The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1858-09-01
MISCELLANEOUS.
The Anglo-Cuban Delusion.

There is an immense waste of affectionate
jubilation over the evidence of British good.
will to be discovered in the intimation that
England is quite willing we shall take Cuba
whenever and however we can get it provi-
dedalwayswe become tsponsible to the British
holders of Spanish bonds to the tune ofseventy
or eighty millions of dollars.
John Bull should have looked at the Cuban
question camly and honestly in his day of pow.
er, while he was still lord of India. and when
Napoleon Ill was not yet the lord of British
peace at home. He wouldtlen have learned two
things in good time to act wisely upon them.
He would have seen conclusiveiy that the an
nexation of Cuba to the United States was the
only sure means of putting all end to the slave.
trade and he would also have seen that there
was not the slightest hope of obtaining the pay.
ment Of the Spanish debt except from the lib
eral coffe s of Uncle Sam, and that of course
only in consideration Of the cession of Cuba.
John Bull has lost his honor. He set his face a
little too long against US and Cuba in his pet
policy of checking the growth of the United
States, and of maintaining the European as.
tendency in that island as 'permanent threat
to the coast commerce of the Northern and
Southern States of the Union" Nor do we
believe England has now sincerely abandoned
this traditional policy. The Ruitan Islands
were practically seized, and are illegally re.
taineG as a part of this deliberate system of
domination over our American highways and
50 too is held the port Of San Juan del Norte,
a closed gate to our trade, No reliance can be
placed on these sporadic eruptions of "friendly
intentions about Cuba, while these plundered
gates are kept fiom their just owners. When
the robber turns saint he is expected to give
Up his unlawful spoils before honest men believe
in his repentance or give him thoir confidence.
1t is perfectly in the power Of England to
command the respect of our people, by giving
up the spoils she has seized on our American
highways; but no sane man can place, even
then, much faith in this sudden disposition to
aid the United States in the acquisition Of Gu
la. She might as well promise us the rever.
sion of her vanishing East india empire, as the
cession of Cuba. We are to assume the onus
OF forcing Spain to SELL if it is to be acquired
by purchase, and we are to settle with every
body. at our own cost, the complicated qres-
ton of what is to be done with the eighty or
twice eighty thousand African savages which
England claims as an army of frecmen, nnder
her immediate protection. England has been
occupied since 1924 in garrisoning the Island
of Cuba with this alien population, and it is
quite possible, now that the cntanglement is
becoming burdensome to her, that she is willing
we shall rush blindfold to her relief before
France gets voice in the settlement.
Brought down TO the plain solid fact, Eng
land is afraid Of Napoleon, and is playing her
cards so as to place the United States in the
! fore front Of the battle She has the right and
the power to take Cuba from her fait1less ally,
and to giue the Cuban people their independence
upon the co,sdition Of paying the British bond
holders. If We annex Cuba after this, we be-
come responsible for the debt, and will cheer
fully pay it but it belongs to England alone
to arrange her own little prcliminaries with
Spain, and with NAPOLEON, who now sets up
as the protector of Spanish sovereignty in Gu
ba. If we have any fighting to do. we shall do
it in our own way. aud not on British account
We are ready to pay, and may not be unwilling
to fight, but we are not 10 be inyeigled into do
ing both for the benefit Of a foreign Power
Washington States.