Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1852-12-16

death of the late Secretary of State pre-
vented the commencement of the contem
plated negotiatian. Pains have been taker
to collect the information required fol
details of such an arrangement. The
subject is attended with considerable diff
fculty. fit is found practicable to com,
to an agreement mutually acceptable tc
the two parties, conventions may be con.
cluded in the course of the present winter
The control of Congress over all the pro
visions of such an arrangement, affecting
the revenue, will of course be reserved.
The affairs of Cuba formed promin.
ent topic in my last annual message. They
remain in an uneasy condition, and feel.
ing of alarm and irritation on the part Of
the Cuban authorities appears to exist
/ This feeling has interfered with the regu-
+ lar commercial intercourse between the
United States and the island, and has led
to some acts of which we have a right to
complain. But the Captain General OF
Cuba is clothed with no power to treat
with foreign governments, nor is he in
any degree under the control of the Span
ish Minister at Washington. Any COM
munication which he may hold an agent
of a foreign power is informal and mat
ter of courtesy. Anxious to put an end
to the existing inconviences, (Which SEEM
ed to rest on miSconception,) [ directed
the newly-appointed Minister to Mexico
to visit HaAana, on his way to Vera Cruz.
He was respectfully received by the Cap
tain General, who conferred WITH him
freely on the recent occurances; bat no
permanent arrangement was affected.
In the mean time, the refusal of the
Captain General to allow passengers and
the mail to be landed in certain cases, for
reason which does not furnish in the o.
pinion of this Government even presum-
tive ground for such a prohibition, has
been made the subject of a serious remon-
strance at Madrid: and | have no reason
to doubt that due respect will be paid by
the government Of Her Catholic Majesty
to the representations which our Minister
has been instructed to make on the sub
ject. 1t is but justice to the Captain Gen
eral to add, that his conduct toward the
steamers employed to carry the mails of
the United States to Havana has, with
the exceptions above alluded to, been mar
ked with kindness and liberality, and in
dicates no general purpose of interfering
with the commercial correspondence and
intercourse between the island and this
country.
Early in the present year official notes
were received from the Ministers of France
and England, inviting the Government
of the United States to become party
with Great Britain and France to tri-
partite Convention, in virtue of which
the three powers should severally and col
lectively disclaim, now and for the future
to obtain possession of the Isl
and Of Cuba, and should bind themselves
to discountenance all attempts to that eff
feet on the part of any power or individual
whatever. Thisinvitaton has beenrespect-
fully declined, for reasons which it would
occupy too much space in this communi-
cation to state in detail, but which led me
to think that the proposed measure would
be ofdoubtful constitutionality, impolitic,
and unavailing. I have, however, in
common with several of my predecessors,
directed the Ministers of France and
to be assured that the United
States etertain no designs against Cuba;
butthat on the contrary, Ishould regard its
into the Union at the pres
ent time as fraught with serious peril.
Were this island comparatively des-
titute Of inhabitants, or occupied by a
kindred race, should regard it, if volun-
tary ceded by Spain, a most desirable ac-
QUESTION. But, under existing circum-
stances, [ should look upon its incorpora-
ton into our Union as very hazardous
measure. 1t would bring into the Confed-
eracy population of different national
stock, speaking different language, and
not likely to harmonic with the other
members. 1t would probably affect in a
manner, the industrial inter-
ests of the South and it might revive
those conflicts of opinion between the diff
ferent sections of the country, which late
Iy shook the Union to its centre, which
have been so happily compromised.
The rejection by the Mexican Congress
Of the Convention which had been con-
cluded between that Republic and the u
nited States, for the protection of tran
sit way across the Isthmus of Tehaunte-
pee and of the interests of those citizens
of the United States who had become pro-
prietors of the rights which Mexico had
conferred on one of her own citizens in re-
gard to that transit, has thrown serious
obstacle in the way of the attainment of a
very desirable national object. / am still
wiling to hope that the differences on the
subject which exist, or may hereafter arise
between the governments, will be am
cably adjusted. This, however, has al
,eady engaged the attention Of the Senate
# the United States, and requires no fur
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