Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-08-16
ALTAMAHA.
Extension of American Territory.

| The \. Y. Journal Of Commerce has an arti-
Gle to show that the people Of the British
| government are much more anxious TO see
! Cuba and Mexico annexed to the United
| States than are the citizens of this country.
| Not only does the London Times openly adj
vOcate the annexation of Cuba by the United
| States, and demonstrate the advantages that
| would result to Great Britain from such a
! change, but the London Morning Herald, the
reputed organ Of the Derby Cabinet, and the
mouth-piece Of conservatism in England, as
| openly advocates the acquisition by the Uni
ted States of a portion of Mexico, and the
establishment of the protectOrate proposed by
General Houston. over the Mexican Republic,
in such form and to such an extent as should
be necessary to secure to the Union good
neighborhood, and to the people of Mexico
the benefit of orderly and well regulated Re
publican government. A great change must
have taken place in the public sentiment Of
England when we find such sentiments of
Great Britain in the columns of the ex-
ponent Of ultra conservatism. The reasons
for this change are discussed as follows:
Spanish and Mexican Governments, and they
have found that their debtors are more than
ordinarily faithless, withstandng the lib
eral sacrifices they have made. A meeting
of the English holders of Mexican bonds held
in London on the 2Sth of last May, it was
officially stated that nine half yearly divi-
dends, or l3B per cent. were in arrear, and
that, too, under the reduced scale, so literally
agreed to by the bOndhOlders in 1851 OF
a eli mi IN m Ian tai Ia str
could be told by the English creditors of that
country. 1t is unnatural, therefore, that the
English should grow tired of being defraud-
cd, and of seeing the money which is justly
theirs, squandered and pilfered by the reck-
less employees, and hungry and INSCRIPTIONS
officials. They know that, were their claims
to become lien on Cuba and Mexico. and
were those countries to be annexed by the
United States, they would be certain to
ceive both principal and interest, and that the
impetus to the PrOductiveness in Cuba and
Mexico, which would be given by American
enterprise would be of very important benefit
to them in opening Il more extensive market
for their manufactures. They are also aware
that very large portion of the Cubans and
Northern MeXicans desire to be annexed to
the Great Republic, the only means of es-
cape from the corruption and misrule to which
they are now subjected.
These are among the reasons why British
sentiment with regard to the growth of the
United States, and particularly i'll the direc-
ton of Cuba and Mexico, has undergone so
great a change. With reference to Cuba,
there is another and IL very powerful reason
which impes the British people To wish to See
Cuba annexed to the United States, and that
is, the knowledge that the moment that is
land becomes American territory, the slave
trade ceases; and that so long as it belongs to
Spain, so long will the slaves be imported III
spite of treaty obligations, and blockading
squadrons.
Circumstances may arise, when it will be-
come necessary for Mexico to cede another
large slice of her territory to the United
States, and when we may be bound to take 1t;
and in the same way, circumstances may arise
under which we may be compelled to acquire
Cuba in the interest of the island and of the
peace of the world. But we need be in no
hurry. Fillibuster expeditions and violent
cOnquests are as unnecessary Us they are I'M
moral. If we acquire portion of Mexico, it
will be at the request of the MeXicans. and
for valuable consideration; and the acquisi-
ton will be more beneficial to the McXicans
than to us. If the threatened Spanish eXpedi-
ton of 10000 men and large fleet for the
invasion of Mexco,n ever leaves the shores
of Spain and reach those of Mexico, the at
tempt OF O'Donnell, Santa Anna, Zuloaga,
and the priests to re-establish Spanish SUI
premacy in Mexico, may not improbably re-
suit III the speedy qualification of the wish
expressed in the London Times.