The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-02-18

ty-two and half cents per ton The duties on foreign
merchandise imported under the Spanish flag from
nine per cent less than In foreign vessels except
few articles paying specific duties of which Is -four
the duty which, IN favor Of the Spanish flag Is from 81
to 81 so per barrel
The United States in order to coerce repeal of these
regulations in 1882 passed by which Spanish
sells coming from Cuba required TO pay the
Of duty tonnage that levied American vessels in
Cuba In the same mistaken spirit Of retaliation,
the United States in 1894 enacted that Spanish ves-
sells coming from Cuba should pay, in the ports of
the United States such further tonnage duty, in adj
diton TO the tonnage duty already payable should
be equivalent to the amount OF discriminating duty that
would have been imposed the cargoes imported in the
said vessels il the had been exported from the port Of
Havana in American bottoms and further, that before
such Spanish vessel should be permitted 10 depart from
port OF the United States with cargo for Cuba such ye
sci should pay such further tonnage duty should be
equivalent the tofdscrimnating duty that would
be payable for the time being upon the cargo, II imported
into the port OF Havana in American vessel The dis
eliminating duties above alluded to amount to about eight
per The result is that Spanish vessels leaving
ports with cargoe for Cuba have TO pay eight per cent
than II they imported tc same cargoes from any
other foreign port In anxiety to monopolize the
reghts have lost to very great extent the sale Of the
merchandise Under the influence of of 1882 and
1884 the imports into Cuba, Spanish vessels from the
United States amounted in $40 to only Sl 600 whereas
the imports from England for the period in Spanish
sells amounted 3453oO That this striking difference is
mainly attributable TO regulations obvious from
the fact that England stands more favored footing in
reference the regulations Cuba than the nj
ted States, except her freedom from enacments
For years preceding 1882 the average Of foreign
chandse exported from the United States to Cuba
81 563,000 lS49 the class of exports amounted
only S276,oOo, of which only $1,000 in Spanish
vessels In 1851 the value OF cotton goods Cuba
from the United States amounted only 10 $4,000, while
the amount for the same period from Europe was nearly
So 100000. a
IL is evident we have greatly affected our commerce with
Cuba by of 1882 and 1894 Let US repeal them
II time abandon this policy of retaliation We
should further exercise diplomacy with Spain get
some modification of her restrictions. Let seek
mercal reciprocity with Cuba instead of annexation The
first believe by judicous conduct might attain the
second cannot but BY force. BY the first will at
tain substantially all the moneyed advantages of
ton, and escape its political objections and dangers
The whole argument for the annexation OF Cuba, in
national point of view may be summed up in the four
have been considering;
/. More territory.
g More population
g. Military position.
A. More commerce.
The first three have merit; the contrary full
of disadvantages The last has merit but is entirely
outweighed by other adverse considerations. conclude
therefore, on national grounds that it is inexpeden to
annex Cuba.
propose now TO consider the annexation of Cuba as
southern measure for it is supported by many al the
South this ground and unless greatly deceive my
SELF hope TO be able to show that il would be, under
existing circumstances, most perilous measure to the
South.
How could the annexation Of Cuba benefit the South?
To answer this question understandngy would refer to
the case Of Texas How did the annexation of Texas ben
eft the South? for admit it did greatly The entire
advantages to the South from the annexation of Texas
may be comprehensiveiy stated in two propositions First
il furnished wilderness where the people OF the South
could go and improve their conditions Second it fur
nished stable political community reliable upon the sla
very issue Would Cuba fulfil these requisites? | think
not; clearly not the rst because Cuba is old settled
country settled before any part of the United States
discovered by the great Columbus himself and has
been the avorite of Spanish power for centuries
not only civilized but popaous the population is va,
rously estimated from million two hundred thousand
to million five hundred thousand and that
the size of the State of Tennessee In order real
ze graphic idea of the extent and population Of Cuba
have only to imagine Tennessee with range of
ains running longitudnaiy from east to west instead of
across, and with population of million two hundred
thousand to million five hundred thousand instead Of
her present population of million two thousand seven
hundred and seventeen The statement OF the in
this light is sufficient show that emigrans would go
wd-goose chase if they went to Cuba expecting get
lands for nothing Our people would stand better chance
to get such lands in Tennessee The lands in Cuba must
necessarily TO great extent be in the hands of pr
to buy lands at the prices OF old community. Cuba,
therefore, could not fulfil the requisite of wilderness
which southern men might go TO get lands at nominal
rates.
Would Cuba he n stable political G immunity or in
other words competent TO selEgoyernment? doubt it.
Selfgovernmen involves two considerationsthe and
the training There is only of people in modern
times who have shown the capabilty of selgoyernmen
that is the AngloSaxon race the to which belong
and with il is STILL in degree experiment But
whatever question there may be other races there
bebut opinion TO the ncompeency of the Spanish
At no time, and under circumstances have they
been able to preserve republican institutions The Span
republics whose populations of the same
and grade the whites Of Cuba have become the
byword of history every step in their insane has
been the melancholy blot and blur Of free institutions
The Spanish Creole of Cuba the kind of
materials with which build up republican institutions
What has their political training been the worst imag-
Unable They have always lived under the despoi-
sm For the last thirty years in particular they have lived
under martial law. They have had political privileges,
and utterly ignorant of the machinery of free nsttu-
tons The touching picture which Tacitus draws of the
Roman State under the tyranny Of berus is the condition
of Cuba Men, he says, were afraid of knowing each
other; society was at pause; relations friends and
strangers stood at gaze public meetings private
confidence; things nanmate had ears, and roofs and
walls were deemed normersp That could expect from
suddenly investing such people with segovernmen but
disastrous failure BUTT may be said that, own
people would 90 upon annexation and control the Gu
bans But do not think the American emigration would
be large at the South ii would not because agricultural
from the North the emigration would be mostly CONNER
cia men for temporary sojourns Whilst the emigration
from the United States would be large its influence
would be greatly weakened by the prejudice Of the Creoes
10 peoplethe prejudice of and religion which is
intense in Cuba IL Cuba annexed and slave State,
but proved incompetent seEgovernment she would
only be benefit to the South but great calamity. II
at the threshold with this difficulty might
perhaps orbear further considering this concu-
sive But shall pass
The next question is would Cuba be n reliable slave
community that is would slavery be likely to continue
there ?
In order to determine this question consider the
nature of the population and institutions of Cuba
shall put down the population the lowest estimate
one million two hundred thousand. OF these two hun
dred thousand free negroes pause involnntary at
this startling fact II is worthy 20 be pondered ON by