Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1853-02-17
1)olitiral.
SPEECH OF JOHN P. HALE,
In The Seu0tc Lon ISIb I959

wa
Boston were SHIT down in State street by the
British soldery. OF course, it sent thrill of
horror and Indignation throughout the entire
community, and the fact was announced to a
certain patriotic, warm-booded, and impusive
old gcntleman-indignaio stirred his heart and
mantIed his countenance, and the emphatic ex.
preston which he uttered deservesto be remem-
bered' and to be painted in letters OF light upon
the walls Of the Senate Chamber, that we may
remembe5i'; because it seems to be lesson
t$et l, so yell practiced upon here. Said the
siiNlan These soldiers must be talked to-"
4flat was what he said. That was the whole of
f'1'hTllat was ihs height to whch he was worked
up when American citizens were Slaughtered nv
British troops in the streets of Boston. He sax
these British soldiers must be talked to. Well,
sir, they were talked to but it did not amount
to anything. think this is one of our easily
besetling sns--takng, everlasingly talking.
Sir, talking would do some good, if, when the
occasion indicated by the talking arrives, we
would live up to our words. have word or
Two 10 say upon lnls.
Both the horourabIe Senator from Michigan,
and the honorable Senator from South Carolina
alluded to remark which made the other day
that we should back out Sir, | trust | have as
high an appreciation Of American patriotism, of
American bravery, and of American ability to
defend her rights against Great Britain, or
against the world, as any man. 1t was not in
reference to any such contingency that spoke;
and who ever will read the debates which were
entered into The Senate upon the occasion when
| made the remark, will see that it was not. 1t
was in reference exactly to what the Senor fro~,
South Carolina denominaled those g long adver-
tisemonts And | believe it is universally
found to be the case, that the man who deals
most in them, deals the least in action But. sir,
| have not doubt, and never had, that on any
question that effects the interest and honor of the
country, where American pride, and American
feeling, and American patriotism touched, this
country might bid proud defiance to the world,
and that without the PREDATORY adnonition to the
world of any resolutions about what we may
do.
regret that so distinguished Parliamentari-
an as the honorable Senator from Michigan
should have made the long and able speech
which he has made, and to which listened with
so much pleasure, without coming to the real
question pending before the Senate. That
amendment was not that we should tell Spain
,ha, she should not sell Cuba Why, Sir, Spain
has told US that she will not sell it, and what
good will it do for US to say that he shall not.
Spain says she will not, and she has given the
best evidence in the world that she is sincere in
the determination tnat she will not sell it,because
she has refused pretty libera price which we
Offered her for it; and think in that she has
made her act vndcate her words. She says
she will not sell it. We offered her 500, GOO
OO0 for 1t; she says she will not take it. Aud
now you propose to forlty your position, by an
nouncing 10 The world that she sha III not sell 1t to
anybody else. The honorable Senator thinks
that we ought to repeat these declarations, be-
cause the peculiar circumstances ot Cuba are
the Quite, of the Mississippi river that it is in
a commanding position to obsttuct our commerce
and navigation which goes into the Cult OF Mex
leo and seeks the mouth of the Mississippi river.
We'll. sir, suppose that this country is not so
low, that It's patriotism is not of that doubtful
character, nor its bravery of that spurious kind,
II, ,yiI tal nositlnn hot,rp n wn,k natinn
which it will not assume before strong one.
use the words . weak" aud "-trong' compare :
lively. because look upon Great Britain as a
much stronger nation than Spain. | ASK II the
IocaI position Of Canada, in any aspect IN which
YOU may view it, whether in relation to the in
terests of peace or war. is not thousand fold
OF more consequence than Cuba
During the exciting political canvass Of 1913
i am speaking historically now-the candidate
of the grert Democratic party OF the nation
which has now swept the country, did not go to
bed single night when he was not within the
reach of British shells, which might have been
fired into his dwelling from the British posses
slons across the river.
Mr.. CAss. slept very comfortably, though.
Mr., HALE. Yes, sir; he slept very confpr,a-
b'y; and suppose there were two consoing re-
hectlons which led hin to do so. One wus, that
he was safe III all contingencies
Mr.. CAss. VI the election, and from the
other.
Mr.. HALE. Yes, sir, have no doubt. Safe
from an election, and from the British bomb
With those convictions, 1 do no. wonder that he
slept we'll.
Canada or the British possessions in North
America, extend from the Atlantic to he Pacific
ocean. They border on our inland lakes and
the commerce that finds its way to the Atlantic
ocean over those lakes and through the New
York canals, taking the whole of II, | think
would be found equal at least to halt our for-
egn commerce.
Mr.. SEWARD and other Senators. More than
all Of it.
Mr.. HALE. The commerce of those lakes, the
internal commerce that is carried on them, and
through the canals, side BY side with Great
Bliain, and liable to interruption, liable to be
destroyed at any moment, exceeds, am told by
several Senators around me, to whose supt rior
wisdom always bow with great Difference, all
our foreign commerce. Now, while we are look.
ING with such anxious eyes at Cuba while we
are Specializing upon the possible and remote
contingencies of how that portion of our com
uerce which hnds its way to the Gulf of Mexl-
CO aud the mouth of the Mississippi river IS to be
affected by the acquisition Of the Island of Cuba
ask gentlemen that live on the Northern coast
Il ask those gentlemen that are liable to be