Daily American organ., 1856-08-16

poWertul anu cou.elSou
yrbgst two.thirds Of the price OF the island |
W. M annie for the completion Of her most |
;,on,rfsnt public improvements, she might, with
.ha renanipg forty millions, satisfy the demands
- rassinr "a heavily upon her credit and Gre
- sinling fund which would gradually relieve
Isr from the overwhelming debt now paralyzing |
her energies. .;,;op |
Such d her present wretched financial conoluon
that her best bonds sold upon her own or
about one.third Of their par value; whist ano ~.
class ON which she pays no interest, nave Du'
oominal vaIne and are quoted about one-sh.1 %
the amount for which they were issued s:.ess De
these little are held principally by BRUSH creu'rs
vho NAV from day to day obtain the ehoclNo -
tsrposition of their own goYernmsns ior sio pu
pose of coerciug payment lhtinatioIs W snas
effect have been already thrown out rom ngn
quarters and unless some new source Vi rcscnue
shaIl enable Spain to provide for such exgencies
Il i not improbable that they may be realized.
Should Spain reject the present golden opportu-
nity for developing her resources ana removing
her financial embarrassment 1T may never again
return.
Cuba in its palmiest days never yielded her e1-
chequer, after deducting the expenses OF lIs 6o'
ernment, a clear annual income OF more tnsn
million,aud half of dollars. These expenses nave
increased to such degree as to leave dehcit
chargeable on the treasury OF Spain TO the amount
of six hundred thousand dollars
In d pecuniary point OF view, therefore, INC
island ia an incumbrance, instead OF source oil
proat, to the mother country
Under no probable circumstances can Cuba ever
Weld TO Spain one per cent on the large amount
which the United States are willing to pay Tor It's
acquisition. But Spain is IN imminent danger "
losing Cuba without remuneration :,
Extreme oppression, it is now universally ad-
uitted iusties any people in endeayoring TO re-
Ieye themselves from the yoke OF their oppressors
The sufferings which the corrupt, arbitrary, ana
unrelenting local administration necessarily entails
upon the Inhabitants of Cuba, cannot fail to stim.
ulate and keep alive that spirit of resistance and
revolution against Spain which has, of late years
been 30 often manifested In this condition OF
affairs il ia vain TO expect that the sympathies OF
the people of the United States will not be warmly
enlisted in favor Of their oppressed neighbors.
We know that the President is justly infexible
In his determination TO execute the neutrality laws
but should the Cubans themselves rise in revolt
against the oppression which they suffer, no hu-
man power could prevent citizens of the United
States and liberal minded men OF other countries
from rushing to their assistance. Besides, the
present is an age of adventure in which restless
and daring spirits abound in every portion of the
world.
It is not improbable, therefore, that Cuba may
be wrested from Spain by successful revolution; !;
and in that event she will lose both the Island and
tne price WHICH we are now WllLnS w pay iof
n price far beyond what was ever paid by one
people to another for any province.
1t may also be remarked that the settlement of
this vexed question by the cession of Cuba to the
United States, would forever prevent the danger
ous complications between nations to which it may
otherwise give birth.
1t is certain that, should the Cubans themselves
organize an insurrection against the Spanish gov
ernment and should other independent nations
come to the aid of Spain in the contest, no human
power could III our opinion, prevent the people
and government of the United States from taking
part in such civil war in support of their neigh
bors and friends.
But If Spain dead to the voice Of her own inter
est, ard actuated by stubborn pride and a false
sense Of honoc, should rcfasa TO sell Cuba to the
United States, then the question will atise what
ougnt 20 be the course Of the American govern
nett under such circumstances?
E,lCproservation is the first law of nature, with
States as well as individuals All nations have, at
different periods, acted upon this maxim. AL
though Il has been made the pretext for commit
ting 1grant injustice, in the partition of Poland
and other similar cases which history records, yet
the principle ITSELF though often abused, has al
ways been recognised.
The United States have never acquired foot
of territory except by fair purchase, or in the
case of Texas, upon the free and voluntary appli-
cat on Of the people of that independents State,
who desi d to blend their destinies with our own.
Even our acquisitions from Mexico are no ex-
ception to this rule, because, although might
have claimed them by the right Of conquest in
lust war, yet we purchased them for what was
then considered by both parties a full and ample
equivalent.
Our past history iurbids that We should acquire
the ieIand of Cuba without the consent of Spain,
unless justified by the great law OF selfpreserva-
ton. We must, in any event, preserve our own
conscious rectitudc and our own selfrespect.
Whilst pursuing this course we can afford to
disregard the censures of the world, to which we
have been so often and SO unjusty exposed.
After we shall have offered Spain a price for
Cuba far beyond its present value, and this shall
have been refused it will then be time to consider
the question: does Cuba, in the possession Of Spain
seriously endanger our internal peace and the eI-
istence of our cherished UnionP
Should this question be answered in the affirma.
tive, then by every law, human and divine we
shall be justified in wrestling it from Spain, if we
possessed the power; and this upon the very same
principle that would justify an individual in tearing
down the burning house of his neighbor If there
vyere no other means of preventing the flames
from destroying his own house.
Under such circumstances we ought neither to
count the cost nor regard the odds which Spain
might enlist against us We forbear to enter into
the question: whether the present condition of the
island would justify such measured We would,
however, be recreant to our duty, be unworthy of
our gallant forefathers, and commit base treason
against our posterity, should we permit Cuba to be
Africanized and become second ST. Domingo,
with all its attendant horrors to the white race,
and suffer the flames to extend to our own neigh.
boring shores, seriously to endanger, or actually
to consume the fair fabric of our Union.
We fear that the course and current of events
are rapidly tending towards such catastrophe
We, however, hope for the best though we ought
certainly to be prepared for the worst.
We also forbear to investigate the present con-
dtion of the questions at issue between the United