Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-03-01

| the whites OF Cuba, have become the Dy-
word of history; every step in their insane
| career has been the melancholy blot and blur
of free institutions. The Spanish-Creole race
of Cuba are the worst kind of materials with
which to build up Republican Institutions
Their political training has been the worst
imaginable. They have always lived under
the sternest despotism; and, for the last thirty
years, under martial law. They have had no
political privileges. and are utterly ignorant
Of the machinery Of free institutions. But IT
might be said that the American emigration
would go in and control the Cubans. He did
not think the emigration would be large
From the South itwould not, because agri-
cultural emigrants never go in large numbers
to an old country; from the North. the emf
grafton would be mostly commercial men
for temporary sojourns.
Mr. BoYCE next proceeded to discuss the
question, whether Cuba. in the event of an
nexntion. would be reliable slave commu
nifty; that is, whether slavery would be likely
| to continue there? He put down the popu-
| lation of the island, at the Lowest estimate,
at twelve hundred thousand. OF these, tsOO
| hundred thousand are free negroes startling
fact worthy to be pondered by Southern men.
Between these free negroes and the white
| Creole masses of Cuba there was not that
vast and deinable separation that existed in
| this country between the free negroes and the
whites. The Creole masses in Cuba were
about equal to the Mexican masses. Between
L 81 fhnrn
was no abrupt line of demarkation. The
same state of things existed in Cuba. The
| free negro race there stood, in great degree,
upon an equality with the Creole masses;
neither have any political privileges. Free
negroes have been enrolled in the army,
taught the use of arms and instructed In
| military tactics, while the creoles have been
regularly excluded from the army. These
| two hundred thousand free negroes in Cuba
struck him as so many half-lit torches, which
a single flash might light up, and set the
island in flame at any moment.
The next element in the population of
| CuIa was the slaves-about four hundred
thousand in number--not christianized. hu-
maniZed or civilized to the same extent as
our slaves.
| A grave question as TO what would be the
status Of all the slaves imported into Cuba
since 1920, when Spain by treaty with Eng
| land engaged that the trade throughout the
the Spanish dominions should be abolished,
ght arise in the event of annexation. OF
this class are supposed to be at the lowest es-
innate two thirds OF all the slaves now on
the Island. Under the decision of the
Supreme Court of the United States in the
Amistad case, great difficulties might arise
on this point from the efforts of the Adolf
tionists if Cuba were to come into the pos
session of the United States without an in
termediary state of separate independence in
which a new fundamental law could be
passed.
The next item in the population of the
Island is the white race, which is estimated
at six hundred thousand, and of which a
small proportion are European Spaniards-
the residue Creoles, about equal as class to
the people of Mexico. Could they be relied
upon to pres, rye slavery? The country being
an old settled country, there wonld, as he
emigration from the South, and whatever
there should he would be cOunterbalanced by
an equal, adverse emigration from the North.
The continuance of slavery, then, in Cuba,
in the event of our acquiring it, would
depend on the Creoles He would consider
that bad security.
The tendency of the Spanish Democratic
idea was to ultraism; they carry liberty to
the extreme of anarchy. Every Spanish
revolution was a socialistic revolution.
Looking at the population and institutions
of Cuba, he doubted whether it would be
reliable on the slavery issue. Looking at
the question of annexation in all its bearings,
he doubted exceedingly whether it would be
to the interest of the South TO annex Cuba
now. even if it could be done without money
CIR blood. But no one had any idea that
Cuba could be thus easily acquired at the
present time.
He was glad TO be able to fortify his
opinion upon this subject by the authority of
Mr.. CALHOUN. who, so late as May, lS4S, in
his speech on the proposed occupation of
Yucaian, said: So long a. Cuba remains in
the hands of Spain, a friendly Power.
Power of which we have no dread, it should
continue to be, as it has been, the policy Of
all Administrations ever since have been
connected with the Government, to let Cuba
remain there"
These views ofMr. BoYcE and probably the
views of majority ofthe Democratic leaders
of South Carolina, and will probably meet
with favor from a considerable portion of the
Southern Democracy. AS such, we have
thought an abstract of them, at this particular
jnncture, when desperate efforts are being
made to get up Cuba agitation for mere
party purposes, would moth unacceptable to
or readers "t