The Virginian

Our goodly city of New York is certainly very inquisitive and credulous. It can show up its badauds or its Cockneys, with as much originality as Paris or London—and they shall be to the full as greedy of novelty, and as undiscriminating, as to its ingredients as the gobe mouches of the old world.

A few days ago it pleased the editor of a morning paper to give publicity to as improbable and disjointed a rumor as was ever afloat, concerning an alleged purpose of England to garrison the Island of Cuba. Forthwith this rumor is taken up by others, and discussed according to their various degrees of faith or fancy, with seriousness or levity. One indeed announces, in capitals, with all due solemnity, that if a garrison is to be planted in Cuba, the U. States and not England, must plant it.

Upon the heels of this rumor arrives a king's messenger from England, and straightway the town is in a ferment—if the papers be an indication of the feelings of the town—& conjectures as to the motives of this visit assumes a thousand shapes, though still harping upon Cuba. A few days will probably resolve painful uncertainty.

Mean time we may conjecture too, at least, what this messenger does not bring. We guess, then, to begin, that he does not bring any thing in any way disagreeable or unfriendly—but rather otherwise: and that he does not bring any thing that relates to Cuba, nor to the West Indies, nor to any other question of external policy. What he does bring will probably soon be made known to us all, until which we are satisfied with the assurance, that this visit is one of good and not of evil.

As to Cuba, there is, we suspect, no one point upon which there is so entire a coincidence of opinion between the United States and England. and we believe, we may include France, as in relation to the condition of that Island. It is for the interest, as it is the desire, of all parties: that it should remain unchanged, and that at any rate, neither of the nations should be at liberty to pretend to any dominion over its territory. The stories therefore from time to time circulated first of a French, and then of an English project to garrison the Island, are mere idle speculations—the offspring (we will not quote literally,) 'of a long peace and a calm world.'