The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1855-04-28
THE CUBAN QUESTION.

MR. EDITOR AS KosSuth has given his
opinion upon the subject Of our relations with
Cuba, may | not venture mine; which is
We must have it pehceably if we can, forc-
bly, if we must. England cons i,lcrcd it to
her interest to take Gibraltar from Spain, and
she has taken many other strong points. 1t
Is but few years since she made war upon
the Chinese to compel them to take her opium
duty free, and made China pay the expense
of the war to boot. France has committed
many similar outrhgcs, and at the present
moment, Russia and the Allies are fighting
over Turkey. Each of the party think that
Turkey should be sustained, provided she
will pay the cost ofthe war. 1t is but few
Gears since France and England DESTROYED
the Turkish fleet at Navarino because they
thought her navy was too large for their own
safety: and now England and France arc in
tcrposing to keep Spain from taking fair
price for Cuba. They have done so with
Peru IN regard to the g,lano treaty, and more
recently IN regard TO st. Domingo, altho' we
have offered Spain more than she can possibly
realize in any other way from the Island. /
consider it essential to the safety of our rccu-
liar Institution, and there is but few who
doubt it, to the territory Of which Cuba lies
in close proximity, that we have the Island.
kossuth says that England and France will
never permit us to have it, or Spain to sell it
10 us: that they will urge Spain to free the
slaves first, before the Island shall fall into
pur hands. We have heard those threats
before but disregard them. Still do not
doubt but they would carry out those threats
if they could, rather than permit us to have
the Island. Misery it is said, loves company:
they have freed the slaves of Jamaica, and
other West India Islands and almost render
ed those once fertile Islands, as barren as
they. were at their discovery by Columbus:
and those threats should hasten action in the
matter. See how stood the Island of TIayt,
nr llispaniola. In the year 1900 st. Domin-
70 exported o',e hundred md Uiy Momond
hoeskeGds Of sugar, as ONO item. In 1920,
only 20 years after, France armed the slaves
TO defend it against the English, and st. Do
mingo only exported one hundred and ffty
hogslcads of sugar-a great falling off. |
was on plantation in st. Domingo in the
winter Of 1928 which was so demolished,
and broken up, or worked down, if you
please to call it so, that you could only tell
where the original enclosure was, by the
dwarf trees with which the land was covered
That farm in 1900 was worked by 1900
slavcs-thcn barren waste in 1928 If
Cuba was annexed her rapid growth and i'm
provcmcnt would soon compare with Jamaica
and other West India Islands and indeed
with the South American States and Mexico
about as Louisiana docs with those Is
lands of the Indies and other Spanish Colo
MES.
The time has now arrived when SPAN Of
herself cannot hold Cuba single month if
the Cubans knew the advantage they would
derive by annexation; provided the Govern
mcnt of the United States does not interfere
10 stop the supplies the money and men
'naterial Of ~ar-and remain neutral as they
did when Texas rcrolied. All we have got to
'lo, IS to let the Cubans and their Allies if
they have any, or Can get any, fight it out
fSpain can hold OH let her do it; but if she
cannot do it then let the government of the
United States intcrpose for the purpose of
saving blood and treat and pay handsome
compensation too for immediate annexation
on condition that not ono dollar of the money
should 90 to France or England on account
nf old debts: with the express understanding
that if we shonld have to resort to arms, we
would have the Island without paying cent.
We have had insults enough, not from Spain,
but her Allies England and France, who
urge her on with view not of obtaining the
Island for themselves but to draw n large
and extravagant sum from us, which they
would expect to appropriate to their own
benefit
1t appears to be the design of England and
France to make all the world tributary to
them. We are now so. nearly to the tune of
three hundred millions annually, in an ind-
rect way, but | hope the day will soon ar
rive when we will neither receive insults, or
pay tribute TO any of the nations Of the earth,
Or all combined, if they should try it, We
have the resources always within our reach,
with the aid of little patriotism TO COM
mand the respect Of the world. cents per
pound duty on sugar, cents per pound duty
al coffee. and twenty five per cent specific
duty upon an average of all importations is
all that is wanted to insure success.