The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-12-08

; CuDd. ana now, We pun ChO i"''''" y" wa
e countrYmen VIII youverify the somewhat spite
e ful remark Of the London Tunes, in reference
To Americans, that their Wanted and un
doubted shrewdness wholly deserts them wher
they come to estimate what they are to expect
:. from another country2" That against whlcf
q the Washington Union would really array
!. them is not the Atricanieation but the Ema"
n ciDati0a Of Cuba.
~ THE ADMINISTRATION AND CUBAN AFFAIRS
The Union publishes a private letter from
3 Gan intelligent gentleman residing IN Cuba,
ii respecting the movements in that sland, OIL
the part Of the British and Spanish Gov
ernments, concerning Slavery. 1t Is written
in rcnlv TO the editor Of the Union, or some
n one else who wished to crimlnate the British
= Government as may be inferred from It's
{ opening paragraph have only tme Drie'-
8 " to sketch my views on British interference,
= as uou requested me, hoping that you may trnd
= them Of some use" lie proceeds to say that
r the treaty Of 1917, for the suppression OF the
g slave trade. was found Inefficient, chiefly on
account of the absence of any penal clause
that at the urgent solicitation Of England
Spain, after IL thorough consideration OF the
whole subject, was induced to agree to the
law and treaty Of 1885, which provided penal
ties for their niracton, but prohibited interte
renee after the slaves had once been landed,
and disposed of to the planters. The letter
writer objects to the midncss of the penalties,
but iustfes the prohibition
First, because the connvance or inefhcien-
cy of her agents should not be visited upon the
planters, who were taught implicit obedience
to their rulers Secondly, because such an IN
yestigation, once commenced, would soon dis
cover the whole slave property to be fraudu
lent and would leopard the complete wealth
of the island Thirdly because the court
could not help being conscious Of its ability
effectively to stop the trade, whenever it really
desired to do 80. And fourthly, because the
consequences of the legal cases and their num-
! Der would be excitement, characterization, and
| insurrectionary movements. | can, therefore,
understand the reason justice, and expediency
of stopping all investigation and persecution of
| slaves recently impor,oI the soil of Cuba
DuU never o0uiu understand tho ;ustificnt.-
! of the leniency in the same law towards the
nifactOr the speculator, the ship-Owner and
the commander Of the ship in the reproved
| traffic
This IL altogether one-sided view of the
case The planters knew very well who were
the fresh Africans, that in purchasing them of
the traders they were aiding and abetting in
the violation of the law and the treaty, for it
was the market they opened that was at the
bottom of the mischief They were just a.
guilty as their agents, the traders and i'm
porters.
The British Government persisted in urging
upon the Spanish Government the necessity OF
more rigidly observing the treaty, and Spain
issued moro positive Instructions to its Captain
General The Spanish Minister Of Foreign
Affairs remarked
an consequence of the pcremptory instruc-
tons lately sent to the Captain General of
Cuba, that he should omit no effort in bringing
to an end the slave trade, we have received a
despatch from that functionary, assuring us
that he was putting in practice the most siren
uous measures to carry into effect has intruc-
tions and he adds that finding that the execu-
ton of the strict letter of the law embarrassed
him in this object, he had not hesitated to adopt
extreme measures and that suspending the
exercise of the penal law of 1885, which pro-
hbts the persecution OF slaves recently i'm
ported after they have reached the estate of
the purchaser, he had determined to persecute
such slaves wherever he found them, and to
free them from their holders
Lord Clarendon referred to this in "A congrat-
ulatory style, and informed Parliament that
the Spanish Cabinet had received a communi-
cation from the Royal Council, recommend
ing that the Captain General should be invest
ed with the more ample authority required,
that he may more efficiently oppose the evil.
f And Lord Clarendon says, moreover, that it ID
the first time that such recommendation had
issued from the Council
Of all this the letter writer of the Union
t bitterly complains. He denounces the policy
, of hunting up and lbcrating the Africans ille
, gdlig brought into the island, ~ unjust to the
planters although they bought them, knowing
, them to DO freemen. lie dcnounces Grea
Britain for urging such policy; and the
r American People are called upon by the Wash
0 ington Union, to sympathizc with him in hi
+ adherence Of her conduct in thus laborin.
+. with her ally to restore TO Freedom the ma
t tivcs of Africa who have been imported int,
= Cuba and onslavcd in violation of law ant
A treaty obligations We presume they will
= find nothing in such a state of facts to incit
:, them to embark in n warlike crusade in behal
i of Cuban Slavery.
o In the same number of the Union we fin,
t the following information, contained in a lette
3 from the Havana correspondent of the Londo,
n Ddiy NewS.'
o SLAVERY IN CUBA
# Hdtdnd, Oct. 22-rho new system of an
# premiership, or voluntary labor, which it i
r generally understood will be adopted for Cuba
. will be II legalzed Slavery which, when one
established, neither the philanthropy of Eng
n land and France, nor the combined civilization
J.. of the world, will bo able to soften OF control
The restrictions which were brosght to bea
upon the planters of the British West Indie
: will not DO practicable or effective la Cuba
d The violence, the fraud, the murders, whcl
Q now reign, will be continued, and probably b.
:, a thousand times multiplied for there vii
. certainly DO no voluntary emigration 70
= tho privilege of toll without hope and withou
> reward The same offers have heretofore BEEF
Q made TO Asiaiic emigrants They are to com
4 to an Australia or CALIFORNIA; land of gold
;, flowing with milk and honey and to hav
: cabins and land Of their own They come AM
u lind the fulflment Of the promise in being solo
y like other ohattels without any guarantee Q
Ia fha la A