The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-02-12
THE VERY --LATEST.

fish, French and Dutch West Indies, to-
gether with the possessions of these powers
in Guiana, are not equal, intrinslcally, to
thatsolitary island. He then proceeded to
demonstrate the failure of the disastrous ex-
pertinent of emancipation. The negroes
had not yet become the admirable peasantry
and yeomanry as the English abolitionlsts
had prophesied. Compulsory labor, he
argued, was necessary in the tropics. While
Cuba is kept the grasp of Spain, she can
not keep up her supply of negro labor by
the surriptitious slave trade. The Coolie
system is infinitely worse. He related
some details of the horrors of the coolie
trade, showing that those miserable Asiatics
died at the rate of 10 per cent. per annnm,
and they were raw material to be worked
up into sugar In view of the necessity of
her dabor supply, Cuba must soon follow ST.
Domingo, or must -beeomeaAmerican. He
said he would not discuss the effects of the
acquisition Of Cuba on our trade manufac
lures or agricultural interests. Topograpni-
caliy, Cuba would be a destructive ele-
ment in the hands of the British, in case OF
war between the United States and Great
Britain. He denied that Spain was an in
dependent nation. She had sold her SOW
ereignty in Cuba to Great Britain. There
was a time when she was not. insnlted by
on offer of money, for Great Britain had
paid her 100000 to stop the slave trade
which she has not done. He further de-
MED that the Cubans had petitioned to re-
main under the jurisdiction of Spain. The
Island of Cuba for a long time was an in
tegral part of the Spanish Kingdom /; so
guaranteed by the constitution. Bolivar s
plan to assist Cuba in declaring her indie
pendence, fell through because the United
States learning that Great Britain intended
to seize the opportunity during her struggle
for independence, interposed, through Mr.
Clay, and prevented the movement. Spain
became alarmed, and placed the island in a
state of siege, and it has ever since so re-
maired under the despotism of the Captain
General who is invested, like a commander
of a besieged city, with unlimited power
over life and property. Yet we are told the
Cubans seek to remain under this yoke. 1t
is not so. They have done all they could to
throw it off. In 1926 there was a revolt
Later then was tho conspiracy OF the Black
Eagle Later those familiar attempts to all
of July, 1851, when a few patriots declared
their Independence in proclamation, which
Mr.. Benjamin read, setting forth their in
tolerable grievances. The fidelity of Cuba
to Spain was only maintained by 10000
bayonets and fleets that watched the coasts.
The comparison between the oppressed and
unarmed Cubans. and the armed 100000
of our forefathers is fallacious. All that
the Cubans could do they have done. This
being the case, why may not Congress
make au expression of their opinion towards
10 10 ho
statement that an offer to purchase Cuba
would be an offense against Spanish dig
nifty Everything that Spain has held on
This continent has been torn from her, ex-.
cept Louisiana and Florida, both of which
were bought of Great Britain and France.
Great Britain offered to buy Cuba in 1928,
and in 1926 was at the bottom of plot to
take it under a protectorate. Both failing,
she now proposes a tri-partite treaty be-
tween England, France and the United
States, to guarantee that nobody but Spain
shall have it. As to France, what right
has she to object to the purchase. What
Interpolation into the law of nations pre-
vents the requirements of territory by pur-
chase Napoleons Uncle bought louisiana.
As to England, if she raised her voice,
Mr.. Benjamin trusts that the reply Will be q
demand that she account for her title to the
Bay Islands; and when Lord Clarendon
pleads spontaneous settlement, we claim the
spontaneous settlement of Cuba There is
no need to invoke the musty bibles of inter
national law to show that she belongs to
Spain. The fundamental basis of the Amer
lean policy is the right Of the people to in
stitute our forms of government. Cuba be-
longs to her people, and it is for them to say
what form of government they will live un-
der. We propose to purchase from Spain /;
but if SPANS dignity is offended, let us in
woke her to grant independence to her Cuban
subjects, and we will indemnify her for the
outlay, trusting to recompense ourselves nj
the friendly relations that will grow up be-
tween US and the people OF Cuba. If she
refuses to cede or relax her despotic grasp,
let the United States, in the face of the
world, inform Spain that on the first occa-
sion that offers, she will extend TO the Gu
bans the same aid that Great Britain gave
the other Spanish colonies in revolt; the
same aid that France gave us in the darkest
DAYS of the revolution. If the Cubans pre-
fer independence, we will protect them in
dependent. If they prefer annexation, we
will receive them with welcome. ,-,4 .s---
Mr.. Doolittle said that the American pol
icy rested on a triple foundation. LIST. That
under no circumstances can Cuba be trans
ferred to any European power. I'd. That
so long as it belongs to Spain we will not
seek to wrest it from her. Sd. That when
ever we can acquire Cuba by the consent OF
Spain, and of the people of the Island, by
purchase and cession, we are ready to ac-
cept it. He expressed himself free to believe
that in the progression of time Cuba will be
incorporated into the Union, but be does
not considsr that time as yet come.
In support of these views he quoted MI,
Clay, Mr. Buchanan, the Secretary of state,
Mr. Fillmore, Mr.. Marcy, and the Republi-
can party In support of these views the
Republicans would resist the transfer of
ICuha to any other power, but not for the
purpose expressed recently by the Senator
from Georgia, to make the Gulf of Mexico
a mere enclosure, where no flag could float
without our permission. What the United
States make mare cIau sum of any sea-
The whole policy of the Republic has been
for the freedom of the seas. The war of
tl8l2 was for that. The Z. S. opened up
I the mediterranean by her war with the Al
ecnrines. For that the treaty was abrogat-
ed with regard 60 sound dues. The very
purpose of acquiring the Gulf is to prevent