The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-12-14

But, aside from ell the difficulties and dangers
that surround the acquisition of Cuba, whether by
war between governments or by the covert pol
son OF dangerous and ever-disturbing neighbor-
hood, and even surprising all these objections OBJ
waited. and the acquisition allowed TO be made
without war and without cost, there are reasons
against the measure strong enough To make the
southern people pause In the pursuit..
We do not now Glude 10 the mona rchcal bah;
its Of the people, which would rendera standins
army Tor the preservation Of order Indispensable;
nor 10 the difference OF race. which would make
it the hardest of all things introduce our polit
cal institutions there; nor to the fact that there
has always been established religion in the
island, leagued with the government, claiming
the produce of all lands; nor to the equally i'm
posing fact that with its present commerce., and
with the habits OF smuggling that have grown up
everywhere, Cuba must be filled with custom.
house police as we'll as a standing army, and thus
become the mere creature Of the Federal Govern
ment, and its natural ally in every aggression upon
the South-we pass over all these weighty con-
celebrations, and find in the sole condition of sa
very in Cuba powerful argument against its an
nexation.
The pre- sent white population of Cuba is 600 900;
the free colored population somewhat more than
little larger than South Coroiina, and has almost
twice the population. 1t has grown through CEN
turies under set Of laws and customs little chang
ed Its habits ideas, and whole social spirit, are
far fixed than those of any State of the Union.
Now, one radical feature OF slavery in Cuba is the
slave trade with Africa, and another ia incessant
emancipation, and this through the operation of an
established law. Every slave has the right to buy
his freedom, and the maximum price which the
master can demand lie $500 Moreover, the law
allows the slave to have his value fixed, and then
to take his own time to pay il, giving to him a
portion of his time corresponding to the portion of
his price which he has paid. Thus all the dissat-
sfied and all the ambitious among the slaves are
in perpetual transition towards freedom, and the
class OF free colored people. which ordinarily in
creases very slowly, 10 in Cuba the most rapidly
advancing Of all. In the last ten years it has in.
creased Is per cent.
The slave population is kept up BY the African
slave trade. The annexation Of Cuba would be
death blow to this trade Our laws, and the uni.
versal feeling Of our people, are opposed to it; and
II thi, were not enough, our Government ia now
in the hands Of the free States and in league with
England and France for the suppression Of the
trade.
With this suppression Of the slave trade on one
side. and this incessant emancipation on the other
what chance would Cuban slavery have Of escaping
from the Abolitionists of the North, and the free
il additional obstruction to the preservation of
the slave population in its actual condition. The
male population exceeds the female in the proper
ton OF about Eve to three, and this has been the
for period dating back to the earliest census
of the island which we have seen. 1t ia said. in
deed, that such ia the severity of labor, that this
enormous irreguarity of the sexes produces little
of that irregularity Of conduct that would nearly
destroy all natural increase under mild system,
but essential in estimating the
prospects of the slave populations; and we are
bound to conclude that without the slavc trade all
the great planting interests Of Cuba must undergo
We vainly hope that the laws thus destruct i've
of it would be changed by the annexation of Cuba.
We should not be her legislators, were che State
of the Union. Cuba 10 already peopied, and by a
race that would retain it's Jealous exclusiveness
with all the fervid tenacity Of religious bgory and
nationa and social repulsion.