Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-08-02
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Those in the interests of Slavery Propaganda
ism are confident in the expectation that Cuba
is to be bought or conquered by the Federal
Government at no distant day. 1t is stated by
leading Southern journals, that negotiations
are now actively going forward between Mr..
Soule and the Spanish Court, with reference to
this subject; and it is believed that the Span
ish instruction will further the design, by
bringing the Government of Spain into pecu-
mary embarrassments, demanding a supply of
money ut any sacrifice. 1t is expected, also,
that in the event of the success Of the rebels,
the necessities Of the new Government in Like
manner, will constrain it to part with the
island Of Cuba for e a consideration
It is true that Mr. Soule most solemnly de-
clared in the United States Senate, even after
he was looking to the Spanish mission, that he
would never consent to pay dollar for the
island; that he looked upon its purchase as
dishonoring to the people Of Cuba; and that
no terms of acquisition were to be thought of
but those of peaceful cession or open revolt
Such was the hollow language of Mr. Soule,
only short month or two before he received
the appointment of Minister to Spain. But if
any one doubts the readiness Of champion of
Slavery to eat his words, in order to pro-
mote the interests Of the institution he shows
great ignorance Of the true character of the
men and their principles. Slavery requires of
its votaries that they must act upon the maxims
that the end justifes the means" and that
ano faith is to be kept With .heretics;" and
the man who is not willing to come up to
this standard cannot be regard9frs sound on
the Slavery question" The passage OF the
Nebraska Bill, the reputation of the Declare
ton of Independence as ga selfevident lie"
and the bold advocacy Of a revival of the Arr
can slaye trade, are cases in point which serve
to illustrate the remark. We have seen the
g honorable men = and the chivalryo Of the
South repudate all the maxims Of the fathers
of the Constitution, and the compacts into
which the North and the South entered, in re-
gard to division of the territories; and we
can never be surprised at any act of perfdy,
any amount of falsehood, or any crime, into
which the nation may be precipitated, while it
is ruled by the foul spirit Of Slavery Propa-
gandsm.
The tameness with which Northern presses
and politicians receive the proposition to pur-
chase Cuba, at cost Of from one to three hun
dred millions Of dollars, at the moment when
the South would not consent that the British
Provinces should come into the Union without
charge to the public treasury, is amazing Il
is coolly proposed to buy an Island filed with
savage negroes, and moro savage Spanish mas
tiers, all speaking different language, and
processing different religion from our own, at
cost greater than that Of the American Rev
olution; and the domineering slave interest," in
the same breath, with unparalleled impudence
and efTrontery, declare eternal hostility to the
peaceable annexation Of free homogeneous
people, although it should not cost the Federal
Government dollar. Are we free Repub-
lie or are we the bond.slaves of the three hum
dred and seycnty-fye thousand lordly negro
drivers of the South?
Some Northern men, even Anti-Slavery mon,
have spoken Of the acquisition Of Cuba as de-
sirable, on the ground that it will bring the
Spanish system Of Slavery under the human.
ling influences Of our higher civilization.
This in our Judgment is great mistake.
With the single exception that constant
stream Of barbarism has been pouring into
Cuba from the coast Of Africa, which has kept
down the standard Of negro civilization, we re-
able to the slave than those Of our Southern
States.
| In Cuba, every slave has the privilege Of
emancipating himself, by paying price which
does not depend upon the selfish exactions Of
the masters; but it is either fixed price, or
else is fixed in each case by disinterested ap-
praisers. The consequence is, that emancipa-
tions are constantly going on, and the free peo-
pie Of color are becoming enlightened, Guilt
waited, and wealthy In no part Of the United
States do they occupy the high social position
which they enjoy in Cuba.
Is it not certain, that in the event Of annex
alton, these humane legal, and social regula-
tons, will be overturned, and that the intoler-
ant spirit which pervades Mississippi and Geor-
gis win be substituted?
But another invincible objection, with every
honorable and humane man, must be the inn
pulse which will be given to the slave trade
between our shores and those Of Cnba. No
man can pretend, that a traffic in Christian
negroes and mnlattoes is whit better than
that which is carried on from the coast Of Az
RIGA to Cuba, in ignorant savages. Indeed,