Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-08-26
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

so far. The news will be everywhere received
with regret.
The fact that the feet engaged in the work
was on its way back to England is evidence
that the disastrous break took place before the
engineers were prepared; for it and that, there
fore, the end is unbuoyed, and, of course, rest
ing on the bottom of the ocean, far below tie
reach of any possible means of graphing it from
the ships of the fleet
The only hope of ever again seeing it rests
upon the possibility of ''under- hauling it from
in shore, for the whole distance upon which it
had been laid. That was successfully done
when but four miles of the cable had been laid
We are, however, skeptical as to the possibility
of doing it for more than three hundred miles
and in water two miles deep.
The brief despatch on the subject which we
print, probably embraces all yet known in New
York with reference to the disaster.
The GOVERNMENT OF CUBA-We know Of
nothing in the way of foreign public affairs of
more immediate Importance to our own (Amer-
ican) interests than the political status of Cuba,
and every event. therefore, likely to affect it
should be narrowly scanned by the publicsts
of the United States. We, therefore, republish
from late number of the New York Jonrnak
of ComBlerce-always more reliably informed
concerning Cuba than any other American
journal-the following account of the intrgues
by which the removal of General Concha seems
likely soon to be brought about.
Wemay not inappropriately add here, that,
in England. SerranO is claimed to be the friend
Of the African free apprentice system which is
| proposed to be introduced in Cuba to subyelt
her existing phase of African slavery. We
doubt not that readiness on his part to do his
best to secure for that scheme a triumph upon
| the island, is at the bottom of England in
| trigue to supplant Concha. with him.
By the by, France Is already actively en-
gagged in importing nominal free blacks (Afri-
can savages) into her West India possessions.
Not long since, British cruiser after slavers
Oyerhauled French ship so laden, and permit
ted her to proceed on her GRAND, because, for
| sOOth, she had a French Government Agent on
board, who explained her business without con-
cealment or even hesitation. That France
would undertake to revive slavery in her West
| India Colonies after that fashion, without pre-
viously coming to an understanding on the sub
|
| is refuted by the manner in which the British
| cruiser referred to above treated her Govern
ment SLAYER. 1t is the settled purpose of the
| people Of the United States to permit no change
| in the political status of the Island of Cuba,
while we believe ii to be the purpose Of ninety
nine of every hundred Cuban property holders
not to submit to the change Of the condition of
the negroes of the island, which England is
| forcing on Spain in order to affect American
commercial interests injuriously. How can it
| possibly be that England can essay to work out
her Cuban plans, to the point of making them
| plain to all, without producing movement on
the part of this Government, which, in the end
must deprive Spain of Cuba, even though it
| costs the United States hundreds of millions of
treasure and thousands of lives?
The article from the Journal Of Commerce
on which VIC have commented above, is as fol-
| lows:
sit has been rumored for some time that G en-
| Concha was To be removed from his post as Cap
tain General of Cuba, to satisfy the urgent de-
| mandS of Lord HOwden, the British ambassador
| It Madrid. Ii is now further announced that
! Marshal serrano has received his appointment as
successor To Concha, whose government of the
| island was once so entirely approved at Madrid
| that he was created Marquis de la Havana and
| decorated with various orders as signal marks of
| the favor of his sovereign.
- Ii j. matter of notorety that during the las.
few years OF Concha's second viceroyalty of Cuba
very large number of African negroes have been
| imported every year, and az this Increase could
| not have taken place had proper vigilance been
| used, il is supposed that tue Cuban government
| cOnnlved at the inhuman trade, and shared the
Immense profits of its successful prosecution. Ii
IL limited that the Captain General has amassed a
| very large fortune by shutting his ewes to what
was going on and many assert that ne partici-
Paied actively in the sale of the slaves that have
| Deen imported during his government. Whether
| this be so or not, il was believed by Lord How
| den; and, armed as he was with positive evil
denee OF the continual importation of slaves. he
1 was able to prove the repeated violations of the
| treaty by which spain Bound herself to suppress
the slave trade, and to demand the dimissal of
the executive by whose connivance or neglect the
alleged crimes were committed British infu-
ence is SO powerful at Madrid and the alliance is
so necessary to the sustenance # the Spanish
| monarchy, that even Were Lord Howdens de-
niand less reasonable than il is in the present in
| stance, the spanish Government would have been
Obliged 10 WELD Ii is not likely that they would
| regard with much adherence the lucrative trade
in negroes with the West Coast of Africa or in
eFfere with the operations of their officer, so long
as the yearly contributions of Cuba to the Spanish
treasury were as larye as they have been under
Concha S administration. Official peculaton and
political fathlessness are Of such every day oc-
Clarence in the dependencies OF the Iberian King
dom, that Concha's recall may fairly be attributed
to the urgent instance of the British representa-
I've and not o any displeasure the part of
NafvaeZ or his royal mistress
" The successor of Concha. Marshal Serrano
has lately represented his country at the French
Court, and is prominent member of the reac-
tlonary school OF politicians who now domi-
nant IN The councils of q ueen Isabella He is not
undis;inguished as d soldier, and should the lis
pute with Mexico not be amcably settled, (as
there is some reason TO fear from the news By tne
Arabia,) he will probably be entrusted with Il
large share of the contemplated expedition against
Vera Cruz and Acapulco. Whether his ssprobity:'
aud :" high Character will be proof against the
temptations by which his predecessor is said to
have been led away, and whether he will efirc-
tusliy hinder the landing of negroes. by military
posts aud the stringent application of the regis
tratlon system, as Is recommended, remains to he
seen. Few Capiains-General Of Cuba have been
known to retire from the government without a
considerable addition to their worldly wealth.
more than salary would account for Perhaps
Serrano Will he a brilliant exception. When
Concha retired, after his first term II was said
that he Was poor, and that the Havana mere hants
IN gratitude for his eminent services and admira-
ton OF his unimpeachable integrity, subsc Iibed
large sum, which they presented to the Generals
daughters. IL the English accounts are true he
appears to have changed his course, and laid IN
good store against the ups and downs of pOliti-
cal life In Spain -