Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-05-15
~ u IAN YAu1Ja Nk0IaaaA "a H0n<0 8In4HaAn
CUBAN BELLIGERENCY.
A TaIe of OonsPiracies and colo
On~rsaf,o 1e,,or - A..

A y Il .
A Tale of COnspiracies and colo
Correspondence of the Cincinnati Gazett-.
New York, May s.-A dispatch fror
Washington to New York paper say
the expected action of Congress on Cuba
belligerency had been delayed in man
ner which seemed long unaccountable
but which recent developments explain
The House has been waiting for the re
port OF the Committee on Foreign AT
fairs. The favorable resolution Il
which that committee agreed seyera
weeks ago, together with the repor
then prepared, has been held back
partly under influences which have beef
actively operating in other directions to
ward the same end. Two rings, organ
lied here for different objects, have beer
lndustriousiy and successfully at work tc
stave Off any action by Congress. The
first consists of pretended friends of Cubs
| and their dupes, whose efforts have been
directed to prevent the granting of bel.
hgerent rights until the Cuban agents
would consent to heavy black mail ar
rangements. Always really powerless to
further this object, they are, now that
the game is understood, equally powerless
to impede it. The other ring in
cludes highly influential pers0nages
IN Spain and in this country,
prominent among whom are Gen.
Prim and Minister Roberts, with the full
aid, sympathy and concurrence of our
Secretary of State. The scheme on foot.
and now matured for practical execution,
is that Spain shall sell the island to the
Spanish volunteers for ono hundred mil
lions of dollars, of which ten millions are
to be paid down and bonds given for the
balance, secured on the island, guaranteed
if feasible by the United States. If this
cannot be obtained the arrangement is to
be made by its mediation, or with its
moral aid and countenance. Mr.. Fish
and his friends do not hesitate to express
the conviction that the cession of Cuba to
Spanish volunteers would be the most de-
sirable solution of the question. As an ar
gument to Senators, members and others
for not pressing thequestion of Cuban bel
hgerent rights, and as plea for delay, it
is confidently intimated that Spain will
soon sell the island to the Spanish volun-
teers, and that the Spanish volunteers will
sell to the United States. The scheme
has not become sufficiently developed for
It's minutest features to be known. But
the ice has been broken and the whole
affair will soon be revealed. The great
objection made to this plan by clear
headed men, who have been consulted re-
specting it, is that great as would be the
value of Cuba in peaceful and prOduc-
tive condition, and desirable as might be
the annexation of the island to the United
States, it would be absurd to pay hun
bred millions, or even fifty millions for
ferocious civil war The answer to
this is, that as Cubans generally desire an
nexation, they will be sure to acquiesce in
the transaction as soon as the volunteers
shall transfer their right to the United
States, and that thus civil war will be
brought to perfect and permanent con
clusiOn. Or, it is. said, il the volunteers
should not at once make arrangements to
sell their claim, their violent, brutal and
insubordinate character will at once lead
them into outrages of so extreme a nature
that it viii become the duty of the United
States to interfere by force, drive out the
volunteers, relieve the patriots, and then
proceed to annex the island. Such are
the arguments which have been used
privately here for some time past, and
with such effect as to check all
action on the part of Congress.
As for ten millions in cash, it is believed
that the volunteers will have little Difficult
ty in extorting from wealthy slave traders
and business men of Havana, in shape of
forced loan, the sum of ten millions, re-
quired for the first installment, to be paid
to Prim, Serrano and Madrid. This
amount in cash would DC a perfect god
send to the Spanish government. The
paper says, cditorially, "We do not pub
fish this extraordinary communication
without some reserve; but it comes to us
from a source of SO high character that
we are not at liberty to doubt that there
is a foundation for its statements, besides
it accOrds remarkably with the plan IOr
the settlement of Cuba, which was
said to have the approval of Mr..
Fish year ago. He was then reported
to be convinced that SPANS best method
of ending the civil war was 70 sell the
island to the Cubans; and the design now
developed is but another form of that
idea. 1t IS rather noteworthy, too, that
the unfolding of this scheme should be
contemporaneous with the arrival in
Washington of Mr. Paul S. Forbes, who
has the credit of having acted, On for
mer occasions, as private agent between
General Prim and the American Govern
mont