The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-11-05
ALittle Truth about Cuba.

with Senior Mariana Torriente. He is gentle
man of some parts and some repute in his own
country-has filled civil and military stations
respectfully enjoys the friendship and es-
TEEN Of that exceedingly estimable man, Cap
tain General Canedo. He came here some. time
since hence went to Cuba and while there la
bored very jealousy but we regret to say, not
very successfully to alter our opinion Of Cane
do, and our views generally Of affairs on the
island. Having failed in instructing us, Senior
Torriente turned his philanthropic mind to the
sorrows of the slave dealers in Cuba. The Eng
fish were spelling every speculation mag
nifco in the way Of negroes fresh import
ed from Africa The slave traders pour
ed their Affections into Senior Torrientes
bosom, and his warm feelings and inge-
NOUS mind soon suggested remedy. He
left precipitately for England, and the next
we heard Of him was rather savage onslaught
upon him by one Of the London journals. He
was not idle, in truth. In his pocket he car
red about a-bran new scheme for settling all
the disputes between England and Spain on the
subject OF the Cuban slave trade. This scheme
Was, IL Ouc WOIu, ICpeal VI VIC CAioeiAS CiCo-
ties prohibiting the slave trade, and legaliza-
tion of the traffic for period Of eight or ten
years. at the expiration of which Spain was to
liberate the negroes imported during the same.
This insane proposal Senior Torriente courage
ously laid before several distinguished states
men in England. We need hardly add that
where he escaped the treatment inflicted upon
him by the newspaper above mentioned, he was
politely ushered out, as man whose intentions
might be pure, but whose mind was hopelessly
disordered.
Nothing daunted, Senior Torriente went to
he expense of printing his lucubratons on the
subject of the slave trade, and about the same
time, curiously enough, it began to be rumored
that England had made certain proposals to
Sna'n 70 hermit importations of onn-n~4'---
from Africa into Cuba, on condition Of their
being emancipated at the end of certain
period. No one who knew anything of Eng
lishmen or Of politics paid the slightest atten-
tion to SO absurd story; but the Union swal-
lowed it and other journals which follow in its
wake did so likewise. In point Of fact, the
Union wanted to divert attention from the abo-
litionist character Of the Cabinet and would
have circulated stories ten times more ridicu-
lous if it had believed they would have answer
ed the purpose. 1t gained little, however, by
this device in this country.
The hoax was most successful in Cuba.
There the highest authorities alluded openly to
treaty, executed by Lord Howden, under
which Cuba would be allowed to capture ne
groes in Africa, bring them into the island and
keep them ten years as slaves. One can readily
imagine the ecstacy such an announcement must
have created among the slave dealers. And
when we bear in mind how carefully public
opinion is bullied in Cuba--how all foreign in
dependent journals are excluded and the domes-
tic press governed by the Captain General--it
is not difficult to understand how the story has
gained credit; and now almost every one in
the island, not excluding our own correspon-
dents-seems to believe it implicitly.
To reasoning men we need hardly spend time
in explaining how such treaty has never or can
ever be proposed or agreed to by England
The scheme proposed by Senior Torriente, and
caught up by the Cuban authorities, amounted,
in plain terms, to legalization of the slave trade
for period of time. Now, what earthly reason
could England have for consenting to such an
arrangement? What benefit would the negroes
deriveg England has spent millions during
the past few years to suppress the traffic. She
has threatened to break off her relations with
Spain If her authorities continue to connive at
it and the British cruisers are baffled in their
endeavours to arrest slavers. And yet we are
told that this same England now actually in
tends to sanction this traffic for period of ten
years, in consideration of promise by the
Cubans to liberate the negroes they shall have
seized during that period so soon as it shall
have expired!
Senior Torriente's scheme, and the terms of
the supposed treaty will of course be popular
with the slave dealers, whom they would enable
to make their fortunes without molestaton from
England. But is there an English ambassador
living who dare sign such treaty on behalf of
bis government? Is there minister in Eng
land who would venture to face Parliament
with the proofs on record of his having guaran-
teed to protect the slave trade for ten or any
other period of years?
LETTER FROM DANIEL s. DICKINSON. are