The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-05-22
AMERICAN HISTORY ON THE SUBJECT
REMARKS or SENIOR vIII.ALoBos,
Dsl.pered ~ he Spanish C5raes, Fsb,la,y 22d, 1858
Translated for the puloal

With this prelude 4 viii enter upon the question Al
the beginning of the present century the British govern
nent although suppose acting always according TO the
Humanitarian principles il processes, resolved TO MAKE
them public and osensibe II resolved to suppress the
African slave trade and not satisfied with exerting this
phiianthropc policy in some OF its dominions not IN all
persistcnty urged other nations. and most particularly
Spain, to initiate such policy 1t went farther it ano
gated TO itself the faculties of universal attorney prose
cutting and chastsng NOT only British subjects but also
those of every other nation who should engage In such
traffic thus becoming self constituted defender of uni
versal philanthropy. said exclusive and will proyen
notwithstanding the letter of the treaties upon which she
relies
We might be satisfied with this conduct ON her mart
If it were not fact well known, that are 80 In
tolerant great sinner suddenly converted In.
deed who with more pertinacy and cruelty has ever
practised the traffic in negroes than Great Britain
herself Why have soon forgotten the condition
imposed by her on Spain by the treaty Of Utoch,
What that condition III asesto-a Spanish word
ussd in the treaty and preserved in all the transactions
of the made in the other languages of Europe All
here know the meaning of asieno it IL the exclusive
privilege of carrying the traffic of negroes from Africa
to the West India islands That is to say those that
come TO us today preaching humanity have been du
ring the eighteenth century ansas de escIaos that to
say they contracted to provide with slaves Who in
undated the West India islands with African slaves but
the British Who but they transported them to North
America, when these her colonies Who but the
English have built these vast floating PRISONS wherein
TO the evils of slavery added the penalties inflicted
by pes of the sea 1t they who established those
immense collins in which transported from the
coasts of Africa to the American archipelago herds Of
innumerabe slaves, decimatcd during the voyage in
order TO sell the survivors to hard hearted planters even
more cruel than the traders themselves. Have we for
gotten the report of Lord Malmesbury made in parla
ment, and adopted by the British government under the
administration of Lord Granville That report stated
that the abolition OF the slave traffic destructive Of
the prosperity of Great Britain With such antecedents
it appears most extraordinary that she should be-
come the lecturer Of the world on this subject The re-
aI.cxa rnfv,<,
it made in 1897 only five years before she 80 sud
denly opened her eyes to the light Of humanity and alb
jured her errors.
/ approve this conversion, but my humility does not
go far to accept the preachings of convert 30 re-
cent. No one is more opposed to slavery than am.
give my cordial sanction to the energetic taken
by government to suppress this Ubiquitous tra
fic in Cuba but Spanish dignity and character
brook that England should teach lessons of humanity
and still less that she should impose them upon us by
force
Listen gentlemen, to what the justly celebrated Eng
lish statesman Fox said in Parliament i'll 1896 "Ihi
Parliament and this government have massacred more
men than any other government in the world. With
words of humanity their lips, there is not
the earth where they have not carried every species
calamity and, with religion in their mouths they have
shed more Christian blood than any King, Prince, or
Emperor who Inns existed In my conscience speak
ing in candor and without the least exaggeation be.
eve that the whole history of mankind does present
1 government more detestable than this
spoke FOX ~ the uate mentlOueu Dut, lest
this should appear ancient, listen to what said by
Mr. Baillie only five days since, in the English pari
ment the 18th of February, 1858 1T is not possible
in the most babarous country OF the world, that any
thing arocos system than the practice OF tor.
ture exercised to-day in the government Of Madras and
for whose examination special committee appointed
which has already made its report" He then goes
to add respecting those that govern in India to-day at
to be hoped that having experienced the defects the
foes and the consequences Of the past they compre.
hend better the grave responsibility that weighs upon
them and their sacred duty towards the infinite millions
of human beings that Providence has placed under their
protection But, above ALL let hope they will never
forget that they Christians, and they shall have TO
give solemn account of their acts in that tribunal be-
fore which Princes, Paaments and Nations have to ap
pear-the tribunal of the great Governor of the Uni
verse"
The British government mpelled by its spirit Of pros
eytism and by dnt of perseverance has succeeded in
concluding treaty with the United States for the abol
ton of the slave traffic. 1t was made in 1912, while
that with Spain concluded in 1885 but how very
different these treaties In the with US it
allowed to British cruisers under appearance of reel
procty which will prove does not exist the right Of
visiting, examining inquiring and making prize Of Span
sh merchant vessels under the most frivolous precxts
taking them off their course delaying their arrival at
their place of destination, and taking them to Sierra Le
one, distance often OF between nine and twelve hundred
miles. Not single word of these yexatious Is
mentioned in the treaty with the United States In the
latter England only socts support from the republic
from equal to equal in order to stop and punish the m
c in question And why this difference 1t could not
be the result Of any discovery for the treaty with
the United States made years posteror to that
with Spain Both ourselves and the United States
saveholdng powers and why great respect and defer
ence to these States and much humiliation for usi
The is not difficult The United States strong
and powerful while SPAIN If not in fact appears weak
and pusanimous. II is historical truth that, in
! 1872 that republic declared against England for
| such acts the high she is committing
against which lasted for three years. and du.
ring which immense injury was inflicted the British
naval power Nor il anything now better understood
than that the attempt to visit and search American
chips on the high would produce instant war,
and hence the rights and feelings OF the republic
foot. In other epochs, when the Spanish nation was
powerful and influential when the set upon
her domnions when Spanish steel felt simultaneous
y in both hemispheres and proud Albion sought eagerly
even matrimonial alliances with Spain, then might
have been indifferent to wrongs easily avenged but
when not in fortunate condition, and have
to believe that meekness is presumed upon
ii becomes the quickly TO resent wrong and in
suit We should raise voice theoretically upon this
OCCASION since not weak not to be able to
cause rights to be respected The simple truth is,
that England true to her acute and sagaous commercial
policy sacrifices everything as have before said to
gain her ends the universal dominion Of the
Mr. vialobos, after describing the objects which other
powers sought to and did obtain by the treaty of Utrecht
went on to speak thus 1.-The spoliation Of India the
nhuRan fictitious famine employed AS a Of s
conquest the celebrated exacons resortcd to by the
British Colonel Give, the atrocous mseeds of Warren
hastings, the assassination Of the unhappy Tippoo Sab
the Sultan of Mysore and all his family by the nhuman
troops of the East India Company the robbery Of the
Kingdom OF Dude, whose cxiled Queen has just died in