The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-03-29

most unfriendly indication. He hates the Yam
kees-is rigid and tyrannical-and is invested
with extraordinary powers. The slave trade
is to be stopped" By the way, Mr.. Marcy, in
his letter of instructions, affected profound re-
greet and vexation that the slave trade was still
kept up BY Cuba. Mr.. Soule seemed to think
it grievance that it is to be stopped.
In reply to an inquiry by Mr.. S., Mr.. Calde-
ron assured him, on his honor as caballero,
that no convention or arrangement existed with
England, for the supply of Cuba with laborers
from Africa. Mr.. Soule, strangely enough,
found, in the very emphasis of his assurance, a
ground for believing that the Minister would
not be averse to such policy! He announces
also that England has forced the Spanish Gov
eminent to the admission that all slaves i'm
ported into the island since 1921 are to be con-
sidered as ibeatados, enfranchised. If this
admission be acted upon rigidly, Cuba, he says,
has ceased to have slave; it is lost to Spain,
lost to the civilized world, unless it redeem it.
self, and shake off the odious yoke" Should
it do this, England and France are too much
occupied to interfere, Spain would have to
fight her alone, and finally either compromise
with the Cubans or with us.
July I'd, Mr.. Marcy distinctly states, in his
despatch to Mr.. Buchanan, that the Ameri-
can Government does not complain that Eng
land should enforce treaty stipulations in re-
gard to the emancipados-bu Mr.. Soule, in
his despatch, regards this enforcement as sufi-
cient reason for snndering the connection be-
tween Spain and Cuba. How distinctly We
trace all along the workings of the Slave In
terest
Mr.. Soule closes the despatch with an allu-
sion to the French Emperor, who, he imagines,
is greatly disturbed at his presence, and who
has assigned to Mr.. Turgot, French ambassador
at Madrid, the task of cutting short "my
course here "a strange halucination.
January 10th, Mr.. Calderon is inAexibIe-
will listen to no project for commercial con-
vention, or an extension of the powers Of our
consuls at Havana. Mr. Soule told him frankly
that the Government of the United States
would "sternly and unbendingly oppose and
counterfeit any and every arrangement by
which Spain with France or Spain with Eng
land, or with them both, or with the world in
arms, should attempt in the slightest degree to
render the island an injury or danger to u.s.
This, of course, embodied the purport of Mr..
Marcys instructions, but in style not pecu-
liarly well adapted to advance Mr.. Soule's
mission. Castilian pride, we sho1d suppose,
would be as FESTIVE under threat, as bride
February 23d, 1854, Spain is almost in
state of revolution. No party sustains the Gov
ernment-it exists by compression and tyran-
ny. Mr.. Soule has conversation with the
Count Of San Luis, and complains that no
friendly relations can be established between
Spain and the United States, so long as the
State Department is under the control of Cal
deron. The Count is friendly full converse
ton takes place it is to be resumed - the
State Department, he says, is not the Govern
ment. Meantime, everything is in confusion
the Government has exhausted all it's resour-
ces, and can borrow nothing. Now, should
there occur an outbreak in Cuba, and should it
become formidable, there would be some
chance for an arrangement with Government
so reduced and neeessitous. He hints that he
should be invested with specific power to meet
such a crisis-that is, to buy Cuba, if we un-
derstand him.
March 9Th, he writes home for instructions in
regard to the detention and search Of the
American schooner Manchester.
About this time occurred what is called the
Black Warrior outrage, which furnished an oc-
casion for complicating still more the relations
of the two countries. The dispatches of Mr.
Marcy, of the llth and 18th March, to Mr.
Soule, breathe almost a belligerent spirit
" Neither the views of the Government nor the
sentiments of the country will brook any eva
sion or delay, on the part Of her Catholic Maj
esty, in case of such fragrant wrong The
The damages are estimated at 100000. This
sum is to be demanded; "and it is expected
that Spain will be prepared, when you shall
present the demand, to apprize this Govern
ment of the course it intends to pursue in this
matter, and that course will be either disa-
vowal of the acts of her officials in Cuba, and
an immediate tender Of satisfaction, or the as
sumption of the responsibility of upholding
their conduct" Delay will be regarded as an
aggravation of the injury. 1t is not to be as
sumed that /" she has not full knowledge of the
acts of her subordinate officers at Havana"
"A very few days." Mr.. Marcy thinks, will be
sufficient to obtain an answer. Accompanying
the dispatches were voluminous documents
containing testimony in the case, er parte of
course, being exclusively from the parties on
whom the alleged outrage was committed.
Notwithstanding the urgency of Mr. Marcy's
tone, he could hardly expect that the Spanish
Government would act in the matter until it
had obtained the statements of the other par
ties, so that, having the whole case before it, a
proper decision might be arrived at
Mr.. Soule, however, seemed to understand
the Secretary literally The demand must be
made-Spain must act at once, act upon an
er parte statement, and accede precisely to the
whole demand. On the 18th of April, he re.
ceived the despatches-on the 9Th, had an in
terview with Mr.. Calderon, with whom he left
the voluminous documents, message of the
President, &e., and on the 18th, not receiving
reply, addressed note to the Spanish Gov
eminent, fixing the time of fortyeight hours
for its reply.
In his note of the 9Th, Mr. Soule did not ex-
coed in single point his instructions but in
his letter to the Spanish Minister of the llth.
complaining that no reply had yet been re-
ceived, he not only transcribed instructions.
but placed the United States in a position from
which they could be extricated only by retreat
or war