Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1859-02-05

that the question whether Cuba Is desirable,
and ought to be attained, is not at all in debate
1t is an idle, visionary and mischievous alb
straction. There is no such question here but
the question which is presented is, whether the
Congress of the United States shall authorize
the President of the United States to offer an
indignity to Spain. That is ALL
Mr.. Slidell-Will the Senator from New
York permit me to interrupt himP
Mr.. Seward-Certainly
Mr.. Slidell-The danger that he deprecates
has already arrived. The cause of quarrel ex-
lists already, according to the extract he read
from the speech of General O'Donnell; the in
suit had been given by the President and i'm
mediate reparaton is demanded. Therefore,
we cannot very well aggrayate that insult. 1t
hass passed from our power.
Mr. Seward have an answer for the hon
orable Senator. | propose to leave the Presi-
dent the constitutional power which he enjoys,
of nsttuting treaties with Spain for the pur-
chase of the Island of Cuba in the caribbean
Seas, and with all other powers for all other is
lands in all the oceans throughout the globe
| propose to leave him the right and power OF
sending to Congress messages announcing he
forehand the treaties he proposes to make, and
leave him to answer, on his own responsibility
TO the people and to the world, for the wisdom
and the temper, the moderation and the digni-
ty, with which he executes these great trusts
l propose, on the other hand, to reserve my
own authority, my own constitutional power
and to maintain the dignity of my own official
functions, and not at all to become party to
an insult which the President of the United
States may be supposed to have already offered
to Spain. | cannot consent to go to his aid
though it may be necessary to draw him out o
the dilemma in which he finds himself involved
b,.o sbuoaa ,,b,ob I II.
Sir, will not stop to inquire as an abstract
question about the wisdom of great natior
offering insults and indignities to other nations
| will not stop now to inquire about the virtue
the morality, and the honor, to say nothing o
| the dignity of such q course. But / will say
this that it is not wise to offer an indignity tt
| foreign power if you are to gain nothing b,
it. So much at least may be conceded to me
| And now, what is to be obtained by insulting
Spain Nothing; but only this we must ex
pcct that she will be provoked to war to rescn
the indignity and when the war has come t,
resent the indignity, then the prize of Cub,
may be attained indemnity for the expense
of the war. Sir, if We desire to acquire Cub
by negotiation let us negotiate. The Presiden
disclaims and disdans to seek it by war direct
ly. Are we to understand him and majorit,
of the Committee here, that they ask us 4
| b'hS Pphih lilhHtSliN lllNo Il war III OIucT lllu
we may conquer Cuba? That would be to i'm
pute to the President and the Committee bat
faith, which must utterly dsclaim.
These considerations satisfy my mind that i
is not expected, that it is not intended, tina
Cuba shall be acquired in consequence of thi
proceeding; but that it is supposed that som
other advantage some domestic and local bene
fit will be secured to the President of tn
United States by provoking debate on thi
subject in Congress. Sir, do not so muc
undervaue the intelligence of the America
people as to apprehend any such result. Tn
proposition seems to be an empty one, an idl
one, a ludicrous one; and if it were not fo
violating the respect due to the President
the United States and the majority of the Com
mittec who sanction it, | should say ridiculou
one. There is play which we have sometime
seen at the theater, in which the heroine is a
honest housewife, who has a propensity fc
buying everything at auction, and she is alway
namely that though the hnf article fSl bought Is isT n
wanted at the time, vet it is cheap, and it wi
be so handy to have it if it shall ever be wan
ed So, one day she bought a huge door plat
sold at an auction of a neighbor's furniture, q
; which was inscribed in large letters the name
: "Thompson,' spelled with "p," although hi
own name, swell as her husbands, was Toodl
, Toodlc called her to account for the expens
"why," she said, show do YOU know, my dea
that we shall not one day have a child, and thi
| child may not be daughter, and that th
daughter may not be married to somebody, an
just as likely as not that somebody will be ma
: named Thompson and his name may be spell
ed with 'p' [laughter,l so it will fit then ju
; exactly l could not help buying it because
; was cheap, and it will be so handy you kno,
to have it in the house." That Sir, is exact
| the value of this great presidential demonstr
ton, made, think, to retrieve the sinking an
wasting fortunes of an Administration that HI
, disappointed its own immoderate desires n
more than the less sanguine expectations of Il
American people.