PRELIMINARY ESSAY. 



83 



would probably be so great as to draw away their 

 stock, until they became free States — a far greater 

 gain to the North than Cuba would be to the South. 

 Meantime, however, the slave party still desires 

 annexation ; it disregards or despises its dangers, or 

 rather it loses sight of them in fear of what may 

 happen, if it does not annex. Here we have the 

 true meaning of the Lone Star Lodges and Ostend 

 Conferences. The Americans try to make the Cuban 

 whites imitate them in casting off their allegiance to 

 the mother country, because they fear that Spain 

 will imitate us in compelling emancipation." — West- 

 minster Review^ July, 1855. Reprint, p. 97. 



This is an adroit and characteristic mis-statement 

 of the Cuban question. Its opening assumption that 

 the northern and southern States of the American 

 Union are opposed to each other in their vital inter- 

 ests, is the artful insinuation of the defenders of 

 European policy, in their opposition to American 

 theories, but it is an error of fact. However great 

 may be the sectional jealousies and irritation, at the 

 present time or in the past (for when have they 

 ceased to exist ?), the vital interests of the North and 

 the South are the same. The integrity of the terri- 

 tory of the North, is the integrity of the territory of 

 the South, and when the question of the northeastern 



