The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1859-08-18


tax has never been wrung from people by any des-
potism Of the old world The annual amount paid by
the people of Iowa to the National Government for
the last four years would YIELD if invested pc,
cent. interest $500, 900 year-a than equal
to the annual expenses of your state government in
Guiding the construction of Public Buildings,
estimated by those who have been charging the Re-
publicans of the state with extravaganza in the ad-
ministration of its local affairs
9th. In this emergency schot measure Of relief
does tie Democratic 2Darty proposef
They propose to increase the taxes this is their
mode OF relief They propose to increase the rate of
duty paid on foreign goods and to levy new tax
commodities admitted free giving he prefer
ence to those which come in competition with the pro-
ducts OF our own workmen In our home Market and
imnosing IL most heavily goods sach as teas and
coffee, brought exclusively from abroad. (See Treas
urers Report for 1S57-S, page -
They propose 20 increase the rate of postage on let
ters and newspapers from forty to sixty per cen to
be paid as have principally by the people of
the free States to enhance mail facilities in the slave
States. Here is the record of the yeas and nays in
the U. S. Senate on this proposition:
IEAS-Messrs. Benjamin, Bright, Brown, Chesnut,
Clay, Clingman Critenden Davis Fitch, Fitzpatrick
Green, Gwin Hammond Houston, Hunter, Iverson,
Johnson of Arkansas, johnson Of Tennessee, Jones
Toombs Ward and Yulee-29.
NAYs-Messrs. Allen, Bayard, Biger Broderick,
Chandler Clark, Collamer Dixon, Doolitte, Douglas,
Durkee, Fessenden, Foote. Foster Hale HamIin, Har
Ian. King, Pugh. Rice Seward, Shields, Simmons,
Stuart, Trumbull, Wade, Wilson, and wrght-2S.--
(Cong Globe, part2, End Session thirtyh Congress,
Every affirmative vote was cast by a Democratic
Senator including that of my former colleague in the
Senate from Iowa. Every Republican voted IN the
negative.
Thay oppose the restriction of the sale of the public
lands to actual settlers and thus place the pioneer
the frontier at the mercy of Gland sharks who
fortunes out of the hard earnings of the patient
oftoil They oppose the Homestead Bill, which pro-
poses to give lands to the landess for settlement and
cultivation, as freely they receive the air, the ran
and the sunshine, the Almighty designed when he
created these broad praires and these fertile valleys
Here is the record Of the vote in the T. S. Senate on
this beneicent measure:
YEAS-Messrs. Bell, Broderick, Cameron, Chandler,
CLARK, Dixon Doolittle Douglas Fcssenden, Foster
Foote, Gwin, Hale, Hamin Harlan johnson of Ten
nessee, Jones' King Pugh Rice, Seward, Shields, Sim
mons, Stuart Trumbull Wade, and Wilson-27.
NAYS.-Messrs. Allen, Bates Bayard, Bgler, Bright,
Brown Chestnut, Clay, Clingmap, Davis, Fitch, Fitz-
patrick, Green, Hammond, Houston, Hunter. Iverson,
johnson of Arkansas, Mallory, Mason, Pearce, Polk.
Reid, Sebantian, Slide, Thompson of New Jersey,
Toombs, Ward, Wright, and YuIee-30.
Every Republican voted for the measure: every
negative vote was cast by Democrat.
They propose the occupancy of several of the more
feeble Mexican States and portions of Central Ameri
ca by the armies of the United States, at addition
al cost of several millions per annum with view 20
their acquisition and conversion into slave territory
and the direct purchase of Cuba at cost of at least
one hundred and twenty millions, to increase the
number of the slave States This il great southern
measure, carefully matured and deliberately adopted.
1t is intended by this means to strengthen and for
ty their system of slave labor to place 1t beyond
the power the frecmen the North to ever acquire
the control of the government. The initiatory step
was taken at the last session of Congress in PROPOSE
to be used in facilitating the acquisition of this Island
to be followed by appropriation of from $4,000
600 to $500 100000 the purchase price to be after
ward collected principally ofthe Northern people
the cost of their political subjugation. This mon
srous proposition received the support ofevery north
ern Democrat in the Senate. On test question "to
lay on the table, the vote stood:
HEAS-Messrs. Broderick. Cameron, Chandler,
Clark, Doottle Fessenden, Foote Foster Hale Ham
I'm, Harlan, Kennedy, King, Seward, simmons Truni-
bull, Wade and Wilson--lS.
NAYs-sIessrs. Allen, Bayard, benjamin, Biger.
