Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1852-12-07
Prom the Ohio staie Journal.

Place your thumb and fore finger Of your
LEFT hand a. nearly in circleSas you can,
With the exception Of leaving The ends oG
your thumb and finger abou, one inch apar,:
your lore finger will represen, Florida; your
thumb the Peninsula Of Yucalan; and the
space enclosed, The Gulf of Mexico. in verv
nearly the size, shape and proportions Of
those geographical features. as Represented
10 an ordinary alias upon the map Of North
America. The lslsad Of Cuba on The map
has much the shape Of miniature ca. fish,
or moro nearly OF ,he old lch,hy yosaurus, az
represented In liI,le, in Geographical picture
books. His head u toward the Atlantic: his
tail toward the hollow Of your hand. bu,
turned sweepingly down towards YOUR
thumb. He has just escaped your clu,ch
and If yoq were now 70 shu. your thumb
and finger, they would Craze ,ha, portion Of
the tish extending from the tail 10 the fins
next forward Of Il. This Island shuts on,
the Atlantic from the Gulf with the excep.
sion Of passage between Yucasan and the
tail, and another between the Florida reefl
and the frs, fin forward Of the tail. The
Gulf stream sets into the Gulf by the Yu.
caian passage, ana then meeting the curren,
Of the Mississippi, sets out again between
Florida and Cuba, turns north through the
Bahama channel and takes i,s way north
along the United S,a,es coast.
tree falling into the head waters or the
Missouri river would pass down the Missis.
sippi into the Gulf Of Mexico. A tree fall.
ing into the head waters Of the Amazon
would, on reaching shor, dil,auce from i,s
mouth, meet the Gulfsweam and be swep,
into the same receptacle. A tree falling
into the head waters Of tho La PLATA would
be driven by The same curren. 10 the same
rendezvous, and they would thence proceed
in company along up the coast of,he Uni.
ted States. This is, therefore, the mos,
natural channel for all the commerce Of
three Of the greatest and mos, fertile valleys
in the world: the valleys Of the La Plaza,
Amazon and Mississippi. This commerce
has yet hardly begun to be developed, and
lis Presen. importance, multiplied thousand
fold, but family foreshadows probable ulti.
mate results.
Ii so happens that oil round the shores Of
the Gulf ,here are few good harbots; bu, the
Island Of Cuba may be said 10, abound with
them. The harbor Of Havana, on the side
next 10 Florida, 10 one Of the finest in the
world. Any large commercial power con.
trolling Cuba, would control tho commerce
Of the Gulf and iIs iribusAfies. With ade.
quate forts and naval armaman.s. both, pas.
sages 10 and from tho Atlantic could BE-
closed. '.'l ts7'l
The Island is between six and seven hun.
dred miles long; about one.ninih Of ,ha, dis.
lance In width, and con,ains q surface Of
$4,000 square miles. 1t Is, therefore, as
large as the Stale Of North Carolina. Ii
lies chiefly between 90 degrees and "a de.
grees north latitude. and the temperature Of
iss clima.s ranges from 70 degrees 10 81 de.
grees Fahienheii. A backbone Of noun.
iains extends It's whole length, whence Ter.
silizing streams, abounding in sxcsllen, fish,
pour down both sides in,o lhe sea, lis soil
is productive, and yields TWO or three crops
Of corn year. Il produces sugar. coffee,
and all the grains, fruil and trees common 10
The tropics. The fields, during The whole
year, are covered with aromatic plants and
trees in blossom. Unhealthy near the COAST
Il hass inland, q climate highly charmine
and saIubrious. Ills one Of The riches, col.
onies In the world, and nigh, have beer
the Island chosen by Calypso and hel
nymphs, for !. Is bordered with "perpetua
spring" In many respects I, would be the
mos. delightful country on the globe; bu1
Heaven apporions her boun.ies, and be.
Slows no where monopoly Of attractions
|. is under The dominion OF decrepii old
Spain, and borrows thence the pride, effem.
macy and vices Of ,ha, dscaying na,ion.-
The slave trade is not ye, exiinguished
there. lssPop Ila,ion is mosaic al all col
ors, and morally Il is the "FiVe Points' oI
the Western Hemisphere. With the fra.
GRANGE Of It's spices you also inhale the fra
GRANGE Of The African, equally native 10 the
tropics. liabounds in alligaiors as well "a
in Creoles. It's glorious mixture Of sea
breeze and sunshine is uncomforably pep
pered with flies, spiders, and musqui.os.--
You are spared the more slow and dilalory
forms Of disease, by the ''shorl, sharp, and
decisive" grip Of the yellow fever. Your
view Of iIs landscape and foliage is render
ed repulsive by the prevalence OF mules and
lizards. Il needs but the accession Of q few
Yankee Fiibusers 10 render your chance ol
justice, between the human crocodiles on
shore and the native crocodile In the water,
about equal.
That the possession Of this Island by any
prosperous and en.erprising nation, would
add vastly to the commercial power Of iha,
nation. is obvious, and that, In commercial
poin, Of view, its acquisition is Of special
importance to the Uni,ed STATES, no Ameri.
can statesman 10 likely 10 doubt. As faI
back 90 Monroe's Administration. John Q
Adams expressed his opinion iha, Cuba wal
a. cersain, In time, 10 fall into our hands a,
a ripe aPpleIc fall 10 the ground.
Bus Great Britain owns she Island Of ia.
msica, south Of Il, which would be- endan.
gesed should Cnha fall ih,o ihs- haadS IS "a
enterPrising Government. She also owns .
Gordon Of islands; stretching from the BAHIA.
ma Channel to near Hayti, on the outside o
Cuba, between il and the Atlantic. Mexico
and Yuca.an are also Interested. Tho con.
troll Of Cuba BY any ono Of the commercial
powers would give il a pTeponderance which
the other powers would resist. They have
been watching each oIher with sleepless
vigilance for long time. Our Government
has repeatedly assured Spain that we would
not permit Il 10 ha caded ~ Great Rvi,nin a,