Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1836-06-30
J. G. ADAMS SPEECH.

boundary were three. First, he had no
eon6denee IA the strength of our claim as
far a. the Rio Bravo secondly, he tho't
Il would make our union so heavy, that 1t
would break into fragments by its own
weight; thirdly, be thought il would pro-
trude long line Of sea coast, which, IN
our FIRST war with Great Britain, she
might take into her own possession, and
which we should be able neither to defend
nor to recover. AT that time there was
no question Of slavery or Of abolition in
volved in the controversy. The country |
belonged to Spain; il was a wilderness. |
and slavery was the established law OF the |
land. There was then no project for
carving out nine slave States, to hold |
eighteen seats in the other wing Of this
capitol, in the triangle between the mouths
and the sources ofthe Mississippi and Bra
70 rivers. But what was our claim 81
Why 1t was that La Sale, having discov-
cred the mouth Of the Mississippi, and
France having made settlement at New
Orleans, France had right to one half
the sea coast from the mouth of the Mis-
sissippi to the next Spanish settlement,
which was Vera Cruz The mouth of
the Rio Bravo was about half way from
the Balize to Vera Cruz; and 80 as gran
tees, from France Of Louisiana, we claim
ed to the Rio del Norte, though the Span
ish settlement of Santa Fe was at the head
OF that river. France, from whom we
had received Louisiana, utterly disclaim-
ed ever having even raised such preten-
sion. Still we made the best of the claim
that we could, and finally yielded it for
the Floridas. and for the line Of the AID
degree of latitude from the source Of the
Arkansas river to the South sea. Such
was our claim and you may Judge how
much confidence Mr. Monroe could have
In It's validity. The great object and de-
sire OF the country then was to obtain the
Floridas II was General Jackson's de-
sire and in that conference with me to
which i have heretofore alluded, and
whic b 1t is said he does not recollect he
said to me that so long as the Florida
rivers were not in our possession, there
could be no safety for our whole Southern
country. 4.s.hs
But, sir, suppose you should annex
Texas to these United States; another
year would not pass before you would
have 70 engage in a war for the conquest
of the Island Of Cuba. What is now the
condition Of that islanda Still under the
nominal protection of Spain. And what
Is the condition Of Spain herself2 Con-
suming her own vitals in a civil war for
the succession to the crown. Do you ex-
pect, that whatever may be the issue OF
that war. she can retain even the nominal
possession Of .Cuba2 Afer having lost
all her continental colonies in North and
South America, Cuba will stand in need
of more efficient protection /; and above
all, the protection Of O naval power Sup,
pose that naval power should be Great
Britain. There is Cuba at your very
door; and if you spread yourself along a
naked coast, from the Sabine to the Rio
Bravo, what will be your relative position
towards Great Britain, with not only ia.
.maicn,, but Cuba, and Porto Rico in hel
hands. and abolition for the motto to he1
union cross Of st. George and Saint An.
drew MriChairman, do you think
am treading on fantastic grounds? LIE
me tell you piece Of history, not far re
mote. Sir, many years have not passed
away since an internal revolution in SPAR
subjected that country and her king for
short time to the momentary government
of the Cortes. That revolution was fol
lowed by another, by which, under tn
auspices ofa French army with the Duk,
dAngouleme at their head, Ferdinand
the Seventh was restored tosa despoti
throne; Cuba had followed the fortune
Of the Cortes when they were crowne
with victory, and when the counter reyo
luton came. the inhabitants Of the island
uncertain what was to be their destination
were for some time in great perplexit
what to do for themselves. Two consit
cradle parties arose in the island, one {
which was for placing It under the protec
ton Of Great Britain. and another for an
nexing II to the confederation of thes
eUnited States. BY one Of these parties
have reason to beliey that overtures wei
made to the Government of Great Britain
BY the other Iknosf that overtures wei
made to the Government of the Unite
States. And 7 furtl!er know that secre
though irresponsible assurances were con
municaied to the tRn President Of Ii
NGnlted states, as coming from the Frenc
Government, that they were secretly II
formed that the British Government hs
determined to take possession of Cuba :
WHISTLER similar overtures were made
France herself, do not undertake to sa ,
but that Mr. George Canine ,hsn Il j
British Secretary Of State for Fore;on A
fairs, Was under no inconsiderable sIaru
lest under the pupilage of the Duke d A,
gouleme. Ferdinand the Seventh MIC
commit to the commander ola French p
val squadron the custody of the Mo,
Castle, is a circumstance also well know
to me. Il happened that Just about Ii
time . French squadron Of cousiderah