Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1854-05-20

j The advices from Havana in another column, arc
important 1t is stated that the Spanish Government
has approved the conduct of the Captain General in
the Black Warrior affair IF this be true it will be
difficult for this government to avoid hostile meas
ures towards Spain. These advices, are, however,
different from others the subject; and il
may be that few days will present the matter in a
| more peaceful aspect.
There is no mistaking the position of President
Pierce as laid down in his message to Congress in
relation to the Black Warrior outrage. His atten-
ton is fixed, not only on requiring from Spain am
pie apology and indemnity for the outrage, but on
the movement, to which England and France are
thought to be parties, for emancpating the slaves
in Cuba and thus making free abolition State
on Southern borders. These powers are engag-
ed in the policy which they pursued when the
| question of annexng Texas was presented to the
! American people; and if our government should
| show, as believe it will, firm and unyielding
front to their designs the result will be similar to
| what it was then. At any rate, their situation in
relation to other European powers is now such as to
render it impossible that they espouse the cause
! of Spain in contest of arms, which they know
must result in the ultimate triumph of the United
States and in the annexation of Cuba to the Ameri
can Union.
The conversion of Cuba into a negro republic
ought never to be permitted by this government
That design of this sort is entertained there
be doubt. We are for meeting it at once, and for
declaring that any overt act looking to such result
will be regarded by this government imperatively
demanding the promptest and sternest measures to
prevent it. We should prefer to wait until Cuba
could be obtained by purchase in a peaceful man.
ner, with the consent of her own people" better
by purchase than by conquest" contemporary
Lot+ of,l11y with uinl
but if the insane policy of the Spanish Government
shall so determine it, the annexation of Cuba will be
effected by the irresistible power of people mpa-
tent of outrage and apprchensve of impending ca
lamity."
We copy as follows this subject from the New
Orleans Delta and the Mobile Register, two of the
soundest and abest papers in the country:
The move of Senator Slidel, in the United States
Senate is an exceedingly important We per-
ceive that the positions so clearly and ably mann
tanned by Mr.. Siidell are concurred IN by Senators
BENJAMIN and Butler. The absence of the Chair
man of the Committee of Foreign relationships
tor Mason-seems to have been the principal cause
for deferring action on the resolution. Though Mr..
Mason is rather "sow coach" we believe that
even his eyes will be opened the powerful AIRY of
facts, showing the deeply-laid scheme of English
diplomacy to Afrcanize Cuba, in order to prevent
its acquisition by the United States.
On a previous occasion Mr.. Mason intmated, quite
distinctly, his views on this subject by remarkng
that policy to wait until the pear was ripe.
We think that such overwhelming proofs of the pur
poses of Great Britain and France to interfere in the
affairs of colony this continent-to interfere
mainly from hostile motives to the United States
have sufficiently "ripened the pear" for even the
dainty palate of the cautious Chairman of the Sem
ate Committee on Foreign Affairs The question is
now distinctly made, will the United States stand
idly by and see an island, lying within sixty miles
of her shores, and inhabited by half million of
whites devastated and laid waste to crafty the eal
g
which have no right or interest in the matter? This
is the policy avowed by lord Pa.merston.
Better let the whites be extingushed, and Cuba
made second Hayti than fall into the hands OF the
United States. Are not the blacks, the miserable
Africans, imported into the island by Spanish slav-
ers, in many cases with the connivance OF Great
Britain they not as much of the people OF
Cuba as the Creoes, whose families have inhabited
the land for centuries? Such is the proposition Of
Lord Palmerston; such is the proposition of Gov
eminent which pretends now that our friendship
and neutrality may be of some avail-to desire our
good feeling and kindly disposition. The people OF
the United States are bound by every obligation of
sefdefence security, national policy, well as by
its cherished principle in favor of the emancipation
of American States from European DOMINION, to re-
sist this design.-LeltG.
The speech of Mr.. SlideIl has produced strong
sensation, wherever received Its revelations are so
startling and its proofs rreragble that even the
most Indifferent and incredulous, to AngloFrench
interference in Cuban affairs, and the abolition poll
CIV in SPAIN have been reused to sense OF the dan
ger to our country, and the necessity OF adopting
precautionary and protective measures. The idea
that Spain could be led to adopt system which |
would result in the destruction of an institution up
on which depends the prosperity OF her most valu-
able colonial possession seemed to be so preposter-
ous that the idea had hitherto been generally re-
iected as altogether incredible. That Great Britain |
has been using her efforts, for number of years, to
secure such result, has been more widely believed,
and the concurrence of France has also been readily
acknowledged But that they could succeed in in
ducing the Spanish Government to accede to their
wishes was considered impossible.
It is now very clearly established by Mr.. Siidell,
that this scheme for the abolition of slavery in Gu
ba with its singular auxilary-the introduction OF
hordes of negroes from Africa, as apprentices -
all designed thoroughly to Afrcanze the-island and
to render it an unfit possession for the United States
has not only been concocted by the British and
French governments, but is actually being carried
into operation by the authorities of Spain The
proofs to sustain this startling fact crowd in from all
quarters. Even since the delivery of Mr.. SlidePs
speech, we have received advices from Havanna
which strengthen if they do not verify his strongest
coniectures. What mean the proclamations of Pc
zuea relaxing the bonds of the slaves, and author
zing every one to hire his time, and control MS
own actions, by the payment of eight dollars per
month"; to his master? What means the organlza-
ton of black regiments, composed of these very ne
rroes-placing arms in their hands, and training
them to all the tactics of war? What means, last
of ALL the free and unchecked importation of Afri-
can "apprentices, )" while new and more rigorous
measures are Illuminated against the "slave trader"
h. 1xrSna