The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-12-09
The Real Cuban auesti0n-Ehst VIII the
Foreign Powers D0s

The Real Cuban Question-yvh.t VIII the
Foreign Powers Dol
The island Of Cuba and Purser Smith have sccu-
pied large share Of public attention, during the
past few weeks, that we should have felt some re-
luctance to make either Of them the theme Of fur
Their speculation, had We not noticed that IN
erroneous opinion is aaoat on the subject. Mr..
George Law, General Cahedo, and the Presi.
dent, have elevated Mr.. Parser Smith to
such pinnacle Of notoriety, that many people
have begun to fancy that his private quarrels
were the only issues at stake, and his exclusion
rom Cuba only pretext for eoveting the island.
Now that Mr.. Smith has been allowed once
more to tread the pavement OF Havana, these
people honestly believe that all thoughts of an
nsxs.ion ought to be banished from the public
mind. This is . fatal confusion of ideas. Mr. Pur-
Smith has nothing more to do with the Cuban
question than the ssi-disaM Signor Alcazor, who
cyilIy contributed = torpedo to our collection OF
euriosities the other day. His dispute with the
Captain General would have attrAc ed very lit
tie notice, if Mr.. Conrad had not contrived TO
make himself ridiculous, and the administers
ten unpopular, by writing on the subject In
reality, the outlAwing of Mr.. Smith by General
Cansdo, and the touching reconciliation which
NO moment whatever, when compared with the
weighty reasons on which tho advocacy Of the &C
quistion of Cuba should be based Thsugh our gov.
ernnent is bound to protect It's citizens abroad and
would have acted a more popular, and We believes
wiser part by pursuing different with respect
to Crescent City difficulty. neither the errors they
have committed, nor their subsequent retrievAl BY
the Cuban authoritios, weigh feather in the
balance in which the destiny Of Cuba is suspended
The wish to possess Cuba 10 entirely indepsn-
dent Of any vindictve feeling for real or supposed
injuries. We require i, in commercial and in .
military point Of view. II il necessary to our trade
~ the finest Of the West India islam ia, abounding
in the richest fruits Of tropical eli mates and other
uDdevelcped resources. These can never be fully
turned to account so long as the island remains
10 the hands Ct sluggish Spaniards whe rcas thoy
would prove an inexhsustible mine Of wealth
under our management. Freed from the thral
dom Of SPAIN eur exports to Cuba would APP
Proximate more closely 10 ten or twelve millions
year than to six and half; and we should draw
from thence amount Of produce which would
tbow corresponding increase on the seventeen mil
lions at which our imports Of last year were cst-
mated.
less conclusive. The chief OF tae West Iadis
Islands the key to the Gulf OF Aexioo-.he possss.
SIGN Of Cuba would be indispensable to in case Of
war 1t commands all the routes to California, and
guards the high road to New Orleans. With sucha
rendezvous, the fleets Of foreign powers could easily
cripple the commerce Of the Southern States, and
spread devastation our COATS from Charleston to
Mexico, and up the Mississippi and Missouri as far
as population and agriculture extend. So long Is
1t remains in the hands Of Spain, and may, at any
day. be used as a naval station by the European al
lies of that nation cannot consider ourselves the
unditputed masters Of this continent. Once 10. il
be ours, and we shal no. need much exertion to en-
fierce practically the Monroe doctrine.
IT has been for these ard similar reasons, that
every successive administration which has ruled this
country, during the last quarter Of century, has
pcndered over the means Of aunexipg Cuba Il was
on these grounds that John Quincy Adams and Henry
Clay thought J. Necessary 70 interfere TO prsvsat the
iIvAsiop q the leland; tia, Daniel Webster delivered
biz .loguer speech, msntAuing that Cuba canno. be