The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1853-01-11
Misfellailfalls,
From the London Times; December To-.
The Annexation of Cuba.
Fl 9. -. -.

court Csueros ON behalf OF the sCu ban Jnnta;
of New York, in which we are accused OF hav-s
ing overlooked one importa ant sele tent of the
controversy relating to Gnba npmely, the
desire of the ;Gubaus themselves TO shake off,
the woke of Spain. On the other hand we
are informed that the passion for the anHexsiien
of that island to the American Upi6n Is rapid,
ly gaining ground tkfough hont,h he United States,
and evenour own cores spondentsa New York !
who entertains great comic fdences in lhe policy
and character of Mr. Pierce and his Govern
ment, intiinates that theresa are many reasons
for apprehending that se are approaching a
period whensth popular passions pf a great
and mighty nation are 10 be let loose for 2
career of conquest. and, aggression. But. y,
truth, these are two distinct questions. It's
one thing to consider whetheF the mlsgoyern-
ment of the Island Of Cuba by Spain Is; such
as to Justify declarationsf independe by
the Cubans themselves and another thing to;
consider whether powerful heighboring ma
ton is justified in fomenting such tendencies
to insurrection for the purpose of eventually
annexing this island to its own erritoriess r.
our remarks have been more frequently dirccs
ted to the latter Of these questions than to the
former, it is because adispute between Cuba
and the mother country is of far less general
interest than propensity to osconquest aud as,
gressi"n on the part OF the most powerful pa
tion of the New World.
We have no doubt that the Cubans haze
serious grounds of complaint against their
Spanish rulers, and that good policy as well
as Justice to the c6lany ought 10 induce the
Cabinet at Madrid Storeiy on other me easures
besides force for themaint tainance OF It's au-;
thority in the island. But IL rs by sllitas,
be representations at Madrid, ard not: 6y the;
reasonable correspondence from New 0rleans.
and New York that this aoIjcc can bt ST be
promoted; and the more Spain has been threats
ened by cnnspiracies and actnal: slfs saslon, the
more suspicious and severe has her admii,is,s
tration become. ltsmay also be true tina. ma
nv ofthe Cuban, planters are OF opinion that q
union to the Uuited Statesswauld be to their
advantage, because it would place the institu
ton of slavery under the powerful protection,
of the Southern States, and it would relieve
their produce from the import duty of 80 per s
cent now levied on it in the ports af the Y :.
States. Bntsthese motives are OF far less ST.
rious consequence than the political consldera.
tions arising,out 5f such "a revolution. The
experience we have had of the emanci ipation. OF
the Spanish colonies, both in Mexico and
South America, leads to the inevitable concll;
sion that, insthrowing Of the g government OF
the mother country, they hsye only plunged
into long career of anarchy and degradation.
AThe Republicaniusti ions which we're thought
% be best adapted to the genius the M es- es
, :ern hemisphere, and were, therefore, borrow
et from the Anglo American commonwealths,
h,ve ended in social and political dissolution
whenever they have been tadopted by the;
Spanish race,
It is probable that such revolution as this
transfer of sovereignty. implies, will never be
effected in Cuba without contest which must
expose the commerce of the island to very
formidable consequences, and may leave it IN
the state ofSt. Domingo But even supPosnlg
Cuba to be peaceably banded over and an
nexed to the Union flor its independent politi.
cal existence is an hypothesis not worth dis
cussing,) a new state of things would then
arise which would give rise to the utmost
perplexity and peril. The American Confed--
Grafton recognises the Independent sovereignty
of each of its separate States, except insthe
cases limited and provided for by the Consti.
tuition. That Constitution rests on the prinel-
pie of selfgovernment,. and it has never yet
occurred that the Federal authority has been
required to perform any Of the duties which
devolve by law on the States themselves.
But what, Judging from experience, would be
the condition of Spanish community placed
under similar circumstances, or what would
be that of an island, densely peopled with
negroes but only protected by its own mill
tia? The extension to such a country OF in
stitutions framed by the great constitutional
statesmen of Virginia and Of New England for
their own use would produce the most oPPo-
site effects. The influence to be acquired by
such States as Cuba aud Mexico would be in.
consistent with the established principles and
preiudcal to the internal policy ofthe Union.
= The eternal strife of races would thus be in-
troduced into the Senate of the United States
: and such provinces orpossessions would prob
ably he ultimately held as conquered terrific.
ries, rather than sister States.
In spite of the assurances Of Don Gaspard
Cisneros, we very much doubt whether the
cause of American annexation is prevalent or
powerful in Cubaits except with the Amer.
lean adveuturers who have settled there. Lo.
pez was Cuban, and landed in the island to
make revolution, yethe was at once betrayed
Z and hunted down by the country people Of all
classes; andi is highly improbable that the
population ofan island, which is Spanish, Cath
clc, and to some extent monarchical, should be