Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-05-13

were accordingly conveyed to Liberia, and there
| formed into a settlement under the name OF NeH
Georgia. In 1919 Congress passed a law nsakin9
Il the duty of the President to adopt arrangements
and regulations for the support and removal of such
Africans as might thereafter be brought into the
United States, and for that purpose to appoint a
person or persons to reside on the coast of Africa,
as agent or agents for receiving such Africans as
might be recaptured and returned thither." In
1927 company of one hundred and forty recap
tured Africans, brought into Southern State after
being taken possession of and supported by the
Government, were shipped at Norfolk and sent back
to Africa at the public expense through the agency
of the Colonization Society; were received by the
United States agent at Monrovia, and settled on
land assigned to them. They now form a part of
the fourishing settlement of New Georgia Our
/ Government had just as much right to make ap-
prentces of them or set them free here to return
them to their native land. Why did it adopt the
latter course? Because the law required II, and
we were able to bear the expense. Spain adopts
the cheaper mode of first apprenticing them until
they learn to support themselves and then setting
them free. This we choose to call AJfricanizing,
and denounce it as cause of war by the United
States against Spain! But can any sober mind,
much less this enlightened nation, for moment har
Dor the thought of making war upon neghbor for
merely adopting different mode from our own of
efecting the same object? Or can just people,
like those Of the United States, reasonably object
to Spain following out within her territories her
own system of disposing Of these Struggled Africans
and which differs from ours only in form?
The proposition we are now discussing is one
which also may we'll alarm all other nations apart
from its bearing upon the Cuba question. If
awless frecbooters others are thus to be allowed
ports, ostensiby to make upon the property and
subjects of Spain, either on the ocean or on the
land, what guaranty have we that, when once ahoat
| in fastsailing and armed vessels upon the high
seas, their depredations will be confined to Spanish
subjects and property? They would be unlicensed
rovers, buccaneers in the true of the term, re-
sponsible to country and to no laws for their
tons, and for the most part composed of reckless
and desperate men, who had set their lives upon
cast" and who if opportunity presented, would
probably be just as willing to depredate upon Eng
fish, or French or Dutch, or even on American yes
sells, as upon Spanish: Does any one suppose that
if such men, under such circumstances, were to fall
in with one of the American California steamers
from Aspinwall for New York, with one or two mil
lions of gold on board, they would hesitate about
appropriating it Would even the authority of
their own officers, admitting they were willing to
exercise it towards preventing such proceeding
the influence of the better-minded Of their rank and
file, who, it may readily be supposed, would be in
the minority in such an assemblage, prevent
the consummation of such wholesale plumber,
when the prize was Of such vast and tempting
magnitude?
The fact is, were it possible for Congress to adopt
such course as the resolutions Of Mr.. SLIDELL
contemplate, it would be just cause for alarm to
the whole commercial world, and would undoubted-
ly produce combined remonstrance against it, and,
if that was not efectual, combined action of all
the commercial nations of Europe and America to
prevent it. We might expect to be told, in such a
case, that we should not with impunity be allowed
thus to Withdraw ourselves from the pale of civilized
nations without being held nationally responsible
therefor and be made to abide all tho consequences.
1t is not improbable that the planters and other
proprietors in Cuba may desire annexation to the
United States for by they would be relieved from
large portion Of the heavy duties and internal
taxes which they now pay, besides having vastly
increased commerce, supplies at lower rates, and
greatly enlarged market for their productions; but
with all these advantages they would not be willing
to incur the extreme risk which would attend for
chile transfer of the Island, even under state Of
war between the two countries and still less under
the patronage and by the assistance Of lawless and
irresponsible expeditions, organized in the United
States or elsewhere.
A revolutionary movement, fostered, encouraged,
and aided BY such expeditions, could not, II il
were practicable to carry ID into effect, have any
other result than the loss Of the Island which would
perish in the collision 50 far rs we have any inter-
est in H. Spain has made no secret Of her fixed
determination 10 free and arm the negroes rather
than allow ii 10 be wrested from her by the United
States and there is but little doubt in our minds
that she would attempt 70 carry that plan into ope-
ration As last and desperate resort and still more
certainly would she do il II any prospect existed Of
her losing the Island through Revolutionary move
meni under the operations Of frvebcoting expedi-
tons. The Creole population are fully convinced
of this and they Iaf lesst 40 far A those having