October, 20th 1854
Today we have lived an unusual fact which seriously damage our country. The United States diplomat in our country, Pierre Soulé, has confessed the existence of a secret manifesto against our Spanish interests in Cuba.
This strange and malicious declaration has taken place in a meeting with important pro-Southern American businessmen. In Louisiana, one of the most important slavery American states, Mr. Soulé has talked about a "wonderful solution" to glad the Southern expansionists: the Ostend Manifesto.
"We firmly believe that, in the progress of human events, the time has arrived when the vital interests of Spain are as seriously involved in the sale, as those of the United States in the purchase of the island (Cuba), and that the transaction will prove equally honourable to both nations.", Mr. Soulé has declared, accompanied by applauses from the assistants.
After that meeting, and as fast as possible, we have tried to investigate more about this secret manifesto and its content. With no names, we have obtained declaration from French businessmen and a Britain representative. They have admitted the existence of this secret manifesto. According to their sources, three days ago, October 18, three pro-slavery Democratic United States diplomats (from the South), Pierre Soulé, James Mason, and James Buchanon, celebrated a meeting that took place in Ostend, Belgium.
The meeting was organized by the president of the United States
at the time, Franklin Pierce. There, the diplomats were instructed
to attempt to purchase the slave state of Cuba for $130 million
from Spain, as was instructed by William L. Marcy, the Secretary
of State under President Pierce. Actually, our Spanish government
knew about these American intentions against our country,
trying to buy our Cuba in order to create more slavery American
States. However, the newest thing in this affair is the Mr. Soulé’s
contribution. It seems that Mr.Soulé, angered by our last Spanish
actions close to Cuba (such as their taking of a U.S. Black Warrior ship),
has decided to be more upfront with the Spanish. In the Manifesto, Soulé stated that if Spain decided to not accept the United State's offer to purchase Cuba, the United States would go into war with Spain.
Obviously, we can forecast problems in our colonies. Spain is weak. We are losing all our colonies in America. Nothing remains of our glorious past. Dear readers, we cannot permit this threat to our nation, but we have to be cautious. War seems to be the solution, but it is not a real solution.
We have to trust our diplomacy and politics.
We hope the administration of the United States, Franking Pierce as president, to be damaged by this affair and the Democratic Party divided. Mr. Soulé and the other participants should be ceased. Furthermore, France and Britain have to act in order to preserve the order and relations that the United State’s administration had left.
I wish it was the solution. Everything is better than a war.
by Jose E. Córcoles
A Manifesto against Spain is written in Ostend
The Bridge - 1861 - Erasmus+
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