The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-12-31
AMERICA IN THE VEST INDIES.
How the st. Thomas Purchase is Re-
gRrded In England.

From the London Star, Dec. IL.
The ACQUISITION of the United States of the
West India Islands st. Thomas and st. John
is an event OF sufficient gravity 10 warrant an
examination into the motives of the nation
which has acquired fUothold IN that region
and of the probable future results in the scat
tered communities OF those seas belonging to
different European powers. We believe when
the late disturbances occurred in Jamaica, aud
the press OF this country was filled with violent
denunc ations of the negroes, President Johu-
son took advantage OF the circumstances to
sound he late sir Frederick Bruce as to the
probability of our cedtng to the United States
that magnificent, bat up to that time, ll-gov-
erned island. The exceedingly cold reception
with which his overtures were met induced the
President, or rather Mr.. Seward, tor that astute
old man is at the bottom of the business, to
aDplv to Denmark, where he has been more sue
President Johnson is doubtless right
in assuming that, had the United States pos
ssssed ST. Thomas during the late war, there
Would have been no blockade-running. The
place was the very nest and centre OF all the
illegal traffic which buoyed up tor u time the
spirits OF the Southern shareholders. The Presi-
dent must not be surprised, however, ii we look
upon il from another point OF view. In the event
OF a great reVulsOn in our own country, occa
stoned by the persistent Vaccinations OF the
American Fenians, st, Thomas and ST. John
may become convenient shelters from which TO
annoy the commerce of England. Certainly, in
a war with the United States, should that
calamity ever occur, the possession of these two
Islands WOulL enurely dleT tue DaIa0cC OF
power which has hitherto subsisted between
this country aud America. We do not point
out these results IN any spirit of hos ility
TO the Tinted States, but rather to sho
the blindness aud stupidity OF the tradi-
tional policy of the Foreign Office. We are in
the act of spending millions, under some delu-
sion that in dong so we are keeping up our
prestige in the East Indies, while, without a
protest, without murmur, without an exchange
of notes, so far as we are at present informed
our greatest naval rival acquires two islands in
the West IDdles avoWedly as war ports against
possible Transatlantic enemies. Toe presence
OF the Americans in these latltudes will be a
disturbing cause to the European powers in
Ieace as we'll as in war. Spain especially NAV
nrC ceed at once TO set her house in order. Porto
Rico where slavery still relgns with all Its hate
full features is the near neigbbor of st. Johns.
Imagine the state of mind of the Spanish
planters, with community of negroes in the
possession of manhood suffrage in the next
Island! Nor can we escape the difficult
ties which the advent of this new
nelghbIr Will certainly cause in the
West Indies. Already the United States
have begun to domnate the minds of the
negroes. They have not been inattentive OBJ
servers OF what has been passing in the great
country which so lately was the chief stay OF
slavery. They will not watch with less jealousy
the possession OF the franchise by their lately
emancipated brethren, when the American flag
floats over two OF the islands in their midst. In
addition to what may be called the passive pro
papaDdism Il American views, an active and
most powerful influence wi be exerted by the
superior commercial activity of the Americans
Although tn obtaining OF war ports has been the
Leading idesof the late acquisition. the intense
business ACTIVITY OF the Americans will doubt
less soon OnVert the new colony into a com
mercal cetIe, where they will amass all the
rich produe OF the neighbo boring islands before
lauhchDgt upon the markets OF the world.