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

We are sure that our readers will thank us for
placing in our columns for their instruction as to
the sentiment OF respectable portion OF the South,
the following remarks from leading organ OF the
present Tor lae) ruling party in the State OF South
Carolina, upon questions which have naturally sug-
gested themselves in view of the Cuba mania
PROM THE CHARLESTON MERCURY OF AUGUST %.
The precise character of the present revolutionary at
tempt cannot yet be ssceraned The rising Cienfuegos
about which had many pompous proves
have Of great consequence, and has been
apparently quelled with little difficulty the part OF the
Government The landing Of LoPEz is perhaps different
affair." He has band Of brave adventurers with him, ana
have fought his way through the first assaans with
complete He has far we judge secured
oothod in the country, and the result for the time being
depend upon The attachment dsaffection OF the
Cubans to their Colonial Government We say for the time
being because is nearly that England and France
will interfere to prevent Cuba from being from the pos
ssion of SPAIN We rather think they have bound them
selves to do So On side, temporary success would
probably hurry army Of advenurers to the shores OF Cuba
and that beautiful garden Of the Antilles would thus be the
for the fierce Of nations To civil war would
be added the desolson of foreign invasion Ont Of such
coil how Cuba is escape short of the waste of
her wealth. interruption of her industry, and probably the
dsorgsnzaton Of her institutions We in the South ought
10 be cautious how we forward SO disastrous result.
To see Cuba Independent, slave State our borders,
rich in produc and free apply her to the
support of effective Government of her own-ths would
indeed be excellent But why should desire drag her
into overloaded and contentious of States Why
should the South for, the when South Carolina 10
preparing fight her way out of the Union, take for
granted her people will their blood in the endeavor
to force any other country into it Cuba region already
well peopled, with and laws fixed by immemorial
usage. These differ essentially from They
the and laws that belong absolute Governments
Republics and there instance record where the
people of Spanish and of English descent have coaesced hsr
monousy into 1t is the union of elements Of everast
ing hostility and discord and, instead of increasing
strength, would be adding troubles It is indeed
urged that BY admission into this Confederacy Cuba would
speedily be peoped with the Anglo-Amercan race and thus
become Of Something Of this would doubtless take
places but Cuba has already than the population of
Georgia scarcely than one-ha the of Georgia
By what process change this great population into
Of different laws, manners and nationality Are they
be exteminated bought out II either Of these pro-
is depended on, what meant by the hghsoundng
declaration about berang the oppressed Cubans The
terpses foot would then be better attempts
to dsposses rob- and extermnae the Cubans. Our love
for Cuba would prove be that affection which thief has
for his neighbours gold WATCH rather than that which Chris
tian has for his neighbor If look the union of the
people Of Cuba with this Conedeacy, have already in
timaed, think the effects would be deporabe. 1t in
this latter aspect that Mr. CALHOUN considered and deprecat
ed the acquisition of any portion Of the settled country of
Mexico and still more 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 absurdy. The Washington
letter which quote hints at the argument in the concu
son but has been used beautifully nearly all the discus
sions Of the subject we have
The argument is that the annexation of Cuba would ruin
the South by drawing away its slave population any rate,
that would depopuate the border States and for
slave State acquired there would be three four lost The
danger the South from such altogether imagine
u The Island Of Cuba proper exclusive Of the keys and
small islands around it. has of than 49, 600
square miles, two-thrds Of the of Florida The
leland and must be essentially agricultural and by
quence will accumulate population in towns except for
The purposes of Much the greatest part of
good lands already under culture The extraordinary de-
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 up and it underwent change
the range Of it's ade and the motives enterprise in cuva-
ton This has had time pretty nearly exhaust its
force. 2 The Spanish laws allow slaves buy their free
dom, by obtaining valuation from public functonaries and
paying up the amount they Hence there constant
inroad upon the slave population by emancipation and there
is at this time in Cuba free coored population nearly equal
to the whole of the class in the United States g. The
slaveade within the last thirty years has had peculiar cha
racter. Denounced piracy by the great nations il has
cessay 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
there 1873, 600 male slaves, and 100000 females We
have not later embodyng this item but the dis
proportion Of the has been diminished. Slavery has
been in Cuba rather industrial speculation than social in
suion the consequence of this emancipation
the hand, and the substitution Of newymported AZ
rcans the ohe has been that the institution has assumed
peculiarly harsh character emnenty unfavorabe 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 consderatons
think nearly that the release of Cuba from the Span
sh dominion would work great change in favor Of the per-
character and natural increase Of the slave population
The cessation Of the saveade would put end the
emancipation system, and with to the still system Of
working slaves with eye exactng from their news the
greatest amount Of labor The institution would become,