Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1856-08-22
Cuba.

Henry Clay was not particularly fond of war as a
national amusement vet on the occasion of making
speech some years ago in New Orleans, he expressed
a considerable desire to 1" stay Mexican" There
are great many pc, pie throughout the country, es-
pecaIIy the Southern country who are as little Flill
busters as folks, who have an irrePre>slbe long
ing after Cuba. In fact, to tell the honest t'uth
we think the longing general from the simple Eea
son that ii is natural and proper This longing IS
prompted by two natural feelingS-ihe hope OF ad
vantage from It's acquisition, and the dread OF calam
v from it's non acquisition. The former motive could
Justify no active measures Of forcible character
The latter is based upon the primary and most for
chile law of nature, one binding equally upon nations
as upon indvrduals-the law OF self preservation
law anterior to all treaties formal compacls, and
which no treaty or compact can bind any nstion to
violate or Justify it ir negIectng Suppose for a mo.
men that the United States had even gone so far as
to enter into the partite alliance treaty with
England and France, guaranteeing to Spain the per
| petuaI possession of Cuba-which, by The way, she
very properly refused to do-does any one suppose
that would bind her 10 sustain Spain in maintaining
it as nuisance or perpetual and threat TO
the trade and the institutions of the Union, of any
part of it Does no, any one at once that such
conduct the part of Spain would be such VIOLA
lion of the comfy of civilized nations, upon which all
treaties are based, would justify and demand from
the United States prompt action for her own safety,
and for the protection of her citizens and the mode and
measure of such action must depend upon her conVic-
tons of what would be adeq uate to the occasion, as
we'll as right in itself snot this plain and reasonable
Nav we not ia accordance with this plain just and
common sense view of things say with Messfs. Buch-
anan, Mason and Soule that "our past history for
bids that we should acquire Cuba without the consent
of Spain, unless justified ~ the great law of self
preservation. We must, in any event, preSerUe our
oUn conscious rectutude and 0aCn Selffespect.-
While pursuing this course, we can afford to dlsre"
gard the censures Of the world, to which we have
been so often and SO unjustly exposed If while
pursuing this course, while preserving own con-
scious rectitude and our sef-respect we cannot
afford 10 disregard the OF the world, we
might as we'll cease to assert national indepen
fence and acknowledge ourselves the meek vassas OF
Foreign inhuence-the very kind of foreign influence
against which Washington so forcbly, SO impress
sively warned US.
Is there man in Wilmington who looks at the
trade Of his beloved State and his cherished town,
who does not know that the acquisition of Cuba would
growth and prosperity opening up vast and profit
able market for every pound of our cereal products
for which Wilmington must then become the cntrepot
and restoring to ncomparably more than its former
position our once fourishing West India trade. Give
us Cuba and the Central Road would truly and wholly
be North Carolina work, and its real terminus at
our wharf Give Cuba, and in very brief period
line Of ocean steamers, connecting us with the Ha-
vana, would stir up the waters of our port Give US
: Cuba and in ten years would be city of nearer
thirty than tw enty thousand people, with future
before us. If there be anything in Mr.. Buchanans
public that than any other thing should
commend him to the Southern people, it is his known
position the Cuba question-a position of which
the preservation of our conscious recttude and
selfrespect is the key and of which the Oh
jects the preservation of the Union and the secu.
ry of the institutions and the interests of the South
ern States Northern fanatics may attack him for
this surely the people of the South ought to be the
!, last to do so.
neas, Instead of weakening cause at the North,
and thereby renethening the Black Republican sec
tona organization, nothing has had so potent an eff
feet in stopping the sweeping tide of fanaticism in
that section the determined attitude of the South
Few will pretend to deny that the earlier and
greater "Know Nothing victories" at the North
in fact, Black Repub lean triumphs and that the re-
t suit has shown such to have been their character
Yet the whole North was swep over as by tornado
: and nearly all the a,ional Democrats there were
Frustrated forced to bend the blast WELL this
same thing under different professions, but still this
i thing, entered the South, and met there By
the chivalous Wise and other bold spirits of the Old
e Dominion, and it beaten back, damaged and de.
r feated. Even that single triumph, at time wher
: the Black Republican character of Northern Know
y Nothnglsm was but partially understood, no.
without its effect in staying the tide 1t gave strength
to the and spirit to the exertions of the nationa
Democrats of the North, and since that lime they hay
b been recovering their lost ground even there.
Again did this Black Republican movement make
s itself apparent and felt under it's distnc
tive organization though still in alliance with Know
It Nothnglsm the candidate of the Philadelphia Blacl
Republican Convention having been serviley adopted
e by the New York Amencan" Convention, and both
d going in solid phalanx to beat down the Constitution
n and the rights of the Southern States under it
j. Throughout the North it had completely wiped GU
found in the ranks of the Democracy. The old Wing
:, party as party, dead or swamped in some ont
e or other of The isms OF the day. Know. Nohingisu
5 or so-called /" Americanism" had already shown it,
: hand in the persons of the it sent to Congress
e. and elevated 10 the Gubernatorial chairs of many
n the Northern States while, more recently, its State
), councils had openly adopted Fremont and epudateG
Af4~