The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-02-24
THE DAILY DISPATCH
SATURDAY MORNING. fEsRUARY "a. 1855

have added new interest to the Cuba ques.
ton. The time has come when the people Of
the Uoited States should seriously consider
the part they may be called upon to play In
regard to this troublesome little island
Shall they encourage disaifection there OF
leave il to itselfi Ought they to aid or OPP
pose fliibussering' Ought they to annex
Cuba, without, or even with reference 10 the
wishes of Spain These are important ques
,ions. and Il is time that our people should
form acme clear views and fixed purposes in
regard to them.
Certainly. if bona fide revolution begins
in Cubs. and an oppressed people rise man
fully sgsiust their opprsssors. it will be ini-
o ,ssible to prevent Americans from going TO
taeir assistance, and they can plead an tx
ample in their favor Of the services voiuh
teered by Englishmen, Frenchmen ana yer
m ms in similar cases. But we nave heaiu
o, much in our day of disafiectlon IN oupa'
there has been so much cry and SO htue
wool so much smoke and so little hre, tnat
we receive with many grains OF allowance
all that is said Of Cuban disatfeetion. BE-
fore volunteers depart for that struggle they
would do we'll to remember the unhappy fate
of the unfortunate Lopez, the gallant Crit
tenden and their brave companions, and be
certain of their ability to avenge that tate
instead of sharing it, As to fill clustering
proper; as to an expedition for the simple
purpose of wrestling Cuba from the hands OF
Spain, and that without reference to the
wishes of the people, why surely no one
ought to countenance it, who would not also
countenance the robbing of the u. ). mail
upon the highway, or . deed of fiat burglary
Moreover, even in robbery itself, there are
higher and lower degrees of criminality; as
for example, it would imply greater depravi-
ty to rob friend than an enemy, and TO as
sault and plumber little man than big one
Now, Cuba happens to be the property OF one
Of the few powers in the world which has
similar institutions to those of the Southern
States, and of weak power, compared Win
ourselves. If we cannot repress the hiiibUs-
tering propensity, let us make Canada the Cd
iect of our depredatioEs and take John buil
by the horns The dishonesty OF such an act
would be, in some degree, redeemed by It's
manliness.
The South at all events should scan this
whole Cuban subject narrowly and set IFS
face like flint in opposition to all unjust
and unlawful enterprises against the terrific
ries of Spain. Even if irritating events have
occurred in the island of Cuba, the people
of the South have not been the objects of an
noyance. 1t is Northern. commerce and its
agents which have most to complain OF from
the Cuban government. And we have al
ways felt convinced from the beginning,
that the handspring Of Cuban fillibusterlng
and annexation was to be found in the North,
whilst the South, with its valor and love of
adventure, was to be made mere catspaw
to haul the chesnuts out of the fire. The
South has been entertained by the idea that
Cuba was to be introduced into the Union as
slave State, and as such the North may
have been willing, at one time, to admit her
But we tell the people of the South that that
time is past. The increasing power OF the
anti-slavery sentiment has rendered it i'm
possible. Let the people of the South bear
in mind the evident and undeniable fact, that
whenever the people of the North now talk
of annexing Cuba; whenever they array be-
fore the public mind the grievances suffered
by this country from Spain, and urge on
schemes of revenge and annexation, they
have in view the acquisition Of Cmba as q
free State of his Union. Upon no other
terms will she ever be admitted. The North
wants Cuba she is far more anxious for the
acquisition of that island than the South its
possession is even more important to North
ern commerce than it would be to Southern
slavery, even could Cuba come in as slave
State. Consequently, the North will leave
no stone unturned to obtain Cuba, and will
bring her in, when she does come, free
island. Let the people of the South medi
tate upon that fact. We hear great deal of
nonsense about the Authorization of Cuba
by Spain The real danger, and, in our opin-
ion, the only danger of its differentiation is
in its disruption from Spain, and its acquisi-
ton by Northern fllibusterism. Those who
doubt the state of Northern sentiment on this
subject, must be profoundly ignorant of the
signs of the times, and be blind to all the
manifestations of public sentiment upon this
subject which every day is bringing forth
from all parts of the Northern States.
Never did the anti-slavery sentiment pre-
sent 80 formidable a front rs at this moment
in the Northern States. We hear FROM many
quarters, private as well as public, of its in
creasing strength. 1t exhibits its power in
the literature, the drama, the songs, the pull
pit, as well as the politics of the North. The
great mass of the people are honest and con-
sentative, but agitators, demagogues and ia
natics have led them astray. A genuine cri-
sis is approaching, big with the destiny of
our modern Rome The Northern and South
ern legions will come in collision in the next
Congress with crash which will shake the
Union to its centre. To dream at such
time of annexing Cuba, except as free State.
would be the maddest dream that ever yexed
the brain of lunatic.
Thequestion then of Southern policy in re.
gard.to Cuba resolves itself into this: Is it
better that Cuba should remain in the hands
If Snain an slave Territory or aoma into ~ .