The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-11-25
CUBA AND THE ADMINISTRATION
OF MR.. POLK.

The House of Representatives, at its last
session, called for Information relative to the
policy of the government in regard to the Island
| OF Cuba, and the President, in reply, on the
| 18th of July last, transmitted number of pa.
pers, beginning with the letter of Mr.. FORSYTH,
then Minister to Spain, to Mr. Adams, lat that
time Secretary of State,) dated Nov. 90, 1922
and ending with the instructions of MIR. Bu-
chansn to Mr.. Saunders, in 1S4S, and the sew.
sral replies of the latter. These papers have
just been printed, and we find those last men
toned in the National Intelligencer of the 23d
inst. AS the instructions are of great interest
at the present time, we subjoin short analy-
sis of their contents.
The Secretary of State begins by calling the
attent ion of the Minister to the present condi-
ton and future prospects Of Cuba; promising
that the government, bound to Spain by an
eient friendship, and having nothing to fear from
her, is content that ii shall remain in her hands,
butdeclaring that it will never permit it to pass
into the possession of any other European
power, least of all, Great Britain, who might
use it to the ruin Of our commerce, foreign and
domestic, and even to the danger of the Union.
He sets forth, in strong colors, the necessity
of providing for our own safely, which would
be in very prec arious condition, were this
island in the possession of England, inasmuch
as she would thereby be enabled, in time of
war, to paralyZe the industry Of the entire
Mississippi valley, by closing the Gulf and
blockading the mouth of the river and DESTROY
the commerce between the Atlantic ports and
the Gulf even then large, but now of inestima-
BILE value. He is induced to believe that Great
Britain desires to get possession of Cuba, from
q kno ledge of the we'll known policy she has
always pursued, of Selling ON every valuable
commercial point throughout the world, when.
ever she has had the power to do so-from the
fact, that there is no point so valuable, in this
respect, as Cuba-from the circumstance, that
the United States is her greatest commercial
rival, and that with Cuba in her possession she
the we'll understood truth, that were it once in
our possession, from its extent, fertility, and
the energy OF our people, it would soon be able
| to supply the markets of the world with tropi
| cal productions att cheaper rate than she can
anord Them, thereby sputting the finishing
stroke to the value Of her West India Island.
Taking another view of the question the Sec.
retary maintains that if Cuba were in mr. No..
session, we should be relieved from all .nnro
hensions TOR the security of our commerc. ana
might by terrifying the Tortugas, heinz ~
possession of Havana, entirely command tho
Gulf. a-o inc
H.
Under second head, he estimates III. ,.,,o
Oh 'ae present productivenes. of Cuba. md
contrasts 1t with what it nigh, be under the
government of the United States. MeG,ssor
.o'o, estimated the surface of Cub. =, 1ss
90 eaoaiieras, of 81 acres each tina, !. -
say, about 100000 of acres. OF hi. oo,v
's'"o cabaleras, or about I,e25. 900 .crs.
were under cultivation in sugar, coffee, tob.c.
co. garden productions and fruit. and szA
baIleras, or about 100000 acres in gr,x;ns
ground, and unfellsd woods belonging to .urs,
and coffee plantations. Ia 1910, the same su.