Brown, Chestnut, Clay Clingman, Douglas Fitch, Fitz
patrick, Green, Gwin, Hunter, Iycrson, johnson of
Arkansas, Johnson Of Tennessee, Lane, Mallory. Ma
son, Polk, Pngh Reid, Rice Sebastian, Shields, Sill
dell, Smith, Toombs, and Ward--30.. (Cong. Globe,
part 2, End session thrtyfth Congress, page 1887
ofcourse other reasons are advanced for the aequi
stion. 1t might be dangerous TO proclaim their pur-
pose to be TO neutraze the voice of Republican Iowa
In the u. s. Senate with a couple of Creole Senators
from Eastern Cuba--of Wisconsin, with couple from
Western Cuba,-of New York, with couple of mon
grels from Sonora. i is thought better to employ
coating of sugar. to FENDER the pill htte more pal
atabie.
The first reason advanced FLOR Northern consump-
honl is, 'The expansion Of the Republic to make
for our accommodating millions of people,,
2. Its alleged advantages commercially as mart
for our agricultural products.
3. Its necessity for our national defence.
Its utility in the suppression of the slave trade
That these reasons are spurious. scarcely admits Of
an argument. II real, the proposition would be
plausible For objects to the expansion of
possessions by honorable when required by the
growth Of the population: the admission of for
elgn state when requested by the voluntary act of
people in condition To enjoy civil liberty. But
pretend that this is Of the people of So
nora. Chihuahua. Cuba or any of the Central Amer-
can States. The Central American Confederation was
dissolved long ago by internal dissensions, and its
people has never since been abe to reconstruct
national government. The incapacity of the Mexican
people to govern themselves has become verbal
Mexico has had as many Presidents, elevated by rev.
olution during the last few years, Kansas has had
Governors, appointed by Democratic Presidents to
carry out the Democratic Interpretation of "squatter
sovereignty" The necessity Of its absorption,
Trajectory \ defended
OF the ncapaCity of the people to govern themselves
The Cubans are Of the same race: their competence
for selfgovernment will hardly be pretended. Hence
their admission as States, could not be desired at
present, by the real friends Of this Republic To hold
them provinces TO be governed by the appointees
of the Executive of the nation, would be scarcely less
dangerous.
Their acquisition would furnish no outlet for our
people. Sonora and Chihuahua. In consequence of
serility, are incapable Of supporting dense popula
ton. Central America, in consequence of its climate
and malaria, Is certainly not desirable to a people
who have lived for generations in a healthy and tenn
perate country and Cuba is now owned and occupied
by population more dense than that of the United
setts or Virginia 1t permanently occupied by
the spanards in 1911, near three hundred and fifty
years ago.
1t issad to be about seven hundred and fifty miles
long, and on an average, forty miles wde and with
its dependencies, to contain about forty thou
sand square miles, snd population of $50 0ooor
an average of over 33 to the square mile. Report
No thiryfve, Senate CON-. I'd session, thiity-fifth
Cong, p. 13,
III ioJo average popuatton TO the square mile,
OF virginia, was % of all the States in the Union,
cludng territories, about fifteen; Of all the States
south of Mason and Dixon's line, less than ten and
of all the States and territories of the United States
less than eight. Hence the average population of
Cuba is more than fsrtythree per cent greater than
that OF Nirginia120 per cent greater than that of
all the States excluding the territories 1873 per cent
greater than that Of all the Slave States-and more
than 400 per cent. greater than the average density
OF the population OF our whole country. Since 1850
the population of the United States has probably n-
creased 30 per cent occurring principally in the
Stes hence the foregoing estimate subject to .bis
modification But with this modification IL will be
seen that Cuba furnishes room for the expansion Of
our population.
But we are not now oppressed for room. Our pos
sessions are very great. They 800 miles in width
and span the continent from to ocean, contain
ing an area of nearly three million square miles of
which very large surplus is unreclaimed land. In
1850 shown by the Census Reports the entire area
OF all the farms and plantations in the United States
1s0,S2S 600 acres Of unnproved land: In all about
square miles. Add to this 80 per cent for the
probable effect of increase OF population and have
only 598 29 square miles owned and occupied In any
way within the limits of our whole country: leaving
236I37 square miles for future occupancy. This
our resources, and multiplying our population for
msuy years yet TO Gomez our population must Is. in
creased TO nearly one hundred millions before II will
equal in density that OF Cuba at the present
With full knowledge Of these facts, grave states
men cond not commit the folly Of using thirty millions
in negotiation to induce Spain to sell this island at
the price suggested of one hundred and twenty or
for our population, when Cuba now contains popn-
lation equal TO family Of eight persons for every
quarter section OF land subject TO Its jurisdiction =,
Wise nancers could not agree TO pay at the rate Of