Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1858-12-25

| an immediate resort to war. All our attempts
to obtain redress have been batlcd and de-
fcated The frequent and oft-rccuring chan
gcs in the Spanish ministry have been en-
| played as reasons for delay. We have been
compelled to wait, again and again, until the
new minister shall have had time to inycstl-
gate the justice of our demands.
Even what have been denuminatcd e" tho
Cuban Claims" in which more than hum
dred of our citizens are directly interested,
have furnished no exception. These claims
were for the rclunding of duties unjustly cx-
| acted from American vessels at different Gus
tom-houscs in Cuba, SO long ago as the year
18Th. The principles upon which they rest
are so mnnifCstly equitable and Just, that
after period Of nearly ten years, in 1851,
they were recognized by the Spanish gov
! crnmcnt. Proceedings were afterwards in
stitutcd to ascertain their amount and this
was finally fixed according to their own state
ment with Which we were satiSfcd) at tho
sum of one hundred and twenty ght thou
! sand six hundred A. thirty-ive dollars and
iiity-tour cents. JN.st at the moment, after
delay of fourteen years, when we had rca-
| son TO expect that this sum would be repaid
with interest, we have received n proposals.
Offering to refund one-third of that amount,
torty-twO thousand eight hundred and seven
ty-ci@ht dollars and forty-onc cents, but with
ont interest, if we would accept this in full
by declaration that this ndcmniicntion is
not funded ON any reason of strict JUSTICE;
but is made as special favor.
Oac alleged cause for procrnstinatiOn in tho
examination and adjustment of our claims
arises from un obstacle which it is the duty
0tthc Spanish Government to remove. Whilst
the Captain-Gcncral of Cuba is invested with
general deSputic authority in thc government
of that Island, the power is withheld from
him to examine and redress wrongs commit
ted by officials under his control on citizens
o. tue United 5 atNs. Instead of making
our complaints directly to him at Havana,
we arc obliged to present them through our
Minister At Madrid. These are then referred
back to the Cnptam-Gcncrnl for information;
and much time is thus consumed in prcim-
mary investigations and correspondence be-
'wccn Madrid and Cuba before the Spanish
Government will consent to proceed to ncgo-
ti0tiOn. Many OF the difficulties letwecn
the tw" governments would lie obviatcd, and
a long train of negotiation avoided, ifthc CAR
tain-Genclal were invested with authority to
settle questions of easy solution on the spot
| where all the facts are fresh, and could hC
promptly and satisfactorily ascertaincd. We
! have hitherto i'll vain urged upon the Span
sh Gnvcrnmcnt, to confer this power upon
the Captain-Gcncral, and our Minister to
Sra;n Will again be instructed to urge thi
| subject on their notice. In this respect, VIC
occupy It different position from the powers
of Europe. Cubn is almost within sight Of
our shores; our commerce with it is far
greater than that of any other nation, iuclu-
ding Spain itself and our citizens arc in hal
/ its of daily and extended personal intercourse
with every part of the Island 1t is, there
fore, u great grievance that,when any difficult
ty occurs, no matter how Important which
might hc readily settled at the moment, VIC
should be obliged To resort to Madrid cspC-
cially when the very first step to DC taken
there is to refer it back to Cuba.
Tho truth is that Cuba, in its existing
! colonial condition, is ~ constant source Of
injury and annoyance to- tho American pc,
pie 1t is the only spot in the civilized world
whore the Atrican sluvc-tradc is tolerated
and VIC are bound by treaty with
! Great britain, to maintain naval force ON
the coast of Africa, at much expense both of
| life and treasure, solely for the purpose cf
nrrcsting Slnvcrs bouad to that Island. The.
late serious diifcultics bctwecn the United
States and Great Britain respecting the right
of search, now so happily terminated, could
never have arisen if Cuba had not afforded
n market for slaves. As long rs this market
shall remain open, there can be no hone for
the civilization of hcnigh;cd Africa. Whilst
| the demand for slaves continues in Cuba,
wars Will be wagcd among the petty and
lnrbarons chiefs in Africa. for the purpose
of scizing, subjects To supply the trade In
such 9 condition Of Affairs it is impossible
that the light Of civilization and religion can
ever penetrate these dark nbolcs.
1t has lccn made known to the world by
my predecessors, that the United States have
on several Occasion. cndcav0lcd to acquire
Cuba from Spain by honorable negotiation.
| If this were accomplished the last relic OF
the slave trade wpnlI Instantly disappear.
We would not, five egnld acquire Cuba
! in any other maiiner. This is due TO our
national characteg. al the territory which
We have acquired si1co the oriSnof the gov
| ernmcnt: has been by fair purchase from
France, Spain and Mexico, or by the FREQ
and volurtary act of the Independent State
of Texas, in blending her destinics with our
own This course we shall ever pursue, un-
less circumstances should occur which we
( do not now anticipate. rendering departure,
from it clearly .iusCiriable under tho impern-
tive and ovcrruling law Of selfprcscrvatiun
The Island of Cuba, from it's Geographical
position, commands the mouth of the MisSis-,
sippi. and the immense and annually-incrcas-
ing trade. foreign and coastwisc from tho,
valley Of that nuble river. now embracing
half the sovereign States of the Union.
| With that Island under the dominion of
distant foreign power, this trade, of vital inn.
portancc to these States, is exposed to tho,
danger Of being destroyed in time of war.
and it has Hitherto been subjected to pcrpct-
ual injury and annoyance in tine Of
peace. Our relations with Spain, which
ought to be Of the most friendly character,
must always he placed in jeopardy, whilst
| the existing colonial government over tho