Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-12-25

epeat IL nation, under these mus
Judge for ITSELF Proximity Of situation the nature of the In
tercourse resulting from its position 10 40
and other eonssra TONS all elements be taken int,
view In my opinion we Il to ourselves avsw distinct
the world that the attempt procure the transfer Of Gu
ba from Spain any other nation whether peaceaby or for
cby would be resisted by the whole power OF this country
To others may be question Of territorial
of mercantile cupid but TO is question Of necessity
had almost said Of political life death Iwoud become the
to close the great river of country The waters Of that
country thereafter heretofore, would reach the % but M
commerce would reach the
$50 long Cuba and Yucatan held by their present
neither we Tor the commercial world have any
thing to fear from English projects whatever these may be-
trust that the inrgues Of no nation will compel
to take forcibe possession Of Cuba"
Such were my sentiments then, and such they
30 long as Spain retains Cuba should the Island be-
come independent truly and honestly have no right
70 interfere with It. And for myself should be willing
desrous indeedat ony time purchase Of SPAIN and
hpera' even at an extravagant price; but trans
Ter TO another Power either peace or war; and the re-
ssance Of such an attempt by all the means which God
mas given u.s. AND have never uttered sentiment here
or elsewhere inconsistent with these views though have
oen been charged with what called l5usiering PRO
1ecs and that too by respectable journals during the
Presidential contest-by the Republic, of this cty
amongst otherss and quite recently by the Journal Of
Commerce, Of New York. No man. editor or reader has
the right to prefer such charge against me- believe
IN public as well as in personal morality and value the
honor OF my country at too high Price to barter it for
any scheme OF aggrandzement And embrace this OPP
portunity TO bear testimony Of appreciation to the re-
cent conduct Of the Administration in relation to Cuba
rprobate these repeated efforts Of interference in the
concerns OF another nation and have charity for the
motives OF the leaders engaged in them If the people Of
Cuba desire to free themselves from the Government Of
Spanand worse is hardly to be found on the face
Of the earthther effort will have all my sympathies and
all my good wishes as am it will have those Of
the American people, AndI cannot doubt but that their
independence would be cheerfuy recognised by this Gov
ernment the moment it could be properly done
But this work is their own, and not ours and so long
they acknowledge allegiance Spain it is our duty to
q ra cYrcun etnpr
the condition both of that country and of which
may well demand some forbearance part. Spain
is weak and remote from this almost the last of her i'm
mense American possessions We and powerful
and BESIDES the condition Of the island has been critical
and uncertain There questions Of internal police there
which possess paramount importance, and they pre-
csey questions which would awaken the vigilance of any
people on earth. And Cuba has been in state of guas
revolution, the Government fearing external collision as
well as internal explosions. And there is not nation
which would not adopt very strong for its
ry under such circumstances We should, and persist
in them too, all hazards This is precisely state of
things when extreme points rights should not be unne
cessarily pushed by foreign Power; and saw with re-
greet that an effort making to bring matters crisis
by insisting upon the introduction of person supposed
by the Government Of the island-wrongy indeed as it
subsequently appeared-to be dangerous And COM
mend the course Of Administration in this affair One
of citizens however seemed to think il his duty to
interfere whether voluntarily involuntariy almost to
provoke collision consider his conduct equally pre-
sumptuous and unpatrotic 1t could have been to him
comparative unimportant point whether or the
puser OF his ship, certainly not point worth the
quences possible and probable And the prin-
cple of exclusion, that question for the Govern
ment and think the Government right in the view
it took of it, The honor Of the country thank God was
not in the keeping of sr Law 1t in better hands
Now, sir desire the possession of Cuba principally
military position, with view to its Importance as
the true key to the Mississippi But question
OF acquisition the subject presents terrors to
observe the President views differently and urges strong
objections to the measure, to the general principle in
deed, of the extension of territory And there
striking coincidence between of his suggestions and
some Of the presented against the purchase of
Louisiana when that question before Congress Time
and experience have to put the seal Of appreciation
upon that great measure and to reute the andcptons
OF evil confidently INDUCED and expressed The in
habans of French birth descent are as truly attached
to this Union any other citizens Of country, and
they have given proofs Of true patriotism under crcum
stances Of trial TO which few sections Of the Republic have
been exposed And SUCH in my opinion, would be the
result Of Cuba well in any other region which 1t is
at all probable will make part Of Confederation
At first indeed there might be doubts and difficulties
but time and information would soon them. And
the sense OF freedom and Of condition beyond the
OF change together with rise the value of property
which is sure to attend incorporation with US and the
increased activity Of business would long do their
work. and convert the population into jealous and patr
otto Americans.
As to the general subject Of annexation have no new
views to disclose. 1t is pretty well known that have
capacous suaoU for territory though am free to con-
fess that can wait awhile patiently if necessary and
spend the time in dgesting our last acquisitions They
sit lightly upon the stomach and promise promote the
health Of the body polite to deree surprising the
most sangune expectations of those who expected most
from the measure And employ this interval
OF waiting better than by the adoption Of wise and eff
cient to bind acquisitions to the rest Of
the Confederacy by the ties Of interest well as Of aec
ton And 1t is my decided conviction that one of the
most important measures-the most important, indeed
for this Governments the construction far as our
constitutional authority permits Of railroad from some
point upon the Mississippi to the Pacific ocean say
point upon the Mississippi for it is perfectly ind
feren TO where il is and trust the friends of this
great object will not fter away their strength by mere
local questions Of direction and determination Let those
matters be settled by commissioners in other
practical manner, but let lend undivided force to
the great work itself When completed 1t is sure to be-
1t will bind this great Republic together literally by bonds
Of ron and by the still stronger bonds Of confidence and
interest and San Francisco will be practically nearer the
Of the Government than Savannah was at the adop
ton Of the constitution
We are often asked by the timid and the cautious
where is annexation to stop That question will not be
answered in my day. and leave its solution to those
upon whom may devolve the duty and the responsibility
Of deciding IT, General Government 10 conduct exter
nal relations with foreign Powers and regulate the in
terror relations Of the members Of the Union and State
Governments to provide for the great objects of freedom
and security and for the various political wants of the
community, this American scheme Of political organiza
ton opens wide field for its operations indeed an al
most boundess 1t is certainly far easier to preserve
amicable relations between neghboring States acknowl
edgng federal head with the necessary provision for
the peaceabe adjustment Of difficulties than Il would be
to preserve peace amongst them II independent when
force and not must be the arber of their disputes
But repeat sir, that denounce any acquisition but
an honest one. And look back with gratifying
pride TO the course have pursued upon this subject
and safely challenge comparison with that of any other
nation and especially OF that nation which, in the spirit