Year: 1872

The existence of slavery in Cuba is o re-
proach to the United States, and is especially
scandalous to the republican party, which has
held control of the government for the past
twelve years, and has just secured a new lease
of power through the personal strength and
popularity Of President Grant. The crusade
against slavery within our own borders brought
on the war Of the Southern rebellion, cost the
nation hundreds of thousands of lives and
millions of treasure, and still keeps q large
section of the country stripped of those
rights guaranteed to all the States by
the constitution. The responsibility of aboli-
tionism for the war has been from time to
time denied for political effect; but the day
has gone by for such sophistry and the truth
of history vindicatcs itself. When Mr. Sew
ard pending the frs. election of Mr.. Lin
coin, declared that the triumph of the latter
would enable the republican party within
-four years to convert the Supreme
Court of the United States into partisan
constitution as giving no rights to slavery, he
committed an act of war just as effectually as
did the rebels when they fred the irst gun on
Sumter. From that moment an appeal to
arms became inevitable and slavery in the
United States was doomed No unpreiudiced
person now thinks of upbraiding republican
ism for its attack upon the "institution" any
more than they would blamo the colonists
who threw the tea overheard in Boston Harbor.
The end justified the means. But it is ques-
tionable whether party that has carried
great moral idea to successful issue at home
at such enormous risk and sacrifice; that has
soaked its own soil with the blood of its best
citizens in the cause of freedom for the negro
race, can, without censure refrain from using
its power 10 strike down slavery in the neigh
boring Island of Cuba. Yet we find our
republican Congress and the administration at
| Washington not only abstaining from aggres-
sive acts against the system OF slavery in
the Spanish colony, but doing much to foster
it and keep it in existence. We contend
that inasmuch as the party in absolute control
of the legislative and executive branches of the
government achieved power on the principle
of unceasing war against slavery as a great
human wrong, it has not the moral right to
remain inactive while four hundred thousand
negroes are held in bondage on an island lying
in our waters and within reach Of our hands.
Inaction is not, however, the least of its sins.
The policy of the dominant party has given
direct aid to Cuban slavery, both in its un-
friendliness towards the cause of the revolu-
tionists and in its liberal encouragement of
! Spanish interests in its commercial inter-
course with that nation.


We pointed out to General Grant few days
ago the fact that the shortest and surest way
to iberate the Cuban slaves is to free the
island from Spanish rule. independence to
Cuba means freedom to every human being on
the island, for the regularly adopted constitu-
ton of the Republic declares that call the
inhabitants" of whatever race or color, shall
be absolutely free" The recognition by the
United States Of the belligerency Of the revo-
lutionists-a recognition to which over four
years successful resistance of Spanish autho-
rity entities them, would speedily close the
struggle and drive the Spaniards from the
island This is the judgment of rejecting
friends Of the patriots, and the unceasing in
trigues Of the Spanish authorities to prevent
such action on the part Of our government in
dicate that they share the opinion. BY re-
fusing to Cubans, after four years of rebellion,
the rights that were accorded to the South
almost as soon as they had raised the banner of
insurrection, our government incurs . grave
responsibility, Of which it ought to be glad to
relieve itself, and, as we have heretofore
shown, General Grant has now happy op-
portunity to make o new departure in his
Cuban policy appear graceful concession
to the sentiment of the people who
have just reelected him to the Presi-
dency of the United States by
largely non-partisan vote. Should there be
any hesitation about the recognition of Cuban
belligerancy, or should such action as we be-
lieve ought to be taken by the administration
fail in securing the desired object, we have
still the resort of an earnest appeal to the
Spanish government for the abolition of
human servitude on the island, and, better
still, the means Of forcing that concession
from Spain if we are serious in demanding it.


Up to the present time there has been much
talk at Madrid about the emancipation of the
| slaves in the colonies, and the republican
party has declared in favor Of such policy;
but the promises Of the government appear to
have been induced by expediency and the de-
clarations of the republicans seem to have
been made more for effect than from principle.
The protracted rebellion afforded favorable
opportunity for sweeping away the evil of
slavery, hadthe Spaniards been really desirous
of accomplishing that professed object; but SO
| &C.
propositions for gradual emancipation and SO
many difficulties have constantly appeared in
the way Of action that all faith in the sincerity
of the movement has been destroyed.


Intervention with Spain for the liberation Of
the Cuban slaves is no new proposition to