Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-08-30
THE CUBA QUESTION.

the sentiment oil respectable poruon Oh the Coutn,
the following remarks from leading organ OF the
present Tor late) ruling party in the State OF South
Carolina, upon questions which have naturally sug-
gested themselves in view of the Cuba mania:
FROM THE CHARLESTON mERcuRr OF AUGUST 20.
The precise character of the present revolutionary at
tempt cannot yet be sscrained The rising at Cienfuegos
which had many pompous announcements proves
to have Of great consequence and has been
apparently queIed with little difficulty the part OF the
Government. The landing Of LOPEZ is perhaps dheen
affair He has band Of brave advenurers with him. and
have fought bis way through the first assaans WIN
complete He has, far judge, secured
foohod in the country and the result for the time being
must depend upon The attachment disaection OF the
Cubans to their Colonial Government We say for the time
beings because is nearly certain that England and France
will interfere to prevent Cuba from being from the pos
sson Of Spain. We rather think they have bound them
selves to do So On side, temporary success would
probably hurry army of adventures to the shores OF Cuba
and that beautiful garden Of the Antilles would thus be the
arena for the fierce Of nations To civil war would
be added the desoaon Of foreign invasion. Out Of such
coil we see not how Cuba is to escape short Of the waste of
her wealth. the interruption Of her industry, and probably the
Of her institutions. We in the South ought
10 be cautious how we forward disastrous result
To see Cuba independent slave State our borders,
rich in products and free apply her to the
support of effective Government of her ownths would
indeed be excellent But why should desire to drag her
into overloaded and contentious of States Why
should the South; for at the moment when South Carolina 10
preparing fight her way out of the Union, take for
granted her people will not their blood in the endeavo
to force any other country into Cuba is region already
well peoped, with and laws fixed by immemora
usage. These differ essentially from our own. They
the and laws that belong absolute Governments
not Republics and there is instance record where the
people Spanish and of English have coaesced hs
moniousy into 1t the union of elements Of everas
ing hostility and discod, and instead of increasing
strength, il would be adding to troubles II is indeed
urged that by admission into this Confederacy Cuba would
speedily be peopled with the AngoAmecan race and thus
become of Something of this would doubtless take
place but Cuba has already than the population Of
Georgia scarcely than oneha the Of Georgia
By what process change this great population
of different laws manners and nationality Are they
to be exermnated or bought II either Of these pro-
depended on what is by the hgh-soundng
declaration about beating the oppressed Cubans The
epses foot would then be better attempts
to dsposess rob, and exeminate the Cubans. Our love
for Cuba would prove to be that affection which thief has
for his neighbours gold WATCH rather than that which Chris
tan has for his neghbor. If look to the union of the
people Of Cuba with this Confedeacy have already in
mated think the effects would be deplorabe 1t was in
this latter aspect that Mr. CALHOUN considered and depeca
ed the acquisition of any portion Of the settled country Of
Mexico, and still strongly Of the Island of Cuba.
While good, therefore, and abundant evil, to
result from the acquisition Of Cuba, must say that the
leading argument which has recently been pressed into service
against it is unmitgated absurdty. The Washington
letter which quote hints at the argument in the concu
son but it has been used bountuy in nearly all the discus
sions Of the subject we have seen.
The argument is tina. the annexation Of Cuba would ruin
the South by drawing away it's slave population at any
that would depopulate the border States and for
slave State acquired there would be three four lost The
danger the South from such is altogether imsgna-
y The Island Of Cuba proper exclusive Of the keys and
small islands around it, has Of than 1000
square miles, twohirds of the extent of Florida The
Island is and must be essentially agricultural and by
quence will accumulate population in towns except
The purposes of Much the greatest part of its
good lands already under culture The extraordinary
mand for slaves there during the present century has sprung
from three l. In the year 1909 whole system Of
depressing restrictions the trade Of the Island with other
countries broken ups and underwent change in
the range Of its trade and the motives enterprise in cuva
This has had time pretty nearly exhaust its
force. 2 The Spanish laws allow slaves buy their
dom, by obtaining valuation from public functonares and
paying up the amount they Hence there constant
nroad upon the slave population by emancipation and there
is at this time in Cuba free coored population nearly equal
the whole Of the class in the United States The
ssveade within the last thirty years has had peculiar cha
Denounced piracy by the great nations has
cessary taken much of the cruel character Of piracy The
difficulties in the way Of transporting slaves have given rise
the dsproporonate importation of males both because
they could best endure the trials of the passage and perform
labor when introduced In the of Cuba for 1927
there $4,000 male slaves, and 100000 females. We
proportion the has been diminished. Slavery has
been in Cuba rather industrial speculation than social in
suon and the consequence Of this incessant emancipation
the hand and the substitution of newympoted At
cans the oher has been that the institution has assumed
peculiarly harsh character eminenty unvorabe to the du
ration of life. We have heard said that forty years the
ordinary limit Of the life of slave the sugar plantations
and that for considerable portion Of the they work
eighteen no urs in the day.
Now, in regard to each of these considerations,
think nearly certain that the release of Cuba from the Span
sh dominion would work great change in favor of the per-
manent character and naturan Of the slave population
The cessation Of the would put end to the
emancipation system, and with il to the still system Of
working slaves with eye exacng from their sinews the
greatest of labor The institution would become,
is with US, social, kindly, and selsuslaning In such
condition the slave population Of Cuba would be sufficient Of
.oft pJs III of