Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-05-12
THE 1NTEILrGENcER ON CUBA.

greet, for we place great confidence, in
deed, in the superior experience and ma
tured judgment OF its conductors. Yet we
cannot coincide With its views On our affairs
with foreign governments, which, it strikes
us, are prone to be put forward under a
species of terror at the tendency of the
United States to expand. 1t squares its
ideas of national propriety in interna
tional affairs, by the requirements of the
times when that journal first saw the
light-when we We're almost too weak to
venture to call our national soul our own.
under the frowns of more powerful
government. Our neighbors seem to us,
at times, and especially on this occasion,
to fancy that in 1854, we should be gov
erned by the same international policy
of simply drawing within our own shell
when trenched on, which answered CAPT.
tally for our condition in 1900. Thus,
while we agree with them in believing
the adoption of the Slidell resolutions to
be unwise, we do not agree with them in
the belief that the state of things for
which Mr.. Slidell recommends his reso-
lutions as remedy, neither require nor
justify national movement on the part
of the United States. 1t will be remem-
bered that up to this time, our neighbor
has ignored the existence of scheme to
Africanize Cuba. The fact, however,
has at length become so palpable, as that
even the Intelligeneer perceives it, and
we have that journal justifying it in an
elaborate and really powerful article.
The basis of its justification is, first, that
Spain has the right to do with Cuba,
under England's dictation, as she will.
Next, that We quietly permitted England
to do in Jamaica and her other West
India Islands, just what Spain proposes
to do in Cuba and, lastly, that it will
be an extremely dangerous example for
our Southern States to set, to interfere
with the institution of slavery outside of
the limits of the authority of the United
States; as it will be setting the precedent
for similar interference on the part of
European governments, with slavery in
this country.
Now to these points it is sufficient to
answer:
First: That Spain has no right to es-
tablish highly dangerous nuisance in
juxtaposition with our shores; and that
upon well-settled principles of interna-
tional law-which were successfully APP
piled and indicated in the incorporation
of the free city of Cracow into the Aus
TRAN empire-we have right under the
principle Of self-preservation, to abate it,
in our own time and way.
Second: That England's Africanization
of her West India possessions was by
no means parallel case. Thus, Eng
land only sought to make free the negroes
who were upon her islands, while Spain
essays to legalize the ovcr-peopling of
Cuba with savage Africans by further ex-
tending the importation of them, to be set
free in their savage state, literally, and
and TO be invested with the rights OF
citizenship there. England freed hers in
such localities, and so divided up Oh
smaller islands, as that their condition
does not interfere with our rights and in
terests to the extent which free negro
Government in Cuba will. Already we
have had much trouble On account of the
political condition of the British West
Indies. Yet every sensible man knows
that we will have a hundred fold as
much with Cuba in the condition in
which England is determined to place
her, if we sit with our fingers in our
mouths while she is doing so.
Third: This Government is strong
enough to protect the rights and interests
of our Southern States, at home, against
the world in arms, and the world knows
the fact well. We have further to add.
only, that our Southern States do not pro-
pose to create a national nuisance within
their boundaries, which shall injure the
rights of, or injurc any other people or
Government, which is the case of Spain
with Cuba. Whenever the United States
shall essay any thing of that sort, it will
be time enough to write of the danger Of
bad precedents in going out Of our way
to interfere in the domestic affairs of
others.
Our limits prevent us from pursuing
this subject further to-day. So we must
conclude with hint to our esteemed
neighbcr, the Intelligeneer, that if Eng
land and Spain mistake its views, as given
yesterday, for American sentiment upon
the Cuba question, and act on them, we
shall have war in less than six months
time.