on of President Pierce, there occurred an
incident which threatened at one time to lead to hostilities, and which
was one of the first of the many incidents that have embittered the
United States against Spain as regards its administration of Cuba.

This was the firing on the American steamer, Black Warrior, by a Spanish
man-of-war.

The Black Warrior was a steamer owned in New York, and plying regularly
between that city and Mobile. It was her custom both on her outward and
homeward bound trips to touch always at Havana. The custom laws were
then very stringent, and she ought each time to have exhibited a
manifest of her cargo. But still this was totally unnecessary, as no
portion of her cargo was ever put off at Havana.

She was therefore entered and cleared under the technical term of "in
ballast." This was done nearly thirty times with full knowledge and
consent of the Spanish revenue officers; and, moreover the proceeding
was in accordance with a general order of the Cuban authorities.

But in February, 1850, the steamer was stopped and fired upon in the
harbor of Havana. The charge brought against her was that she had an
undeclared cargo on board. This cargo was confiscated, and a fine of
twice its value imposed. The commander of the vessel, Captain Bullock,
refused to pay the fine, and declared that the whole proceeding was
"violent, wrongful and in bad faith."

But, obtaining no redress, he hauled down his colors, and, carrying them
away with him, left the vessel as a Spanish capture. With his crew and
passengers, he made his way to New York, and reported the facts to the
owners.

The latter preferred a claim for indemnity of three hundred thousand
dollars. After a tedious delay of five years, this sum was paid, and so
the matter ended.

The affair of the Black Warrior was one of the cases that led to the
celebrated Ostend Conference.

This conference was held in 1854 at Ostend and Aix-la-Chapelle by
Messrs. Buchanan, Mason and Soule, United States ministers at London,
Paris and Madrid, and resulted in what is known as the Ostend manifesto.

The principal points of this manifesto were as follows:

"The United States ought if possible to purchase Cuba with as little
delay as possible.

"The probability is great that the government and Cortes of Spain will
prove willing to sell it because this would essentially promote the
highest and best interests of the Spanish people.

"The Union can never enjoy