The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-01-27

bags al 100 bs and estimate tho average value at loc
per h., will be perceived that the value Of the 1915,
400 bags sent to the United States from Rio aone for the
eleven months of the past year. amounted to $7oS62o
The price current referred quotes sound lots OF coffee as
ruling at Al go 1880 for United States, and 1900
47oo for the Channel and 1900 for the North
Of Europe During the first FIVE months, Of the crop
of 1885, bags shipped to the United States,
against $50 500 bags 1857. Freghts 10 the United
States ranged from Soc coo. Galeeo Haxal -four
quoted at lsf50O $4,000; Baltimore at $4,000 and Phi
adelphia at $4,000 leoOo Freghts dull yester.
day at this port, and engagements light.
The Great Question or the Day-Opcning the
Campaign for 1860.
We publish to-day full report of the con-
test over the preliminaries of the programme for
the Presidential campaign in 1860, as it occurred
in the Senate on Monday, on the presentation of
the bill, by the Committee on Foreign Relations,
authorizing the purchase of Cuba.
The ball opened with the reading of the mas
terly report of Mr.. Slidell This report follows
up the initiation Of the question in Mr.. Buchanan's
Message, covering the whole ground in a concise
and logical argument, and recommends the pas
sage of the bill authorizing the President to open
negotiations for the purchase of Cuba and plac-
ing thirty millions of dollars at his dspoaal TO be
used towards the payment of any equivalent we
may stipulate with Spain. In his argument Mr..
Slidell cites the opinions of many of our most
eminent American statesmen, such .as Jefferson,
Adams, Clay, Van Buren,. Buchanan and Everett,
in favor of the acquisition of Cuba, and cOntem-
plates it as one of the irresistible results of our
nat AY,n linda taI
to the acquisition Of Louisiana and the
opening of the Mississippi river; Louisiana
led to Florida, both led to Texas and California,
and all lead to Cuba, to fill up" as Mr.. Jeffer
son said, the measure Of our political well be-
ing" He then reviews the three alternatives
in the future Of Cuba:-1st. Possession by
a European Power, which the nation has
declared, even in its early days, that we would
resist at all hazards; I'd. Independence, which
could never be more than nominal thing, and
would inevitably lead to annexation or Euro
pean protectorate; Sd. Annexation to the United
! States, either through conquest or negotiation.
! Mr. Slidell, with the true spirit of a statesman
of the nineteenth century, sets aside the question
of conquest as incompatible with our own multi
farious interests, and with the interests of the
whole civilized world. He accepts the Presi-
dents recommendation of negotiation, and urges
that success cannot be anticipated unless the
President be furnished with the means suggested
in his annual Message. The argument that
there would be danger in comforting these means
upon the Executive he reviews and confutes, and
cites the precedents Of similar powers having
been conferred preliminary to the acquisition of
Louisiana and Florida, and to the treaty of peace
with Mexico. Our diplomacy, he urges, should
be open, frank, and based upon the same essen
tials that are required to advance honest enter
prise in private life; and the question of the in
| dehcacy Of the proceeding and its offending
| Spanish pride is treated with mature know
| ledge Of Spanish affairs, and completely
overtmown. He urges that should Con-
gress determine not to grant the pow
ers asked for, such fact must be
considered by the President as an init
nation that we do not desire the acquisition
of Cuba. He then proceeds to discuss the
wishes and the social condition of the people of
Cuba the recent official manifestations of indig-
nation at the Presidents Message. and the side
issues Of the slave trade the right Of search, the
coolie trade, the aggressons upon our citizens
by an arbitrary Captain General, the delay of
their reference to Madrid, our commercial and
industrial intercourse with Cuba and the final
question Of the real cost of its purchase to us in
financial point of view The whole report is
a complete and unanswerable defence of the re-
@.l,&.a 1f &t,..
to acquire Cuba at the present time.
The reading Of this important document at
once brought ON debate, in which Mason,
Seward, Bayard, Foot, Toombs, Hale and
Doolittle took part. The opposition was led
of by Seward who at once took ground against
the making of Cuba the race course for the
Presidential sweepstakes in 1860. He said be
opposed it on constitutional grounds, and not
because he was against the acquisition of Cuba,
which gravitates to the continent, while the re-
suit Of bringing it into the fight in 1860 would
only result in making somebody else than Viii
liam II. Seward President, and he would not
contribute 10 any such scheme of President
making. He wished to know how Cuba
was to come into the Union. what would
/ be the status of her bond and free popu-
lation, and how many hundred millions
we were to pay for it before they examined the
question of purchase; and he was decidedly of
opinion these inquiries should not be made until
after 1860, though he was in favor of Cuba by
natural gravitation, and thought, with Mrs
Toodles, that 'it would be so handy TO have it in
the house." The contest was followed up in
good style by Mr. Bayard, who put in some good
/ hits in favor of the Presidents policy and in
reply to Mr.. Seward, and by Mr.. Toombs, who
came TO the support Of the measure with true
! Southern warmth and chivalry.
These discussions, however, are merely the
prehminaries to the greater fight which is to