The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-11-03


able tables of statistics presented in this volun
by Mr.. Andrews.
CUBAN AND EUROPEAN INTERVENTION
The Washington Union is discussing in
tone Of great bitterness the question of Euro
pean Intervention in the affairs of Cuba
pretends that a scheme is on foot, pstronize
by England, France, and Spain, to Africaniz
Cuba, by the Importation of Africans, to b
held in servitude for ten years on that islant
with provision for the ultimate emancipation
of all the slaves at the end of fifty years. lh
object of this very profound scheme, of course,
to render the island valueless to the Unite'
States and thus put wet blanket on the ardo
| of the tilibustcrs The Union remarks: "W
are so well satisfied that arrangements are act
ually made for embarking largely in the I'M
p)rtation of African apprentices with the con
sent and under the sanction of Spain, France
and England, that we venture to predict tina
the whole scheme will be openly avowed anC
made public as soon as the British and French
fleets are 30 arranged and stationed in thu
neighborhOod of Cuba as to make the avowa
safe
| 1t strikes us that there is no little humbug
gerry in all this 1t has always been the policy
of that journal whilo oStensibly deprecatne
flibustering" to minister to its purposes by
false alarms and groundless rumors of foreign
intervention If it can arouse the spirit Of an
tagonism to England, the national jealousy OF
foreign Intervention the lust of territorial az
grandizement, and apprehension of a conspir-
acy by movements in the West India islands
to compel emancipation in the South, it under
stands we'll enough that it creates a predispo-
sition in the public to favor whatever steps may
be deemed necessary by the Cuban Junto, or
the Administration, to bring Cuba under the
power of the United States.
We doubt the truth of tho rumor on which
the Union from day to day is commenting in
style calculated to inhame the public mind
against England, and strengthen tho cause of
Cuban annexation. But suppose it to be true,
what are we to do about it? If France, Spain,
and England have agreed upon such meas
ure, and if their combined fleets are to be sta
toned off Cuba to see that it be carried into
effect, how are we to prevent it Moral sua-
sion could never prevail against such a combi-
nation; protests would be idle; filibustering
would be check mated A declaration of wGr
would be the only resort-war against Spain,
France, and England. And, Disguise it as we
might, such war would be waged to prevent
not so much the Authorization of Cuba, as the
emancipation of its slaves How would such
conflict benefit that section of our country
which now contains three millions of slaves
10 Slavery so stable system that it could with
stand the shock of such conflict? Our fleets,
instead of annihilating the combined navies of
the three Powers, would be needed for tho pro-
lection of our own coast. But, suppose they
should achieve a naval triumph, and appear in
the harbor of Havana would Spain wait for a
descent before she put arms in the hands of
the six hundred thousand slaves on the island,
and babe them strike for their freedom! Mean
time, our Government would find it necessary to
tax oil its resources, and carry on the war by
land as we'll as by sea- The only point where
we could assal England would be in her North
American Colonies Our armies would be
marched upon the Canadas; their annexation
would be the prize to stimulate Northern valor
and all this while tho South, impoverished by
the loss of the chief market for it's great staple
would be the section most exposed to the fury
of the Invaders on whose banners would be
inscribed, Liberty to the SlaveS. The upshot
of such war might be the emancipation Of
slaveholding Cuba, the acquisition of the non
slaveholding Canadas, and revolution in the
social system Of onehalf Of this country; and
so far IA we can sec, such results would be
moro likely to follow than the annexation Of
Cuba, with its accurscd system Of Slavery.
Has the Union contemplated all these con
tingencies and is it really in favor of a wal
against England, France, and Spain to prevent
what it terms the Authorization of Cubal Oh
arc its innammatory articles ON this subjec
merely intended to call off the attention of tn,
party, of which it claims to be the organ, from
its domestic feuds and difficulties