The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-05-13
THE WASHINGTON UNION.

long Withstand the political pecuniary and Commercial
interests which must at last compel her TO relax her hold
upon Cuba nor those great powers In the Old World
justify themselves in assisting the Spanish government
while that assistance to end In nothing more than
In the encouragement of that fghtful traffic in slaves
which Is carried on, almost in open defiance of treaties
for the purpose OF populang and of deyeloping the
resources of Cuba. The civil NAL administration of that
island, the military despotism, the espionage the
social tyranny, not to speak of the smothered spirit
Of Irresistible rebellion among the people, are other
reasons which, like 80 many quckenng seeds of ruin
and OF desoaon must lead to the utter overthrow of
despotsm wherever is founded and particularly when
that despotsm stands face to face with almost the only
free country the surface of the globe England her
SELF though jealous Of the advancing territorial magni
tude of the United States and at this moment controlled
by that naughty nperous and graspng spirit Lord Pal
merston could not justify to the world TO herself any
attempt TO resist the delveance of Cuba from despots
when such resistance end in the destruction Of that
trade between England and the United States upon which
many millions of human beings the subjects of Queen
Victoria, depend for their daily bread while France
lled as 1T IL with the elements of Instruction will not
be willing to risk its present government in futile at
tempt to delay the execution of project which must in
evtably transpre in the course of human events
We may be told that the annexation purchase of
Cuba would precpate upon the country another slavery
conflict But it would be well for all those who appehend
suc contingency to remember that if the United States
can acquire Cuba and at the time carry project of
opening transit between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pa
cihc ocean, what we may lose If we shall lose in the
slave States that may come to from Cuba we shall
than gain from the free territory that we receive
from Mexico Besides, it only requires the most ordinary
apprehension to perceive that in proportion as we
the former island from SPAIN do increase The
facilities OF northern trade and strengthen the South in
the cultivation and expectation of that staple upon which
many incacuabe interests depend.
AS to Central America far the insurrectionary
and buster projects Walker are concerned these are
but the marks which history writes upon its ndeble
pages, the premonitory symptoms of that advancing
progress which, sooner or later must oyertrn the mill
tnrx 1iafat fI,ofh oa
ed that lovely region. He may he broken utterly his
forces scattered to the four winds of Heaven himself
and his comrades shot and we shall be told this Is a
fitting punishment for that insane temerty which led
them to embark upon the upon which his hopes
are, it would seem, about to be wrecked But the fire of
revolution has been lighted, the imprint of American
progress has been made the isthmusan passage has
been opened American capital and enterprise have there
planted their outposts and although Central America
aided by the British gold may for brief period CONSOLE
date itself against all opposition, still it cannot
those influences which labor no less silently than rress
bly,, within its bosom.
TO show that these States, inhabited by enervated
races hybrid metis in blood possessed of spirit
which promises to force such action from government
which, while consistent with the srictest principles of
international honor delicacy vet affords an or
portunty for the accomplishment of progressive policy
have only to refer to the extraordinary madness
the rulers of New Granaa who after having their
barbarous hordes massacre American citizens their
SOIL blindly refused that reparaon to the United
States which they will be compelled to yield be blot
ted from the roll of nations Whom the gods wish to
destroy they first make mad " and he who would read
experience of South American diplomacy, and
South American nfauation has only to peruse the
respondence which has taken place between the Ameri-
can commissioner and the authorities of New Granada
upon the disturbances which took place at Panama in
April last.
These some of the questions which occur to u.s. and
which presented in contrast to that issue which has
long afflicted countryside issue growing out of
the discussion of slavery They oyerop every such IA
naticism They bury from the public view the miserable
theories and Probabilities which only few months ago
fired large class of countrymen and which are
being disposed of and repudaed before the bar Of public
opinion even in the free States. To Mr. Buchanans adj
minstraon, in the providence of God has been commit
ted the solution of these momenous difficulties. II
would be extravagant anticipation to expect that that
administration could settle all these difficulties during the
four years which it has allotted to itself But great
deal of work has already been done The public mind
is than half prepared Disguised with the frivoli
ties and incapacitics of geographical party, and olsen
chanted by the failure which has attended all the
ments of the republican party morally politically and
socially, the American ready to embrace any
opportunity that is presented to escape from these tire
and costly discussions and TO emerge into and
purer atmosphere The mission of this country not
mission of war. Our geographical position and the
circumstances of the times have marked out the path we
to tread The day has gone when any foreign power
intervene to arrest march and Lord Napier HIM
SELF the new British minister at Washington told sub
lime though doubtless reluctant truth, when he said
he stood prepared to support the United States in all
peaceful efforts to extend its borders We ask armies
or naves to assist in these great objects 1t will
only be when compelled to resort to force that the
rent Of action may be changed But whether no.
the duty devolved upon us is imperative; cannot es
cape it would must either settle these questions
now and forever, they will unsettlo us. We must
grasp the troubles which environ because to temper
lie longer will only be to increase them Meanwhile let
rise above all low ambition. Let leave the petty
squgbbes which only to demoralize and degrade
MS to the little politicians that infes New England and
which invite to much profitable investigation, to so
much lofty ambition, and all those glorious deeds which
have already immortalzed our career.