New-York daily tribune., 1856-05-03
NEW PUBLICA WONS.
c,nA-ANNEXATION AND SLAVERY.

TaK ISLAND or CUBA BY ALE1ANpEk aunsoLpT.
Ess.y by J. 5. Thra.her. svo pp Ss' D-rby Jackson
Humboldt, during his travels and researches in
America made visit to Cuba of three months, at
the very commencement of the current century,
ssd aiterw ard on his way hOme in 1904, he stopped
there for another month and half During both
Write be- enjoyed the confidence of many proprI-
etors, merchants and persons connected with the
Administration, who did every thug 10 their wer
to satisfy HE car osiy 10 the statistics. agrcul
ture commerce and social and political state O the
island Of which at that time very little WAS known
out Of ts limit. The observations made, the in-
formation acquired, aud the materials collected
during those visits, formed the bas o the POiif'-
cal Essay on The Island ef Cuba, which Humboldt
published in French in 1925, one of the cnipers
of his Voyage to the Equinoetial Regions Of the NsW
World. This Essay, which appeared also the oext
year ss a work by itself. was enriched howsver
with additional statements derived from subsequent
Investigations of Cuban geographers, and from the
tables relating to Cuban commerce, agriculture,
revenue and population the publication of which
had commenced some thirty years previously to the
appearance of Humboldts Essay, and with copies
Of which he had been supplied BY his Cuban
friends and correspondents.
Mr.. Thrasher-for some ten years resideut at
Havana, whittier he first went in 1884, aud we'll
known for his connection with recent attempts 70
revoluOniue Cuba-has given US Dot only al Ea-
glish version of Humbodts book, which he Sc
lected as containing the best account of the Island
yet published, but by supplements added to the
original chapters and occasional footnotes' he has
brought the information contained in it down to the
preeent time.
On some points, principally Of faspeculative char
seter, however, a very strong conflict Of opiaon
exists between the author, Humboldt aud the
translator, Thfasher. Humboldt is u philosopher
and phlanthropist whose ard for the rights of
human nature, and whose belief in the social and
economical efficacy Of justice aDd liberty embrace
impartiaily, men Of all races and all coiors OF
course, he holds negro Slavery in detestasion, aud
ne looked forward, as ia evident fOm many passa-
ges 10 his book, to the complete emancipation OF
the eniife laborns class 10 Cuba IA the only solid
and certain foundation Of its permanent property
Mr., Thra,her, too, is great ph'lanrhropst, after
a fashion Of bis own, and a great advocate for
Liberty and selfgovernment Bat his phllin hropy,
or at least his democratic love OF liberty, Is re-
sricted to the white race. The Spanish creoles are
entitled to be free; and il not able to achieve their
own freedom, they are according to Thrs'her)
entitled notrerely TO the sympathy and the assist
snce e private North American cinens, but
tn the aid of the Government OF the United States
To excite that sympathy and to secure that aid
seems indeed to have been leading object OF the
present publication, in which the respectable ,me
and nnexceptionable political morality OF Hum
boldt ARE artfuly employed as the vehicle tor in-
ducing the public to swallow large dose of flbus-
tcring und Slavery-extending suggestions dexter
ously inserted by Mr.. Thra.her, not merely into
his preliminary essay but also into his notes and
supplements to Humboldt's text.
But though % anxious for the liberty Of the
white croles-best TO DO secured, US he seems
10 think, by the acquisition of Cuba by the United
States-wiih regard t. the negro aud mixed races
Mr.. Thrasher dfers from HumboldS ia toto. ln
spite Of Humboldt's suggestions to he contrary.
Tbraaher Is most peremptorily of opinion that
the salvation of Cuba. and even the happiness
Of the eoored races themselves requires that those
coored races should be held in perpetual servitude
Indeed he goes further, he not only insists
that emancipation In Cabs would blot
THAT country and It's productions, now 80
"impsrtant in the commerce of all civil
"ised nations, from the list Of wealth
producing communities" |, would, he maintains,
be also extremely disastrous to the United States,
since ait would call into existence IN immediate
"prcsimity to our southern shores, negro CON-
immunity under the influence OF the European idea
"snd policy" viz. the policy ofcmanciPation-per-
petnal ,,eryioude OF the colored races being Nj.
Tbrssher's idea OF American polcyl "wh' 'h
.woaId be dangerous to US as neishocr' and
"worse than dangerous ~ us as "A part "' th'' con
"federacy; or. perhaps, worse stu, IL m'gn'
"ipjtinta war of races in Cuba from Participt'
"tion in which no power or c"nsiders ms eou'
"preyent our p. ople, and which might prove aiiAe
disastrous to the blacks in the Antilles aud to oai
domestic repose."
In addition TO this alleged interest of the United
States IN the perpctuston and extension of Slavery
in Cuba, Mr.. Thrasher, in his preliminary essay
urges also at great length, aud with much earnest
ness, Another reason Why we ought TO manage "a
get possession Of II. Cuba, he tells US, Is the key
." the eahos Mexico-so much 20 that tue nation
wne Pcssesses 1t absolutely commands the cOui-
merce cf the entire Gulf By its possession OF that
island, spain, and Spain only, derives an iocreass
If "nst'cnsl power" from the money rxp.ndcd IN
the construction of the Panama Railroad anil ,,0 !
all the increase Of wealth On the shores Of thu Gal,
Of Mexico and In the countries that copmo,;.. !.
49,, ,h that e. uH with tho tl.r,;. -