Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1852-11-29
me Purchase Of cuDa-lmporeant R9yela-

cial papers, giving a complete exposition of the
overture made by the Administration of President
Polk to the Government ofspain, for the purchase
of the Island OF Cuba.
The documents, it appears, were communicated
10 Congress- at its last session, the 18th of July
and were allowed to remain on the table, in the
House of Representatives, for six or seven weeks,
without being opened, and when opened, it was
without any examination of its contents, ordered
TO be printed for TIE use of the members. Such
was the stale of the printing question in Congress
ut that time thai the House might, for any Informs
ton that it you'd afford, as well have condemned
the Documents to the flames. Under the more
recent arrangement for doing the printing of Con-
gress, this document has at last, and only recently
issued from the Congressional press. These doou-
ments show that on the 18th of June, 1S4s, Mr..
Buchanan, the Secretary OF State under the ad-
ministration of Mr. Polk, addressed letter to Mr..
Romulus NJ. Saunders, the Minister TO Spain, in
which, after setting forth that the United States
..can never consent that Cuba shall become CO.
lony of any other European power than Spain,
and setting forth the resources and condition of
Cuba, he makes the direct offer of purchasing the
island, saying:
Upon the whole, the President would not hest
tate 10 Stipulate for the payment Of, in con
venIent instruments, for the ceSSlon OF the island
OF Cuba If it could not be procured for less sum-
The apprehension which existed for many years
after the origin OF this Government, that the eX-
tension of our federal system would endanger the
Union, seem to have passed away. Experience has
proved that this system of contederated republics,
under which the Federal Government has charge
of interests common to the whole, hist local gov
ernmetS watch over the concerns OF the respective
States is capable of almost indefinite extension
with increasing strength. This, however, IS al
ways subject to the qualification that the mass OF
the population must be of our own race, or must
have been educated in the school OF civil and re-
ligious liberty. With this qualification, the more
we increase the number of confederated States the
greater will be the strength and security OF the
Union, because the more dependent Tor their mu-
tual interests will the several parts be upon the
whole, and the whole upon the several paris. II
is true that of the 41s,29l white inhabitants which
Cuba contanedin 1871, ave-y large proportion is
of the Spanish race; still, many oil our citizens
have settled on the island, and some OF them are
large hO'ders of property. Under our government
it would speedily be AmericdniSed, as Louisiana has
been. Within the bounds of such q federal system
alone can trade exempt from duties and absolute
ly free be enjoyed.
With the possession of Cuba we should have
throughout the Union free trade on more ex-
tended scale than any which th1 world has ever
Witnessed arouSing an energy and activity OF COM
petition which would result in q most rapid i'm
provemenL in all that contributes to the welfare
and happiness of the human race. What State
would orego the advantages If this vast free trade
with a her sisters and place herself in lonely iSo-
laton! But the acquisition of Cuba would great
" strengthen our bond of un on It's possession
would secure to all the States within the valley oil
the Mississippi and Gulf Of Mexico free access to
the ocean, but this security could only be PreServ-
ed whilst the ship building and navigating States
of the Atlantic shall furnish navy sufficient to
keep open the outlets from the gulf to the ocean
Cuba, justly approaching the advantages OF an
nexati0n, is now ready to rush into our arms Once
admitted, she would be entirely dependant for he:
prosperity and even existence, upon her co.ne&lOn
with the Union, whilst the rapidly increasing trade
between her and the other StateS wouid Shed It's
blessings and it's benefits over the whole. Such
state OF mutual dependence, resulting from the
very nature of things, the world has never witness
ed. This is what will ensure the perpetuity OF
our Union.
With all these considerations in view, the Presi-
dent believes that the crisis has arrived when an
effort should be made TO purchase the island OF
Cuba from Spain, and he determined TO entruSt you
with the performance of this most delicate and i'm
pOrtant duty. The attempt should be made, in the
first instance, in confidential conversation with
the Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs written
offer might produce absolute refusal in writing,
which would embaraSS us hereafter in the 0cquiSi-
ton of the island. Besides, from the inceSSant
changes in the Spanish cabinet and policy, our de-
sire to make the purchase might thus be made
known IN an Othclal form 10 lOIelSu GOSe[nueHLS,
and arouse their jealousy and active opposition
Indeed, even if the present Cabinet should think
favorabIy OF the proposition, they might be greatly
embarrassed by having it placed on record; tor III
that event it would almost certainly, through some
channel, reach the opposition and become the sub
iect of discussion III the CorteS Such delicate
negotiations at least in their ncipient stages ought
always to be conducted in confidential converse
ton, and with the utmost secrecy and dispatch.
At your interview with the Minister for Foreign
4 hos
TO the present distracted condition of Cuba, and
the danger which exists that the population will
make an attempt to accomplish revolution. This
must be well known to the Spanish Government.
In order to convince Linn of the good faith and
friendship iowa. DIS Spain with which this Govern
ment has acted, you might read to him the first part
of my dispatch to Gen. Campbell, and the order
issued by the Secretary of War to the Commanding
General in Mexico and to the officer having charge
Of the emba rkation of our troops at Vera Cruz
You may then touch delicately upon the danger
that Spain may lose Cuba by revolution in the
island, or that il may be wreSted from her by Great
Britain, should rupture take place between the
two countries, arising out OF the dismissal oil Sir
Henry Bulwer, and be retained to pay the Spanish
debt due to the British bondholders. You might
assure him that, whilst this Government Is entire
ly satisfied that Cuba shall remain underline domn-
ion of Spain, should in any event resist its ac-
QUESTION by any other nation.
And, finally, you NIGH Inform him thRt, under
all these circumstances, the President had arrived
at the conclusion that Spain might be willing to
transfer the island to the United States for fair
and full consideration. You might cite pre-
cedent the ceSsion of Louisiana to this country by
Napoleon, under somewhat similar circumstances,
when he was at the zenith Of his power and glory.
have merely presented these topics in their natur
al order and you can fill up the outline from the
information comu nicated in this dispatch, as well
as flom your own knowledge ofthe subject. Should
the Minister of Foreign Affairs lend favorable ear
to your propustiOn, then the question of the con-
to bepaid world arise, and you have
been furnished with information in this dispatch
which will enable you to discuss that question:
In justice to Mr. Calderon ought here TO observe
that whils giving me the information before stated,
in regard 10 the nett amount Of revenue from Gu
la " hich reached Old Spain, he had not then, and
has not now the most remote idea of our into ntion
to make an attempt to purchase the island.
Tie President will be willing to stipulatc for
the payment of one hundred millions OF dollars.