The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1856-09-16

the present is an age of adventure, in which
restless and daring spirits abound in every
portion of the world.
1t is not improbable, therefore, that Cuba
may be wrested from Spain by a successful
revolution; and in that event she will lose
| both the island and the price which we are
now willing to pay for it-a price far be-
yond what was ever paid by one people to
another for any province.
1t may also be remarked that the settle
ment of this vexed question by the cession
| of Cuba to the United States, would forever
prevent the dangerous complications be-
tween nations to which it may otherwise
give birth.
1t is certain that, should the Cubans
themselves organize an insurrection against
the Spanish government, and should other
independent nations come to the aid of
Spain in the contest, no human power could,
in our opinion, prevent the people and gov
ernment of the United States from taking
part in such civil war in support of their
neighbors and friends.
But if Spain, dead to the voice of her
own. interest, and actuated by stubborn
pride and false sense of honor should re-
fuse to sell Cuba to the United States, then
the question will arise what ought to be the
course of the American government under
such circumstances!
Self preservation is the first law of nature,
with States as we'll as individuals. All ma
tions have, at different periods, acted upon
this maxim. Although it has been made
the pretext for committing fragrant injus-
tice, as in the partition of Poland and other
similar cases which history records, yet the
principle itself, though often abused, has
always been recognized.
The United States have never acquired
foot of territory except by fair purchase, or
as in the case of Texas, upon the free and
voluntary application of the people of that
independent State, who desired to blend
their destinies with our own.
Even our acquisitions from Mexico are no
exceptions to this rule, because, although
we might have claimed them by the right
of conquest in Just war, yet we purchased
them for what was then considered by both
parties full and ample equivalent.
Our past history forbids that we should
acquire the island of Cuba without the con-
sent of Spain, unless justified by the great
law of self-preservation. We must, in any
event, preserve our own conscious rectitude
and our own self-respect.
Whilst pursuing this course we can af-
ford to disregard the censures of the world,
to which we have been so often and SO un-
justly exposed.
After we shall have offered Spain price
for Cuba far beyond its present value, and
this shall have been refused, it will then be
time to consider the question, does Cuba, in
the possession of Spain, seriously endanger
our internal peace and the existence of our
cherished Union?
Should this question be answered in the
affirmative, then by every law, human and
divine, we shall be justified in wrestling it
from Spain, if we possess the power; and
this upon the very same principle that
would justify an individual in tearing down
the burning house of his neighbor, If there
were no other means of preventing the flames
from destroying his own house.
Under such circumstances, we ought
neither to count the cost nor regard the odds
which Spain might enlist against us. We
forbear to enter into the question, whether
the present condition of the island would
justify such measure! We would, how
ever, be recreant to our duty, be unworthy
of our gallant forefathers, and commit base
treason against our posterity, should we
permit Cuba to be Africanized and become
a second St. Domingo, with all its attendant
horrors to the white race, and suffer the
flames to extend to our own neighboring
shores, seriously to endanger or actually to
consume the fair fabric of our Union.
We fear that the course and current of
events are rapidly tending towards such a
catastrophe. We, however, hope for the
best, though we ought certainly to be pre-
pared for the worst.
condition of the questions at issue between
the United States and Spain A long Sc
ries of injuries to our people have been
committed in Cuba by Spanish officials. and
are unredressed. But recently most fla.
grant outrage on the rights of American ci-
tizens and on the flag of the United States
was perpetrated in the harbor of Havana
under circumstances which, without imme-
dlate redress, would have justified resort
to measures of war in vindication of nation
al honor. That outrage is not only una
toned, bat the Spanish government has de-
liberately sanctioned the acts of its subor-
dinates and assumed the responsibility at
tached to them.
Nothing could more impressiyely teach
us the danger to which those peaceful rela-
tions it has ever been the policy of the L.
States to cherish with foreign nations are
constantly exposed than the circumstances
of that case. Situated as Spain and the U.