The Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1852-1853, 1853-01-12

H.
ances indicate that We NAV be called upon
ere long 10 interpose eficaciously in support
Of the great principle Of American exemp-
ZION. l eanno. believe that the French gov
ernment IA endeavoring 70 obtain possession
Of sny portion Of the Mexican territories; but
il such be the object, | trust the effort will
be met and resisted by the whole power Of
our country, and / think the sooner our gov
eminent openly this determination.
in this and all similar cases, the better will
it be for our permanent interest and honor.
In this connection, sir, | desire 10 submit
a few brief remarks concerning Cuba, as
that island presents one Of the most difficult
questions, perhaps the most difficult, in our
foreign policy. Five Years ago, in some OBJ
servations | submitted TO the Senate on the
subject Of the application Of the lncstese
people for the aid of this government against
the overwhelming force Of the Indians. | had
occasion to explain my views in relation to
Cuba, and | have since seen no cause TO
change them. l then said, "Self defence is
as necessary to communities as TO individ-
uals, and a proyident forecast requires US to
watch any dangerous projects of domination,
and to provide fol them as We can. l re-
peal. that a nation under these circumstan-
ees must Judge for itself. Proximity of sit
uation, the nature of the intercourse resulting
from its commanding position to do injury,
and other considerations, are all elements TO
be taken into view. In my opinion, we owe
it to ourselves to avow distinctly to the world
that the attempt to procure the transfer Of
Cub from Spain to any othei nation, wheth-
er peaceably or forcibly, would be resisted
by the whole power of this country. To
others, it may be a question of territorial ag-
grandisement, or of mercantile cupidity; but
TO US it is a question of necessity, | had al
most said, of political life or death. 1t would
become the gate TO close the great river Of
our country. The waters of that country,
: thereafter as heretofore, would reach the
i, Gulf, but its commerce would never reach
: the ocean," 80 long as Cuba and Yucca
> tan are held by their present possessors,
neither we nor the commercial world have
! anything to fear from English projects, what
ever these may be-" II trust that the in
trigues of no nation will ever compet us to
: take forcible possession of Cuba" Such
were my sentiments then. and such are my
sentiments now. So long as Spain retains
q, Cuba, or should the island become indepen-
: dent-truly and honorably so-we have nc
. right to interfere with it.. And, for myself
" | should be NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., indeed-aj
any time to purchase it of Spain, and at g
liberal, even at an extravagant price-bu
no transfer TO another power, either by peace
or war, and the resistance of such an attemp
by all the means which God has given us
And | have never uttered a sentiment, herr
> or elsewhere, inconsistent with these views
though ! have often been charged witt
y what is called fllibustering projects, ant
that, too, by respectable journals, during tn,
: Presidential contest - by by Republic OF thi
city, amongst others, and quite recently b,
the Journal of Commerce, Of New York
No man, editor or reader, has the right t.
= prefer such a charge against me. / believ,
in public as we'll as in personal morality, ant
| value the honor Of my country at too higl
Il price to barter it for any scheme of ag
- grandisement. And l embrace this oppor
!; tunity to bear my testimony of appreciation
3 to the recent conduct of the administration
! 10 relation to Cuba. | reprobate those re
peated efforts to interfere in the concerns o.
4 another nation, and | have no charity fol
), the motives of the leaders engaged in them
If the people of Cuba desire to free them.
= selves from the Government of Spain-and a
worse one is hardly to be found on the face
of the earth-their effort will have all my
;. sympathies, and all my good wishes, as | am
sure it will have those of the American peo-
pie. And | cannot doubt but tn at their in
a dependence will be cheerfully recognized by
the Government the moment it could pro-
i badly be done. But this work is their own
and not ours; and so long as they acknowl-
edge allegiance to Spain it is our duty to re-
spect hat relation. And, sir, there are cir.
cumstances in the condition both of that
h country and Of ours which may well demand
some forbearance on eur part. Spain is
weak, and remote from this, almost the last
of her immense American possessions. W.
are powerful and near. And besides, the
condition Of the island has been critical anc
uncertain.
r There ara questions of internal policy hert
a which possess paramount importance, ant
ID they are precisely questions which woult
ID awaken the vigilance of the people on earth
And Cuba has been in a state of quasi
revolution-the government fearing externa
is collisions as well as internal explosions
W And there isn't q nation which wouldn'
,e adopt very strong measures for its securit
under such circumstances. We should
and persist in them, too, at all hazards
is This is precisely a state of things when ex
treme points of right should not be unneces
sarily pushed by a foreign power; and | saw
in with regret, that an effort was making t
or bring matters to e crisis, by insisting upo
ID the introduction Of a person supposed by til
II government Of the island-wrongIy, indeed
he as it acknowledgements be DANCE
he Gus there; and | commend the course of OF
nd administration in this affair; one of our cit
we zens, however, seemed to think it his dul
is to interfere, and whether voluntarily or il
it, voluntarily, almost to provoke collision
DIV [ consider his conduct equally presumptuo,
and unpatriotic. ] could have been TO hi
we a comparatively %unimportant point wheth
mt A or b was the Purser of his ships, certain
10 not a point worth the consequences possib
nd and even probable. AS to the principle
i'm exclusion-that was a question for the Go
ire eminent, and ] think the Government w
he right in the view it took of it. The honor
le, the country, thank God, was not in the kee
no ing Of Mr.. Law it was in better hands.
led Now, sir, | desire the possession Of Gu
to principally as a military p~neition. with n vi.