The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-09-29
the same Union was the advocate of purcha.

sing IuOh.
The plan of purchasing the island being
thus laid aside as utterly unworthy OF Its brave
and free people, the editor of the same paper
inquiries, What then, do they desire! What
do they expect?" He suffers the head OF the
Iunta to answer for himself in the same bonn
bastic style. Prepared with sufficient forces,
within and WITHOUT the isle TO revolutionize IT
by force of arms, we, the sons of Cuba, aspire
to that idea as the only one which can give Us
honor and glory in acquiring the title to Sover-
eighty in the rank Of nations" The meaning
Of this is that the Patriots look for material
aid to the people or Government OF the Unl'
ted States AS to the Government the Union
says: "What our policy may be, we do not
pretend to indicate but we think we under
stand the characters of the men who now man
age the helm of State well enough to be assured
that no step will be taken or countenanced by
our Government for the acquisition of Cuba,
that is not strictly consistent with all our treaty
obligations with sound international law, and
in accordance with the honor and dignity
of Cuba" If the Government acts up to this
pledge of its organ in good faith, and suffer the
Cubans to depend upon their own efforts, aided
by only such clandestine support outlawed
fllibusterism can render, the chances of free
dom OF independence for the Lone Star are in
a blue way. 1t being the acknowledged duty
Of our Government, and the interest of Spain,
England, and France, to frustrate the attempts
of individuals from this country upon the peace
and loyalty of the island, we see no possible
chance of a successful revolution.
In the mean time it is said that Spain has
entered into treaty with England, and per-
haps France, for the entire abolition Of Slave
ry. We fear that there is little reliance to be
placed in the statement. Ii may have arisen
out Of the effort recently made to secure liber-
ty to the class called emancipadoes, who have
been brought to the island since the treaty of
1922 for the suppression Of the slave trade.
! That trade has, We believe, been carried on
upon large scale, with the connivance of the
Cuban authorities, which has rarely been actu-
ated by higher sense of honor and humanity
than prevails in a band of pirates. If the truth
could be ascertained the emancipadoes would
doubtless be found to constitute large portion
Of the negro population and, of course, are en-
titled to freedom according to the laws of
Spain But the authorities of the island have
reduced their number, by false registrations
and other fraudulent devices, to a few thou
sands
We would deprecate the admission of Cuba
into the Union as q slaveholdng State, thereby
increasing the arrogant and overbearing Slave
Power but in other respects liberty and hui
mainly would probably be gamers by that
event in the suppression of the African slave
trade. But on the other hand, the American
slave trade would be substituted for it. which
is equally infamous and criminal though less
destructive of life and it would be attended
with consequences more favorable to the final
triumph of freedom and civilization. The i'm.
pOrtation from Africa is almost exclusively of
men and we have been informed by highly
intelligent gentleman from the West Indies,
that plantations of fifty to five hundred slaves,
are frequently to be seen with not more than a
dozen women upon them--sometimes not more
than one! The gloomy horrors of such So
ciety can be better imagined than described,
and the man who could be induced to defend
or apologize for it should be banished to Bot
any Bay. Slavery, as it exists in Cuba, is not
a question about which honest men may differ.
1t is one of those matters about which all re-
spectacle people must be of one opinion while
nothing short Of scoundrelsm can hold up it's
head on the other side.
The danger is, if annexed to the Union, the
planters from this country might find it to their
interest to continue the Spanish system of car.
rying none but men to Cuba In that event. the
business of save-breeding in Virginia would
be established on firm basis, and would prob.
ably pay better than raising tobacco. Has not
Congress the power to regulate this growing
branch of the internal commerce Admitting
that the power to regulate does not imply the
power to prohibit the domestic slave trade, it is
still clear that Congress may interposc to pre-
vent the separation of the sexes, in the pratt
cal manner of the African trade If the pres
ent Pro- Slavery Administration is bent on the
acquisition of Cuba and other tropical regions
by fair means or foul, and the Northern people
are wanting in the patriotism and virtue which
are requisite for resisting the mania for more
territory, then we shall insist upon the exercise
of this regulating power in Congress, to pre-
vent the separation of the sexes and families of
the slaves, and as far as possible to discourage
the disgraceful and infamous occupation of
slave breeding for the market. We should
even hope to have the cooperation of all hon.
orablc men in the South to this extent. Ger
tainly, highminded virginians are not willing
to see the Old Dominion become as famous for
breeding negro slaves for the Southern market
as Kentucky is for her breeds of horses and
cattle. g.