The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-07-24

''There is good reason to believe that our Gov
eminent is in fair way to acquire Cuba" Such
is the important intelligence, derived, it is said
from an unquesonabe source, which was flashed
across the wires from Washington, and published
among our kilograms Thursday last How. or
in what manner, our right of possession to that
important island is to be obtained is left wholly to
conjecture If Spain has at length expressed her
willingness to part with Cuba for an adequate COM
pensation, she must have been driven thereto
either by the pressure of her foreign Indebtedness,
or through her fears of having that MAGNIFICENT
province wrested from her by the strong hand
That the recent troubles in the Gulf Stream may
nave mad the effect of alarming her for the safety
OF her most valuable colonial dependency we can
very well understand and that the speech of Lord
MALMEsBURY with reference to her connivance at
the slave trade in Cuba, and the determination of
England to concern herselfno more with the affairs
OF that island, may also have encouraged our Min
lister to Spain TO make renewed overtures for its mr.
chase Is altogether probable But who.or tho Span
ISM ministry could he indnced to do anything more
than coqnet with the subject, or whether even.
in the event Of their being disposed to seriously en-
terrain proposition of the kind the consent of
the Cortes could be obtained or the popular aver
sion to the measure overcome are questions vet TO
be determined, and upon these we venture to hazard
an opinion. The only colonies now remaining to
SPAN OF her once extensive dominions in America
are the islands of Cuba and Porto Rico Apart
from the Importance of the annual revenue of On
ba to the Golfers of the Spanish treasury and the
opportunity which that island presents, in its nu
mcrous offices of trust and dignity. to reward tbo
services of Jealous partizans or to re-esablish tbe
broken fortunes of loyal servants to the crown if
possesses a commercial value to the mother conn
Try winch IL would be difficult to overrate. The
domestic products of Spain, exported to Cuba in
spanish vessels amount annually to from nine to ten
millions OF dollars, and of foreign products taken
TO that island in Spanish vessels, to about t,reIvn
millions of dollars more-in all some twenty-two
millions of dollars, while the annual value of the
return freights exceeds nine millions of dollars
independent however, of these considerations and
growing altogether out of the profound, and we
might add the almost unanimous feeling of the
spanish nation upon this subject, we confidently
assert mat any proposition for the purchase of Gu
pa, on the part of the United States, will meet with
te same fate that has attended every similar over
lure That has heretofore been made bv orr re- |
spectve representatives at the Court of Madrid - |
Whatever might have been ACCOMPLISHED nv |
adrolt diplomacy in years past the time has GONE |
by when we could have struck a BARGAIN for the
transfer, to us, of this noble dependency. Ever
since we endeavored TO negotiate with Spain, with
a pistol in one hand and purse in the other, and
demanded that she should choose between the two
the retention of Cuba, on her part has become a
Of -, I,
cioSeIy 10 this last relic of Imperial grandeur not
only because 1t brings back to her The memories Of
stateller days, of romantic adventure and of old
renown; but also because her pride revoIts at
parting with so valuable appanaoe TO a GOV
eminent which has accostcd her in the LANGUAGE of
the old knights of the Post and babe her s.stand
and deliver sIn the midst of all their chances
of fortune, the Spaniards have never vet shown
themselves wanting in seErespect, or slow to re-
sent manifest indignity. As a nation they NAV
oe poor, as people they may be proud-perhaps
The prouder by reason of their poverty-but if
'hey attach lnordinate Importance to. ceremonals
lhat we are too much disposed to undervalue they
also cherish nobility of character, which. thouob
1t may find many admirers, has but too few mita- |
Tors elsewhere. Differing so widely rs they do a a
form of government, they are too little conversant
WIN inc nature OF our Institutions, to be able to
understand how it is that the United States nra t
sents so singular compound of strength and o
WEAKNESS That while, people, we are DOW \
eflul ana prosperous beyond all modern examine Il
our government is incapable of enforcing the laws
we ourselves have enacted, or of constantine :,
Il popular observance of international comnacts n
winch, through representatives we have n
solemnly engaged to respect In DISCUSSING n
thlS question of the acquisition of Cuba it NAV he e
also worth while TO recall the fact that the SPANISH
Government long since announced its inleyble "
determination that the island s'sbould contpuo a
Spanish or be made African" In the face of sucb .
resolution, what hope can we have of ACQUIRING i
IL by Inc tender of any sum of money however e
tempting! II Spain will not yield in the presence .
OF PLUTUs, she certainly will not succumb 10 the ii
shadow oil MARS. But are want the island and she | b
VIII not part with it-what then are we TO do -
Inc New York Times endeavors to answer This d
question: and doubtless TO its own satisfaction. IL
out certainly not 10 that of anybody else eff h
SPAN, says the Times, ''will not sell on any it
terms, must we then ilibuser, or in some other Oh
'dlsgraceful way provoke her to war? Bv no W
means The alternatives are neither disnracefnI d.
nor, in our sense of popular rights, unusual IF u
the people of the island desire to buy of us DC b,
they now sell to us, the best terms for Them ju
selves or if they desire TO be Incorporated with u
us, in the American Union as a sovereign State NJ
instead of remaining dependency of Spain we hi
can meet them, in the one case, by separate and g.
independent commercial treaties, or in the otlor tn
by our political sympathies and material aid y NJ
Aye if the people of the island desire to EXCHANGE do
COMMODITIES with us and if they also desire to be or
Incorporated with us into the American Union. Tn
-. =, num- tn
nt what proof have that they wish 10 do either? Co
lave they issued any declaration to that effect to
lave they asserted their independence of the mother
ountry, and sought to consummate it by force of no
rms? Did they hail LOPEZ as deliyerer or on
MOURN CRIrTENDES as martyr? If they have mi mi
one none of these things, what are we TO believe wi
ut that beyond few malcontept CreoIos the mass to
f the population ''seek change and least of IN
H. such change as we should bring them. p ine
sht
tai
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