The southern press., 1851-09-17

Cubs hsueIf can sustain protsaetsd war
against an invasion or revolt The captain
general Of Cuba can bring in the field an army
Of fiity thousand men, embracing the regular
army and the Spanish inhabitants. The war,
whether ciyil, seryile, or international, or ali
combined, must be wasteful and destructive
one. M
Many Of those who are earnestly in favor Of
the annexation of Cuba, now think that they
must accomplish that object In on honorable
and direct mode. They ought TO be content 70
suffer the fruit to riIen, when Il will certainly
fall into our lap Butin our annexation projects,
we have been governed by no policy that wnits
for the slow, though certain movements Of time
The acquisition Of Texas and OF California,
and our immense trade with the Pacific, all
point TO the ultimate acquisition Of Cuba, as the
kew to the Gulf Of Mexico.
Therefore, some Of the annexationsts have
now come to the conclusion that we must buy
Cuba from Spain Some discreet and infuen.
tialpo'iticians and business men Of the South
now promote this policy, and they have even en-.
deavored to impress II upon members Of the
present administration. | tiink it not imbrob.
able that at the next session Of Congress reso.
luton will be offered and adopted, requesting
the President TO open a special negotiation Nth
the Spanish government for the purchase Of
Cuba
Will Spui, assent TO ii? Will she, upon INV
terms, give up her last ant richest American
possession? | think. and many think, that she
will, and espcci.lly ii sfe be advised to thar
coarse by the governments OF Great Britain ard
France. Great Britain might, through this ne
gotiation, obtain the payment Of the debt due
to her from Spain. Both Great Britain and
F,ance might, by il, get rid of the onerous cb-
legation to guarantee to Spain her right in Cuba.
1t has been cornmony said ani believed, that
Spain derives large revenue and great COM
mercial advantages from the possession of Cuba.
But this is denied by men wlo are practically
and thoroughly acquainted With the subject. II
has been often stated that Spain derives rev.
enue of twenfy-four millions from Cuba. This
is not so, in fact. Only thirteen or fourteen mil
lions ever reaches tho treasury, ard all this and
more is paid cut Of the civil and military ex-
penses Of the island. Lately the royal treasury
has paid ont about million annually for the
expense of the colony, over all the receipts.
Formerly, there was some excess Of revenue.
though never so large as has been represented.
Under present circumstances, these expenses
are mere likely to be increased than diminished.
The last reinforcements sent to Cuba drained
the royal treasury, and an apprehension Of more
flibustier movements or Of domestic reyolts will
require continued reinforcements
AS to commercial advantages there are but
two which Spain derives from the possession Of
the island; the first is from her exclusive nay-
CATION laws. She has from these most Of the
carrying trade of the island. The other benefit
is from heavy duty on -four, and this is only
beneficial to a single district in old Spain.
II will be seen that the President has inter-
fered in behalf of the prisoners of the Lopez
expedition, on the ground that they were in
weighed into the Invasion upon representations
that an actual revolution was on foot in Cuba,
and that the patriots were in possession of
forty towns.