The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1853-03-03
EDENSBIRG, THURSDAY, piRGH 3, 1853.

powerful, so blessed with the possession of eve
rything that earth could bestow, should have
enved him his humble cottage home in the for
ests of Britain. With what force, with what
propriety, might not old Spain address to US a
/ similar appeal! Possessed of territory exten-
! ding almost from the northern ocean to the re-
gion of the tropics, embracing every variety OF
! soil, climate, and pi ioduction. why should we
/ envy Spain the last little island of her once
mighty deminions :? We do not need it for ag-
riculfure we do not need it for purposes of ma
! tional defence.
! The assertion that Cuba commands the gulf
| trade is faflacy which it requires very slight
examination to dispeT. Tortugas and Key West
command the gulf trade; and not only that, but
they, command Cuba itself. With those points
! properly fortified, a hostile feet in the harhors
of Cuba would be powerless for mischief This
| fact has long been familiar to English states
men, and on that account the cession of Florida
to the United States made the subject of
excited debate in the Parliament of Britain
Spain was greatly censured for making the ces-
sion while she professed to be an ally of Eng
! land and the conduct of the ministry in per-
mitting it te be done was animadverted upon in
terms equally severe. Nor are we without au-
thority from our own officers Commodores Rod
gers, Perry, and Tattnal, have all made reports
showing the immense importance of these points,
I and their absolute command of the gulf trade.
Commodore Porter repeatedly expressed like
opinions, based upon practical experience while
he was in ctmmand of the Mexican fleet. Gen.
Totten has submitted to the War Department an
elaborate report to the same effect; and Lieu
tenant Mau-y. in one of the ablest papers writ
ten by him shows concusively that no vessel
under canvass eau leave the gulf without pass
ing in sight of Tortugas and Key West; and es
Inmates the amount necessary 10 complete the
fortifca ton at these points at something less
than two millions of dollars
1t thus appears that it is the part of eeono-
my Hos af IN fortifV
possessions, and leave our neighbors in undls-
turbed enjoyment of what belongs to them. 1t
is surely batter to appropriate -, ,OOD,OoO to
complete Forts Taylor and jefferson than to ex-
pend 500, 9)0. 900 in the purchase of Cuba, or
uncounted millions in its subugaiion and con-
quest Nor would the heavy outlay rendered
necessary by either mode of annexation cover
our whole lss. We derive now from duties up
Cuban Imports an annual revenue of 50, 600
600 or $6.0l0. GOO. If Cuba be annexed, that
revenue ceases entirely, Higher duties must be
laid on otisr articles. and we shall have n rem
ewal of the discontents, chickering's, and dissen-
sions which attend the passage OF our earller
tariff laws. / am not in the habit of using ar
guments addressed to the North or to the South.
No argument can be good one which does not
address itsef to the whole country; and the
statesman whose patriotism is limited by a State
line is an unsafe legislator for great people
But sectional appeals have been made, and L
propose to meet them In no one aspect IN
which | can look at this question does it present
I any appearance but that of injury to the South.
If Cuba came in Slave State, 1t would give
US no additional political advantage, no addl-
! tional political power. The once-cherished
dream of southern statesmen of maintaining
balance of power in the Senate of the United
States has been completely exploded. The
North has already obtained preponderance,
and that prsponderance will be increased from
year to year. What We have lost can never be
reganed. For the maintenance OF our rights,
and the preservation of our privileges, we must
look to other sources-to the good sense of the
American people, to their deep love for the in
stitutions ulder which we live, to their innate
sense of right and justice. and to the certainty
that any serious encroachment must be follow
ed by eonyulsons which would shake the CONT
nent.
E. Cuba, as a slave State, would not restore the
balance of power, and is therefore politically of
no Importance. In pecuniary point OF view,
it would be oppressive and burdensome in the
extreme. 1t would bring powerful rival into
direct competition with the most prohtaole pro-
! ductions of the southern States. Remove the
duties now levied upon those articles which co
from Cuba, aud their culture in the southern
States will soon scken and die. The present
tariff upon sugar is highly protective, and It's
removal would prove a grieyous burden; but
there is even greater danger to be apprehended
from its increased production. Spain has been
.
I met an intelligent Louisiana planter in Hav-
ana who assured me that he had traversed
nearly the whole island. that he found in its
fields but one modern plough, and in its mills
scarcely single modern improvement. His
opinion was that if Cuba belonged to the United
States its productions would be quadrupled.-
If that opinion be correct, as doubt not II Is,
no one can fail to the disastrous effect OF an
nexation upon southern agriculture.
As long Cuba remains in the possession OF
! Spain it will be of inestimable advantage to the
\ United States in the event of a war with any
| foreign power. The whole commerce of the
Gulf States could be poured into its harbors; !;
| merchants would be found there ready TO pur-
| chase, buying in a neutral port, and reshlpping
| in a neutral vessel they would be safe from the
danger of capture, and thus one of the greatest
harlships of war would be almost entirely ale
viated Our previous history is pregnant with
proof to this effect. During the embargo OF
Mr. Jefferson shipped to Florida, then
Spanish colony. about eight thousand bales OF
cotton. As soon the embargo was removed
| those shipments ceased entirely. In 1914, dur
ing the war with England, we shipped TO florl-
da about thirteen thousand bales of cotton. In
1876. when the war had ended, not a solitary
bale These figures show how great was the
! advantage of having neutral power upon our
! borders, and how much suffering was avoided
! which must otherwise have been endured The
vast increase of the Gulf trade renders such an
outlet of far more importance now than at any
former period. and it is difficult TO estimate all
the advantages which may flow from IT.
Let me turn now to more general view oi
the subject, Cuba has population OF one mi
lion two hundred thousand inhabltants, VI