The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-04-10
THE ACQUISITION OF CUBA.

AS<A 49, = ~ mi IA - - = =
TUESDAY kNIN0............APRIL 10, 1855
THE ACQUISITION OF CUBA.
The Savannah Republican publishes a
communication from Washington on the &C.
QUESTION Of Cuba, which il does not desire
to be understood as endorsing, but which, it
remarks. contains some most original views
The correspondent thinks that the idea is alb.
surd, Of paying elao. 900 900 for the privilege
of protecting and defending Cuba at an an
nasl expense Of many millions, even in time
of peace, and in time of war at an outlay
probably entirely beyond our means, even
granting that we could successfully do it
with our most strenuous efforts. The writer
adds:
Gwen n the plan of annex alton could be carried
into effect the sum of Sl20 0,000 would only be
one Of the smaller Items which the acquisition
would cost us. That would only give the
reiSnty of the island and our citizens who would
rate there In thousands, would be Obliged to
esnse 'he plantations, slaves, machinery, and
boy ous rom the present owners, who are
either now actual ~ : estate. and remove 20
Who would sell out teen '-o and other wealth
Spain with their purchase NOM, -. probably be
To purchase the estates that wouia 6 those
Ia ',nasr the c,rcumstances, exclusive Q. 'nose
that would be retained by the pressn. 0PenSs
owners, who would remain 10 me ns;auJ IUu
require probably two or three nunoies Ii'on
dollars more Besides this, there wou'9 Dc en-
smio r..ion from our slave States OF landed pro-
nrtctors or others who would take win Inem,
besides their personal wealth, al ieas. oVosov
slaves. worth $500 600 00o The probability istnas
the emigration would be much isrger tnan .nis
but at any rate the cost of the sovereignty OF the
island the cost of estates, improvements, &c,
purchased by our citizens from the Spanlaros, the
amount OF moueyed capital and the value Oh tns
negroes transferred from the United ota'ss Wou,o
form an aggregate of at least one thousand mucous
Of dollars of American capital that woaa DC 10,
vested In that island every dollar OF which wou'o
be sunk and lost forever In three montns s.er Tue
United States might be engaged In war eitner Win
an such war neither Of those Powers would
attempt to attack the island at its strong positions
such a. Havana, Matanxas. or st Jago, out wEulu
land troops with arms and supplies, AZ oeenceIs
points, proclaiming the freedom OF ana arm .ng tne
blacks. Nor would they have the least ohncuIy
In placing the whole island In state OF open ana
successful revolt, without. the possioilIy OF our
being able to prevent such terrible ca!sspu o.
Neither the genius nor spirit Of our institutions OF
people will permit US to keep on 1901 10 .'u,e VI
peace the enormous naval armament WHICH NOSE
nations constantly maintain: but even were
otherwse and We we're to commences inner .asi estsb
lishments we could not IN the present reia.se po'
ston of naval system, organic alton, ana Iotce.
accomplish the task, except after ten, nneen or
more years, and In the mean time they, Roaming
as they would their naval supremacy, could WORK |.
their viii with inpuniy as regards CUBA In case VI
hostillties.
The acquisition of this island, so far from ad-
ding to our strength, would be our weak ana WI
nerable point. In case of war with either o, Tue
two great Powers of Europe, and we ola uaAe
serious effort to defend It, would require glGs.r
exenions, greater means. and greater expehuhuo
thav ,f tk.o
whole Atlantic coast with the almost certain result
that all our efforts would be unavailing"
The writer proceeds to arguethat even II
peaceable possession of the island could be
retained, the results would be most delete
rious, especially to the South, of transferring
one thousand million dollars of American Ca
pital and labor, for the purpose OF cuitlva-
ting and improving the surface of Cuba IN
stead of performing the same duty to the
surface of the United States. The Southern
Atlantic States, remarks the writer, have suf-
fered very severely by the emigration of
their citizens, with their capital and negroes,
to the cotton growing States of the South
west; but how trifing this to the result of
such an emigration to Cuba, as would be wit
messed in the event of annexation. The emil
grants of course would better, or think they
would better, their own condition; but, adds
the writer the blighting effects upon the
States from which this capital and labor
were withdrawn, would not be less severely
felt from reduced production, lessened popu-
lation, decreased wealth, abandoned planta
tions, depressed value of real estate, and all
the other ramifcations of injury in various
collateral forms
The correspondent thinks that Cuba could
never be Americanized, that, like the French
residents of Louisiana. and the Canadian
French who, for full century, have been
under English rule, yet remain unassimilatet
to their conquerers, the island will retain it
national language, customs, politics, religion
/ and leading features of government.
Although" continues the writer, 1--WE ma
deprecate the idea of Africanizing the islant
that too has been made an unnecessary bue
ab0O, 30 far as to its effect on the Souther
States, as it would have no greater or othe
results than the present Attenuation of ia
maics, Hayti, or the Bahamas. Though tn
point OF the Florida Peninsula runs within
one hundred miles of Cuba, so far as practi
cal results are concerned, Cuba is not within
five hundred miles Of the slave territory OF
the United States; and, if it were free State
or black Republic, would, so far as the
blacks of the South are concerned, not have
that injurious influence which our Southern
brethren justly deprecate, as have the free
States of Ohio, Indiana or Illinois, nor even
Canada. An ocean of over one hundred
miles Intervening more effectually cuts of
any malign influence than 1000 miles of con
tiguous territory. The British Bahama islands
are nearer to Georgia and South Carolina
than Cuba; but who at the South has ever
heard of any influence upon their slaves from
that quarter, when they have daily and hour
iy proof OF the influence of Canada at a dis
= lance of one thousand mies?''
The writer mentions, in conclusion. that
Mr. Calhoun WAS opno.ad 20 A..