The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-11-02
WASHINGTON CITY
THURSDAY MORNING, NOV. 2, 1864.
BRITISH SENTIMENT ABOUT CUBA.

BRITISH SENTIMENT ABOUT CUBA
good deal of surprise has been expressed at the recent
change of in than Of the British journals on
the subject of Cuba The well-informed and powerful
writer who corresponds from Madrid for Blackwoods
Magazine has published in the last number of that month
ly an able letter the subject of Cuban politics and Gu
ban pers in which certain propositions are stated that
occur to full of sound and peculiar significance
Other journals have since spoken in similar strain The
cause this Of things in the British press cannot
excite SURPRISE after little reflection War most cost
~ luxury as both England and France have
experienced since the opening of the wasting and fatal
conflict in Russia Waged agansta despot like Nicholas,
who seems resolved to fight to the last gasp il indeed
full of horrors the allies have the great consolation of
knowing that little disadvantage will flow from 1t to their
commerce and to their manufactures and to their home
governments. war with the United States, however,
whether taking place before the close of the campaign
against the Gar, or after expenditures of
blood and of treasure have diminished their proud
armies skeletons of regiments and greatly de-
pleted their revenues would be attended with still more
appalling consequences The present constant and vital
between this republic and the two great
Of Europe would in such event. be terminated, amid
of nconceyabe bankruptcy and carnage and TO
all these disasters to life and human interests would
be added the almost certain perils of domestic revolution
to England and France. And for what would such risk
be rum We let the able correspondent of Blackwood an
swe this question in the bold and powerful paragraphs
which we copy from his letter from Madrid dated 4h Of
September last
These extracts recall attention the unering purpose
of President Pierce regard to Cuba lie into pow
err resolved honoraby acquire that island and he be-
eyes this duty to be binding upon him still, matter
whether the question is considered in its relations to hu
mainly to commerce. to freedom While Spain adheres
to that island and to the miserable policy which has dis
graced her auth ory there it will be impossible to sup
press the active sympathy of thousands in this country
for those who suffer from despotism in sight Of our
shores The same causes will continue to annoy our
merchants and shippers and thus Cuba will be no
ess magazine of discomfort Spain than pretext for
armed expeditions from the United States 1t in view
OF all these circumstances and others familiar to the world
that the President while sternly enforcing laws
against those who contemplate illegal expeditions upon
Cuba has in every honorable expedient to in
duce Spain to come to terms this issue. He has had a
double difficulty to meet however in aking this
Pretended friends and blind opposition axainst him de-
clare that his proclamation enforcing the neutrality laws
was either nsncere or intended destroy the hopes of
acquiring the island side declaring that 1T was mere
ruseo aid unwarrantabe and unauthorized interference
and the other that intended to crush the
trely Spain was told by the whg press that the poca-
nation was only "a tub to the whale while the so-caled
ibusters were assured that the proclamation in
tended expressly to put end to all efforts for Cuba
Whether hes, charges false true be best ascor-
tai ned by noting how efectuay they contradict each
other One of the evidences Of the value of the coun-
sells and course of Franklin Pierce may be seen in the eff
feet they have produced in the Old World We now
behold the ables journals of Great Britain treating the sub
ect as reasonable proposition, and weighing the merits
of the case pro and while last the threatened c0ntn-
eency of European Interference against the United States
is partially disspaed by the contemplation of the ncon-
ceivable disasters that result from such aggression
10 all the material interests of the Old World and the New
How long Spain will herself stand in the way Of removing
the only existing probable obstacle to complete and
lasting state of amy between France England and the
United States speak ITSELF has become most inter-
esting inquiry At all evcnts it is novel and some
what expected deduction from the present state of affairs
l.eon England France and Russia that the possibility
If ncacefnI sttlemen of the Cuban question may
be confidently calculated upon.
When the between the Secretary of State
Mr. Marcy and Mr. Soule American minister at Ma
rd on the Black Warrior aud other Spanish questions, is
published it will be found that there sides to the
question and that the administration is right in calmly
awaiting the disclosure of its high policy One side
of this question has appeared Let rs mparaly await
the other