Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1853-12-23

we are to try again in Colony moi
our own. under laws ofwhich we know
only that they arc bad, and under the
conduct OF the most merciless and I'M
scrupulous slave masters in the world.
A new experiment requires that all
the conditions should be as much as
possible under our control. This is
barely an experiment, for = is proved
thing that negro apprenticeship is an
impossible ambiguity, which must soon
resolve itself into either slavery or Free
dom. Yet there are politicians, and
even statesmen, at Washington who
think II possible that we should repro
duce an old obsurdify uader the most
desperate conditions, and embarrass our
selves with tried and exploded measure
| In the hope that European State which
has long lost the sentiment OF honor
will keep its word when we are all dead
and gone. lf u.
II these American statesmen would
only just amuse, not their sober reason,
but their Imagination In its very idlest
mood, by devising some attcmptto carry
out the scheme, they could hardly fail
to laugh at their own simplicity in be-
lieving Il. The apprentices once landed
aud merged In the slave population OF
Cuba. who Is TO be able ten years hence
10 distinguish the man whose lease Of
bis letters and stripes Is on the point OF
expiring from the fortunate possessor OF
an inalienable freeholdi There are
American Judges, indeed, who might be
able to tell, by the color OF the skin. or
some other recondite token, how deep
ihe bondage had sunk into the soul, and
whether hope still survived in the bruis-
ed and emaciated form; but TO the un-
practiced eye OF British consuls and sea
captains. one branded. SCARED, whaled,
toothless and mutilated nigger would be
much the same as another, and il would
be impossible to resist the mass Of evil
dence, that would be adduced % prove
that every man brought into question
was native Of that happy soil. One
difference, is true, might be admitted.
The negro who evidently had but a short
lease Of his life might be presented to US
as the remains OF the ten years appren-
tice. We might see all the hearty and
strong still working under the lash as
the heirs Of perpetual slavery, while the
consumptive and crippled were resigned
to our charge with lists and indentures
denoting that they had come to Cuba
ten years before under the protection of
British cruisers. So would British
honor and Spanish economy be at once
satisfied. s4aa
The effect Of such a system on the
condition ofits subjects needs hardly a
second thought. Then comes the glori-
Gus prospect Of the emancipation OF Gu
ba In the year Of grace 1908. Where
and whose will Cuba itself be mt that
time no man can tell II may be a
black republic: II may be nest of pi-
rates and a scourge of society, in tardy
retribution OF the blood that has so long
trickled unavenged on It's soil. Fity
1years hence whos shall say what Spain
itself may be! Ifit remains what IL is
now, Il will not keepit word, for that |,
never does where It's interest Is the other
way. lf Spain is to learn political NOR
ality in the interval, that can only be by
changes in other respects, wholly be,
yond our baffied anticipstions. But. 4
we cannot rely either on Spain as Il IL
or on Spain as itmay be, what become,
OF an undertaking to come offhalfo cen.
tury hencel And what American In hi.
senses would invest dollar In the
chance ofso "unreliaole" State full
filing his promises at SO distant ans
understandable an eral
/ But the Americans are grave on the
subject. Their indignation is reused al
this new move of British interference
and their patriotism provoked to resist Il
| To resist what To resist a forced i'm
portation of Africans--just the very
thing which every American capitalis
interested In Loba would above MI things
desirel The President and his Cabinet
are prepared to meet this invasion OF the
American "Continent," In which IL ap,
pears Cuba Is situated, with ''frmnesl
and coursge;" and wo are assured. Ia
American phase, that "their action viii
be the resu' u the most deliberate ans
patriotic convictions" Nay, more
Gen. Pierce has been abused good dea
of.ate, and wanted q turn, so now W,
are told, "In view Of a crisis 80 momen
: tous the heart Of the patriot Presiden
must swell with emotions Of nationa
pride TO know that, with the exception
Of few contemplate fanatics, he will
be backed and sustained 10 the last ex
tremlty ofhis determination to follow
the dictates Of humanity, to guard th
constitutional rights Of all the States, I,
preserve the integrity Of the Fedora
Union, and TO resist the aggressions o
the British Monarchy, by toe united vote
and energies Of q people who are iealou
Of their honor, who are informed OF theI
rights, aud who are ready 10 stake ne
liberty, and property on the preservation
Of both" There we must stop. w
are fairly breathless with the pace a
| which the feryid patriotism and outrage