Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1854-06-22

We suffered lTOHl lIlc VI po"Si ~
the LuDan authorities II, on the other hand
America demands any thing more than her honor
and Justice demands, the Spanish government
should have referred the whole case to some
other power, aud have endearored by all means
in her power 10 secure peaceful and amlcaoe ar
rangcmcnt Of the affair.
To rush headong into war in which spec
Nv defeat was inevitable, and then TO !cave
helpless negro population to be slaughtered in
the event of their attempting TO oller any resist
ance to their invader, is both wicked and inhuman
In lhe war which we see impending, England has
little or no interest at stake. Our possessions
in the West Indies are sufficiently numerous and
extensive 10 supply us with all the tropical pro-
duc,ions we can consume and it would be little
short of insanity on the part of this country to
sanction the expenditure Of one shilling ON the
extension of our tropical dOmlnions, while we
have such inexhaustible regions as those which
remain unexplorcd in Dcmrrara and British
Guiana. To these regions we must look for
the extension of dominion, and progressive in
crease in the tropical productions, and not toward
the frontier of America, where we have to co1tend
with strong political jealousy and commercial
rivalry.
AS for receiving from Spain The sovereignty
of an island which it has not the power TO hold,
and therefore cannot have the right to transfer
as an acuuittance for The enormous debt SPAN
owes to England, is perfectly nonsenslcal. II
We took Cuba from Spain on such TERMS the
English Government would be compelled to take
upon itself the debt due by Spain to its English
creditors, for which we conld get country
inhabited by a slave population, who would be-
come freemen under our flag, but who would be
totally unable of providing for themselves, and
who cannot speak our language. With such
population what could England do with Cuba
TO us she would be perfectly worthless. Why,
then, is this not openly stated to the American
Government, in order to arrest That current OF
II-feeIing which has grown out OF the silly idea
that England wishes to possess herself OF the
island of Cuba? If the people of the Unlted
States were convinced that England had no de-
sim whatever on that island, and that it would
be very questionable policy OIL her part to accept
the sovereignty of that country as gift, the
American Government might be disposed to
sanction the friendly intervention of England at
this unhappy junction. The fast and loose part
We have been playing with the United States on
this subject, has been productive Of much i'll
feeling towards US in America and it is high
time that the Cabinets of Washington and St.
James should understand each otllor on the
snLject.
In the United States we have too many in
tercsls at stake to think Of trIling with matters
which are of little or no Importance. If Spain
persists in the policy she has laid down in the
present instance, she must be given to understand
that the English Government will have nothing
whatever to do with the dispute between her and
America. For if we give her the slightest
countcnancc, it will be construed by America in
way which may lead 10 very serious consequent
ces. America was never better rprcparcd for war
than she is ut this moment, and if Spain chooses
to put her powers to the test, let US hope that the
good sense of our Government will keep England
from being in any way involved in u contest
where we have everything TO lose aud nothing to
cain