The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-01-17
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termined to prevent them.
That which has happened In regard 10 the slave
trade in Brazil is parallel case.
For long course of years the Save trade was car
RED on In Brazil TO enormous extent. Inc Bra
lillian government always net the REPRESENTATIONS OF
the British government by assurances and declara-
tOns but the slave trade coutBued without check.
At last, in the summer of 1850, circumstances in
duced the Brazilian governments 10 set to- work in
earnest to fulfil the treaty engagements OF c Bra
lillian crown, and to enforce the laws Of the BRAZILIAN
empires and as the will to do existed, the
way to do so was found, and in the short space OF
few months results were with the greatest ease ac-
complished, which for long course of years had
been represented as utterly impossible.
similar result would take place in Cuba and Pu-
erto Rico, if similar course were pursued by the
Spanish government; and her Majesty's government
cannot but entertain hope that the cabinet Of Mad
nd will at last awaken to due sense OF its duties and
obligations, and will put end to q system Ofcrime
and piracy which is stain on the Spanish character.
and on the honor Of The Spanish crown. hase to
desire that your ordship will give copy of this de-
spatch to the Spanish minister. am, &c,
(S2ned0 PALMERsTON.
yIsCouNT PALMERsTON TO LORD HowDEN.
FOREIGN OFFICE, Oct. 20, 1851.
My LORD have received your lordships despatch
OF the lst instant, transmitting copy OF note which
you had received from NJ dc Mrafores in reply TO
your note of the 26th ut recommending, behalf Of
her Majesty's government, that the government
of Spain should follow the example set them by New
Granada, in declaring the total abolition Of slavery in
that republic.
with reference to that passage in Mirafiores notc
in which he states that the Spanish government can
not understand how her Majcsty's government can
seriously recommend measure which would prove
very injurious to the natives of Cuba when they also
recommend that the Spanish government should con-
ciliate the affection of those Cubans, have to in
struct your lordship to observe to N. de Mrafores
that the slaves OF Cuba form large portion, and by
no means an unimportant one, OF the population of
Cuba and that any steps taken to provide for their
emancipation would, therefore, as far az the black
population is concerned be quite in unison with the
that measures should be adopted for contentng the
people of Cuba, with view to secure the connection
between that island and the Spanish crown; and it
must be evident that If the negro population OF Cuba
were rendered free, that fact would create o most
powerful element of resist to any scheme for
nexing Cuba to the United States, where slavery
still exists.
With regard to the bearing which negro emanoi-
patton would have on the interests of the white pro-
pretors it may safeybe affirmed that free labor costs
less than slave labor, and it is ndisputable that ee
and contented peasantry are safer neghbors for the
senfu slaves; and that slaves must from the nature
Of things be more or less ill treated Is truth which
belongs to the inherent principles of human nature,
and is quite inevitable the resentment however
suppressed it may be, which is the consequence Of i'll
treatment. 1t does not seem, therefore, that the
communications which you were instructed to make
of the measure which had been adopted by the go
vernment and parliament Of New Granada, can just
y be deemed as at all at variance with the friendly
sentiments felt and expressed by her Majestys gov
ernment towards Spain with relation to the affairs Of
Cuba. am, &C., (Sgned) PALMERsros.
The California Connagrations-The Elasticity
Of Yankeedom.
from the London Times, Dec. 30
The name of Terra del FuegO should certainly be
transferred from the southern to the northern extre
nifty OF the American continent II ever country
deserved to be called the Land of Fire. it Is that
giOn in which all other incidents OF life regarded
as subsidiary to the collection of gold. Few readers
we may trust overlooked the remarkable c0mmuni-
n.
correspondent in California. This gentleman's re-
port contained the usual invoice of local confagra-
tions quantity set forth. There fire of ''some
magnitude" in San Francisco, which had consumed
thirty-six houses and good deal OF property"
This however, scarcely worth noticing, and
her fire at Marysvi!le, though characterised as
. serious" received still less attention Certain
minor burnings,'' too, were disposed of by simple
allusion, and confagration alone was treated
with the compliment of particular narrative. To
be sure this was a large one, for it destroyed an
entire cty-a city as large as considerable English
town, and far more wealthy. Indeed, the calamity
extraordinary that even Californian stoicism
appears to have been moved, and our correspondent
recounts the incidents with visible impression.
Nevertheless the description OF the affair." and OF the
behaviour of the people in so terrible emergency.
is, we should think without parallel in any tale OF
fiction or fact.
Sacramento, called the City of the Plains was q
town OF great repute, containing population OF
Is 900 souls. 1t is said to have been never be-
fore consumed during the whole five years of its ex
isence. and though we seem to remember chroniclng
its destruction at least once during this period
must presume correspondent to be correctly in
formed. Perhaps he spoke like SCOTS moss-trooper,
in the q Lay Of the Last Minstrel" who remarked
that his habtatOn hadn't been burnt this year,
more" and who looked upon fire as very hard
usage after so long an immunity At any rate, how
ever Sacramento is destroyed now and destroyed 80
utterly that five brick buildings are all that remain
out of town large Windsor. Several places Of
worship innumerabe magazines, and between 1000
and 5000 houses absolutely consumed in the
space of few hours; the loss of property is said to
exceed f2 900 900 sterng and though the practised
aertness OF Californian citizens exempts them from
much of the peril of such vsitations the fire in ques
ton proved too rapid in its progress even for them
and fourteen persons actually pershed. Such was
the great fire OF Sacramento-a confagration almost
as large, even by direct comparison as that OF any
ancient city record, and far larger If estimated
with reference to its actual size. Probably no town
city yet suffered fire which left few habi-
tations standing.
At this city, then, thus destroyed our correspon-
dent arrived while the ashes were still hot and the
ruins smouldering To him, he innocenty
remarks, 1.-THE was familiar, but to stranger
il would have been singuarly curious" There was
literally not in the whole place, expression or
symptom OF regret, lamentation detection, or woe.
The people took the matter as cooly as a aundress
when her clothes have been blown off the line. They
had been burnt out, and were building up again; and
the event appeared to be- rather than otherwise ex-
hilarating; though less than fortyeight hours had
elapsed since the fire. the site OF the principal street
was so crowded with carts, nOrseS, ana Work
men, as to be "almost impassable," and all other
sounds were rendered inaudbe by the incessant din
of hammer trowel, and saw. "How you2--all
your buildings gone?-let's have drnk--youn build
in brick now?-were the phrases of salutation poured
forth in single breath; and we are assured that
within the space Of ten days erempore Sacramen-
to had risen from the ashes, that the shops were
opened with full stocks Of goods and that business
that true end of American life-"had been resumed
with infinite spirit Certainly, all history may be
searched in vain for such description as this. An
incident of characteristic effect completes the story.
While the fire was actually at its height the ACUTE
ness of Californian wit had deserted the impending
rise in the price of building materials, and steamer
was presently chartered by two three spectators
for the neighboring city of San Francisco. As
natural consequence it was crowded with passengers
intent on the same object but the original charter
ers caused themselves to be put privately on shore,
and gave orders that the steamer should beat about