it has proved itself in
preventing any exhibition of sympathy on the part
Of the Creoles whom it is said, the Spaniards now
treat with the utmost contempt. And if despo
tism is to be maintained, this is no doubt the best
method of maintaining it. and in the end results in
the least efusion of blood Before the Creoles will
heartily and bravely assist in their own liberation
a larger portion of the Anglo American character
must be infused into Cuban society, and a spirit Of
independence substituted for the traditions of despo
ism.
s But apart from the settled habits of the people
f which have become so interviewer with the daily lift
and conversation of the masses, as to be part o
V their very nature itself, and to which the cause
revolution has nothing to oppose but abstract poli
cal reasoning appeals in favor of better condi
ton of which the majority have conception, Their
n is still another feature in the condition of Cuba
e which had either been totally overlooked or its i'm
e portafce very much moderated. We allude to th
: slave population, which is essentially different from
the same population in the United States Owing
IF the connivance Of the Spanish authorities the fri
slave trade with Cuba has always been in acti7
= operation; and owing to the same cause the srea
majority of the slaves the plantations were bro
l. from Africa ard mostly adults at the time of hei
bringing over for of late, the risks of the trade hay
been great, that only the most valuable blacks
is VIZ adult males, have been shipped Such popu
lation of perfectly wild African without an
y females among them, is most dangerous element
and the fear of their rising exerts terribly repress
is ing influence upon the white population who lav
the example of the negro massacre in St. Doming
es constantly before their eyes. From these circum
arises the gnfcancy and power of the threa
used by the Spanish of freeing the slaves
~ who at present are kept down chiefly by the army
for the Creoes unarmed as we'll as their slaves
n and all history has shown that the semi -barbar
M exceeds the eemnate subjects of civilized despot
e. ism both in physical strength and in courage
" --.- Arrival of the Empire City frOm Havana.
~ The Empire City arrived at New York at half pas
two o'clock on Saturday. afternoon, the 9th inst A
- the news by the Cherokee is confirmed LOPEZ wa
taken the alone nd vbou fro,