Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1855-04-07
From the National Intelligencer
News from Major Jack Downing.

ABOARD THE Fu1IBusrsR SCHOONER "Two PoLLIEs," ]
osthe Hole in the Wall, near the middle Of March,
sn,get the day Of the month, 1855.
Dear Ginerat-We are skudding round here
and holdin on to the slack, waitin for more help tt
come up, and you may depend ont Cubas got to
take it. We don't never give up the ship. fast
little clipper jest come along, going to Baltimore,
and the skipper said he'd take my dispatches to
rou in three DAYS. And you send to me by
he skipper your notions about things: for he's only
gonn to stop long enough to wood up, and then
Res coming right strait back to jine US. He made
me promise to hold on and not take Cuba, till
he come. for he was very arrest to be in at the
death.
That Cuba's fine country We've been having
q GLIMPSE at it once in while with our spy-glasses
,b-ouch the " hole in the wall |" and round the
corners. and it's rally fine country; 'twould do
ro,r heart good to look at it. And you shall have
= chance before long, for it's got to come down
n, got to nuekle, and no mistake. I've got my
commission to go ahead from Mr. Buchanyn and
M Mason and Mr. Souley And the nub of the
thine is we've to take Cuba, ''if We have the
mower: !" and know we have, as Sally Giles said
to her sweetheart Says Sally says she, "you
shant kiss me unless you are stronger than l am,
and know you be"
lest before we come out | see by the papers
that Louis Napoleon was notion of goin to the
Crimea to see Sebastopol fall; and so / thought
NAV be YOU might like to come out here and see
us take Cuba. Now if w du, jest say the word
and tel me in your letter what day you will be
down on the pint OF Floriday, and Il bear up with
the Two Poies and take you off
You must MT feel hurt because didn't come to
Washington to see you before starting on this
cruise but the fact was hadn't time. Our coun-
try was in so much danger it wouldn't do to wait
Our Congress in 0stend went over the whole ground
and examined it carefully, and come to the con-
clusion that it was neck or nothing with us. We
must have Cuba or our whole country would 60
to rack and ruiz, and :" the Union can never enjoy
repose nor possess reliable security as long as Cuba
is not embraced within its boundaries
sent YOU despatch last fall about the duins of
our Congress at OStend where we took up the
affairs of England and France and Spain; but finally
concluded we couldn't make anything out of that
business yet and should have to wait little longer
Well, then them three S.'s-Souley, sickles, and
Sanders-said there was one thing we could du:
we could take hold of that Cuba business and
finish it up brown. And, for fear that Louis Ma
poieon might have spies round us there at Ostend,
we concluded it was best to hitch little farther Oft.
So we went over to Ax-le-Shapple and finished up
the business.
The upshot was we concluded we could have
Cuba by hook or by crook and that Mr.. Mr.. Sou
ley should 60 right back to Old Spain and tell the
Queen so. If she'd mind to give it up quietly
and make no fuss about it. he might promise to
give her something pretty handsome in the way of
money; we didn't care nothing about that, as
we've got plenty Of money to home. If she re-
fused and told Mr. Souley to mind his own bust
ness and We shouldn't have Cuba no how then We
told him he mustn't be ealy-mouthed, nor mince
matters but pick quarrel the best way he could
and clear out.
Well, Mr.. Souley went back to Maprid with
stiff upper lip and begun try to decker with the
Queens spokesman for bargain, something in
this way:
Souley-Oh, now think Of it, there's that little
Island of Cuba over there near our coast we'd
like have that little island if it's all the to
you. | spose you've no objections; it isn't the
least in the world to you, and might be some
little account to US. So, if you say So wen jest
mark Cuba down on the map of the United
States.
spokesman-Not by jug full, Mr.. souley. Cuba
is the most valuable patch of ground we've got
Can't spare it no how.
Souley-Oh, nonsense; it's no income at all to
you, and nothing but bill of expense. It's so
near to US We might look after and maybe make
something out of it; but it's no more use to you
than the fifth wheel of coach. guess wen
consider it ours
cant spare Cuba no how. It's the pride of the
Spanish kingdom and the gem of the Queens
crown.
Souley-WeI, but my dear sir, we wouldn't
mind paying you quite a handsome sum for it; a
hundred millions, if you say SO. We wont scrimp |
about the price.
Spokesman-There is no price to it. Carry your |
hundred millions to some other market if you want |
10 buy honor with it. I tell you the honor of Old
Spain has no price.
Souley-But, my dear sir, you don't consider
what wonderful deal of help million would be |
to you. You must remember you are getting
good deal behindhand. You've no income hardly |
and you are good deal in debt. Only look at it :
. hundred millions will enable you to pay off your
debts, and make internal improvements and build |
railroads and telegraphs all over your country so
that you can spruce up and live comfortable and
get ahead in the world. Say the word and the
Pundred millions is yours.
Spokesman-0ffer your hundred millions to
lome beggar who wants it. The ancient and proud
of Spain is no beggar, sir. I'll thank
Tou, sir. not to insult me-
e frank and plain with YOU The fact is we must
pve that island. 1t is absolutely necessary for
be safety and welfare of the United States Our
ountry cant get along without it.
Spokesman-That's your look out, not NINE
Souley-Well now, Mr.. Spokesman, you know
our people out there in Cuba have for long time |
cen insulting our folks searching their vessels,
nd firing into their steamers and sometimes
etching our people and shooting EN- or putting
N in dungeons. There's long account of these
hngs that you must settle right up, pint blank, or
ufer the consequences, There's three hundred
thousand dollars you've got to pay for stopping the
teamer Black Warrior and great many other
hngs as bad as that. These matters have got to
y settled right up, or Cuba's got to stand in the
alb.
Spokesman-Ca help that Hyou've got any
accounts TO settle Wen leave it out to third party
say how We shall SETTLE We don't owe you
ent for the Black Warrior She broke our laws ,
ND we lined her six thousand dollars; and then 1
We give back the fine after all, when we might a
leps me vessel And you are so ungrateful as not
ooaiey-I wont stan this foolery no longer
'ease 1t out No, we know how to settle our own '
best Now, sir, you've got to settle all o
w accounts right up, and fix things about Cuba
2 We shant never have any more trouble, or else
sYe as up the island to manage in our own way. a
,os I'm agoin to give you Jest two weeks to think
|. tna business and give me your answer and if n
Hnt settled BY that time shall clear out and 90
:ome, and then you'll hear thunder. Good BY. b
ThAt Nnulnvsa .,n.~A r.u.- rr- Z