The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-12-02

!
egn Affairs you might introduce the subject
| by referring to the present distracted condition
Of Cuba, and the danger which exists that the
population will make an attempt to accomplish
a revolution. This must be we'll known to the
! Spanish Government In order 10 convince
him of che good faith and friendship towards
! Spain with which this Government has acted,
! you might read to him the first part OF my des-
patch to Gen Campbell, and the order issued
! by the Secretary of War to the Commanding
! General in Mexico, and 10 the officer having
charge Of the embarkation of our troops at
Vera Cruz You may then touch delicately
upon the danger that Spain may lose Cuba by
a revolution in the island, or that it may be
wrested from her by Great Britain, should
rupture take place between the two countries
arising out of the dismissal of Sir Henry Bull
wer, and be retained TO pay the Spanish debt
dae to the British bOndholders You might as
sure him that, whilst this Government is entire
! ly satisfied that Cuba shall remain under the
dominion of Spain, we should in any event resist
| its acquisition by any other nation. And, final
| IL, you might inform him that under all these
circumstances the President had arrived at the
conclusion that Spain might be willing to trans
fer the island to the United States for fair
and full consideration. You might cite as
precedent the cessiOn of Louisiana to this coun-
try by Napoleon under somewhat similar cir
eumstances, when he was at the zenith of his
power and glory. | have merely presented
these topics in their natural order and you can
fill up the outline from the information COM
municated in this despatch, as well as from
your own knowledge Of the subject. Should
the Minister for Foreign Affairs lend favor
able ear to your proposition, then the question
loH fho Il 4
you have been furnished with information in
this despatch which will enable you to discuss
that question. In Justice to MIR. CalderOn, |
ought here to observe that whilst giving me
the information before stated in regard to the
nett amount of revenue from Cuba which reach
ed Old Spain, he had not then, and has not
now, the most remote idea of our intention to
make an attempt to purchase the island
The President would be willing TO stipulate
for the payment of one hundred millions of dol
! lars. This however, is the maximum price
and if Spain should be willing to sell, you will
use your best efforts to purchase it ut a rate as
much below that sum as practicable. In case
! you should be able to conclude a treaty, you
may adopt as your model, so far as the same
may be applicable. the two conventions of April
| 30 1903, between France and the United States,
| for the sale and purchase of Louisiana. The
seventh and eighth articles of the first of these
| conventions ought, if possible, to be omitted ;
still, if this should be Indispensable to the &C
complishment of the object, articles similar to
them may be retained
transmit you full power to conclude such
a treaty.
You will be careful to make full and faith
! full report to this Department of all the CONVEX
satiOns and proceedings on this subject between
! yourself and the Spanish Minister for Foreign
Affairs Should you succeed in accomplishing
the object, you will associate your name with
a most important and beneficial measure for
the glory and prosperity Of your country.
Yours very respectfully,
JAMES BUCHANAN
ROmulus N. Saunders, Esq.
p. S. You will send your dispatches on the
subject Of this despatch by special messenger
to our Consul at Liverpool, and draw upon the
| Department for the expense, unless you can
transmit them by trusty person, They may
DO directed to the President. You may prob
ably have occasion, in relation to this subject,
to use the cipher of the legation.
No. %. DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
WASHINGTON, July 7,IS48.
SIR: With reference to the instructions to
you Of the 18th ult, NO 2I,) will thank you
to substitute the following paragraph for shat
beginning with the words In regard to the
public lands Of CUBA
In regard to the quantity of public lands still
remaining in Cuba, the Department does not
possess accurate information. From all that
we have learned it is believed that the Crown
Of Spain has already granted by far the great
or portion OF the whole territory of the island
! to individuals. We need not, therefore, calcu-
late upon deriving much revenue from this
source.
am, sir, very respectfully your obedent
servant JAMES BUCHANAN.
Romuiu' d. Saunders Esq
Mr. Saunders to Mr.. Buchanan.-lE Extracts.
mo. 81 LA GRANJA, July 90, ls4s.
SIR: had the honor to receive, by the hands
of Mr. Sawyer, on the cath inst, despatch No
? enclosing copies Of letter from tho De-
partment to Mr. Campbell, and of a confden-
tial order from the Secretary of War to Major
General Butler, all relating to matters in Cuba.
together with special commission from the
President, authorizing me to enter into negotia-
tons for the cession of that island to the Uni.
ted States
In acknowledging the receipt of these pa-
pers, beg to express to the President my deep
obligations for this distinguished mark of con
hdence in contdlng to me so important and
delicate commission and at the same time to
express to you my thanks for the very full and
valuable information you have given me in
your despatch. shall not fail to avail myself
freely of its suggestions facts, and arguments
| in any negotiation | may have on the subject
AS | am directed to make a full and faith
full report to the Department of everything
| ~ n
subject, have thought it advisable to avail
myself Of your directions to engage a special
messenger to carry this communication as far
as Liverpool, and to make it as full as can at
this time, so that in any future despatch may
refer to 1t in u way you will understand with
out ut the same time risking anything by d
miscarriage
There are difficulties which surround the
subject which meet us at the threshold, and
which 1t is proper | should explain that you
may be the better prepared to judge as to the
course may find 1t necessary to pursue in the
business. In the first place, am not a little
embarrassed as to the person to whom should
first open the subject
have also heard from another source that
the Duke of SOtomayor was unfrendly to the
United States. | have not myself discovered
any feeling of the kind On the contrary he
always speaks with pride of his grandfather,
Gov. Mexican, and with respect of our country
Gen Narvaez, the President of the Council, is
a bold, fearless man, the soul of the Cabinet
Yet he is difficult of ap-
proach, and might not like tho responsibility
of having the subject in the first instance
broached to him Another difficulty, and, as
fear, an insurmountable one, is the influence
of the Queen Mother She has great control
t over her daughter and is feared by the Minis
try, and suspect would most decidedly object
to the cesson. She has considerable invest
ments in Cuba, from which she derives great