Washington sentinel., 1854-03-02
EURoPnAN INTERFERESCE.

continent. Enough has already been brought
to light to show that deliberate purpose exists
on the part of Great Britain, to which it now
seems France has been persuaded to be party,
unjustly to interfere in the affairs of this con-
tinent
No one, who has paid any attention to these
matters, can be weak enough to believe that
this course has been dictated by what her
statesmen, in canting phrase, call "philantho-
py." The practical movements made by Eng
land, in carrying out her schemes of philan
thropy, show that she is utterly careless as to
their results in ameliorating the condition of
the African or his descendants. If this proof,
however, were wanting, enough of the official
tionaries, in spite of the secrecy that has par
tally concealed it, has been published to dis
play in the most unmistakable mannerher real
purposes. With hypocritical language on her
lips, with hollow appeals to what she calls the
moral sense of mankind, (intended to conceal
her real designs she has faithfully. matured in
her heart for series of years the deliberate
purpose Of preventing, if possible, the annexa-
ton of Cuba to the United States. To that
end, she has constantly labored. Her vigilance
has never slept Herministers and agents have
had the most explicit instructions from her
" foreign Office" Her plenipotentiary at Mad
rid has more pressing orders to negotiate and
scheme against the United States and the ex
tension of our territory than to forward the in
terests and build up the glory of Great Britain.
Anglo-Spanish diplomacy has but one maxim
which is, that anything can be bartered away,
any obligations canb be assumed, any yexpense can
be incurred to frustrate the acquisition OF Cuba
by the United States. AS if the destiny and
glory Of her people depended upon the result
England turns with earnest and anxious face
in every direction for aid in this her grand pur-
pose. No nation is too great, no State too
small theatre for her diplomacy. The British
managers employ every variety of character
and costume, from Napoleon in imperial scar
let to the Mosquito king in scanty regimental
blpe and brass buttons, to act the appropriate
parts Of this favorite piece. If any Of the per
formers happen to forget his part, the English
prompter is instantly heard. 1t is only owing
to this fact that we, who have no admission be-
hind the scenes, have learned how the play was
conducted.
Any man is wilfully blind who fails to see
fixed and deliberate purpose on the part Of
Great Britain to prevent, by every means in
her power, the acquisition Of Cuba by the Uni
ted States If the existence or non-existence
of slavery and the slave trade-if the ameli-
Grafton of the condition of the African
if the expenditure of treasure, such as never
laid in the Golfers Of her mammoth bank-if
alliances holy or unholy, with an hereditary
French enemy or needy Mexican Dictator, will
tend to secure such result, any one of these
will be cordially embraced. She would prefer
diplomacy to arms, and would rather employ
fraud than force. But yet it seems, from the
tone of Lord Clarendon's official conmunica-
ton to Parliament, that Great Britain, now
that she has found an ally in Louis Napoleon
for the purposes of each, in both hemispheres,
has determined to regulate the future condition
of Cuba, even at the hazard farms. !.
The grave, momentous, and practical ques
tion for us to decide is, will we permit this
viii we allow England to stretch one of her
Briarean arms across the Atlantic, and hold in
the hollow of her hand this jewel of the An
TILES, with an insulting declaration as an ex-
cuse that its ancient setting is too precarious?
We have certainly misunderstood the temper
of our people, if this thing can be. In such
an issue, we cfe not a trife for the value of
Cuba. We will not weigh national honor by
the scales. 1t may or may not be of vast i'm
portance to us; it may may not be essential
to our safety; it may or may not be the tongue
that procams maritime law to our Gulf of
Mexico. If were Juan Fernandez, or egen
plague-spot, our position would be the same.
We deeply regret that our ancient ally and
revolutionary friend should stand shoulder to
shoulder with her old foe in this attitude of
hostility to us. The memory of the wrongs
she has received from the hands of England
alone should have deferred her from joining
in any such compact Alliances formed ex-
pressly to interfere with her own domestic
policy, in former times, brought her proud
head to the dust. Twice was her capital in
hostile hands by reason of the interference Of
England in matters of which she was of right
sole Judge The great chieftain, from whom
as from some swelling fountain has flowed all
the honors Of his imperial nephew, was himself
made twice sacrifice to the interfering ambi-
ton of England. Louis Napoleon, whose foot
prints have been on our own shores, ought
to have learned from contact and observa-
ton, if not from history, the temper of our
people, as well as the boundlessness Of our re-
sources. If, in company with England, he is
disposed to brave these, and do injustice to
people who have never crossed his path with
hostility, he may again have exhibited to him
what has once at least been eminently signal
lied in his own eventful history, the force Of