The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-02-15
THE ACQUISITION OF CUBA.
SPEECH OF HON. MR.. BENJAMIN.

Mr. BENJAMIN said The subject under debate, Mr..
President involves considerations numerous, grows
oer investigation such proportions, 10 render
IA matter exceeding difficulty to conine its discussion
within reasonable limits Some of the topics which
would desire treat must be presented in general out
line Others must be reluctantly abandoned none can
l treated With iuness of detail at all commensurate
With their Importance
An interope island whose external reaches
nearly eighty million dollars lies ut doors. In ter
ioial equal TO ive OF smaller States,
Win population that would make it fifth ia rank in
eonleerany; with harbors unrivaed for capacity and
oary il object OF absorbing int rest to the Ameri
can people Las present condition and future destiny
offer legitimate held Tor the exercise OF the best states
mal,hp OF the republic
The ist leading fact which ought to be kept constant
~ IN view BY all who would just conceptions this
subject is that the wealth and productiveness Of this
island have been created and their continuance can only
be secured by system Of compulsory labor. Ii the ex
perience OF mankind has solved single industrial pro
ljen may f,iriy granted that tropical pro
sctions t~ maintained scale To meet the re
aarenens civilized man. by compulsory labor alone
ihe fruits of the slave labor Of the southern States OF the
Spanish Islands Cuba and Porto Rico, and Of the Bra
lillian empire immcnsurbly exceed in value similar pro
ducts Of the other States and countries OF this hems
phere Of like soil aud climate cultivated by free labor
II We descend TO particular examples compare the
ayti Of to-day with the St. Domingo Of colonial history
The colony In 1890, exported sugar than all the
British colonies combined besides enormous quantities
Of coffee cotton, indigo. and With free labor
ayt longer mentioned in the commercial statistics
.f III, however, THIS DC CunSteTeu al
example II be objected that the wealth and prosperity
Of this once favored Isle utterly destroyed by the
bloody horrors Of It's revolution, tkc other and still
more striking examples Place in contrast the annual
aditjon to the wealth comfort Of mankind Afforded
iy the slave labor Of Cuba with that furnished by the
islands ia which England, France, and Holland have
made their ruinous emancipation experiments The Tor
uner alone. IN spite Of its wrctchcd mgovetnment OF
odons monopolies Of commercial restrictions Of all the
swbacks Of the old exploded colonial system, exceeds
in wealth aud population all the English, French and
Dutch West luda colonies put together even ii we add
10 them the Terra frma colonies OF Guiana. As this
sieration controls largely the train Of argument into
which desire TO enter permit me to dwell ON it little
more fully.
For long series Of years after the English emancipa
ton experiment the disastrous effects attributed by
it's authors to 0yetn cause w, human ingenuity coui
suggest except tiefr folly. They would open their
eyes to no fact is Improbable study for the states
man to mark the obstinate tcnacity with which these the
% pess&eily refused to receive the teachings of daily
expeenc- til at last generation has passed away the
truth has patent to the world and British states
men are found who openly tho necessity Of en-
urAging the emigration from their colonies Of the white
population and leaving these once oursng settlements
Is the uncontrolled occupancy OF the blacks
In 1912 lust years the final liberation OF the
slaves in the colonies the Earl Of Derby then as Lord
Stanley colonial secretary who urging upon Spain
the adopton Of the system for her colonies
piled her challenge to prove the advantages Of freedom
by stating sunquestionable scts which all men
are agreed, " namely
,s, ~ ra..s ,c,r n,nner !, ,iyir an ,nn.,
ted comirs4 and endowment t their Offences agast the
hawS nave "s'r ~ a. W H., M r W.. .as ~ hon 'nar an, no ,
iud and that Tor elucnon rapid
knowdge AMI powerfully iiueIced by The niuis
religion
~ iofo' t'".s' ,' , 80, :. -, Wy " 'o =, i ~,
act Sea5 alter the maj Iibcratio OF c negroes, Sr
Charles ORGY who then governor Of Jnaca, wrote
:. ~ i,,,,,s s,,,ero,nent
Z" 'i' SWISS 49, 5sari as f s
unir syscA 1 perfectly fair dealing, and OF real Jstce
will be admirable caantry and yeo
nry ableboded INDUSTRIOUS and r working frank and wen
Jlsuoea
,.l r, =. >. ...s. a. =. -.
was met at that time by the candid ana Judcious c
so, Afforded Inv the more frank expostois the ,nd
Ism .r '....,,A III, tisor R,itsh o,,yornnrs
u"hs ~ tao 1o""see '""AN ~ 'N ~ .I.-s
toyetaOr Htrkly, who waG governor Vi bitirh uuiai
made his rn,rt on the condition of that colony about the
,,,a ,, ,,.S n fro,n tle Eritisi. Parliamentary Pm
s 80 ~ S''-i''''' - I'M - '' 4 n IN - "
P''9 I, ,.- aa..,a,,n, ,,..or.,,oa, i. - ,,o
- :. 49, NJ y ,h, ihornv ,snl,,ion without dwell
the cherries picture which isy eSglpt ~ ~
Of liberty confess mat tho , VI i.n sio"r
up ya9tn instead d canes or coee pshes he nrvken
and nassable ras when encounter ~ my
Rties strike wh fai ess app or "e ,u,ua "
hrAreht tetr"9rcoh III hcsc
authentic aunas OF the enahclIaed peasahtry.
u ,a... .,t,d;,g n t,c criminal excesses md
'te "a' Jas~ "S -. ~. .,..,I,., ~ ,,,to, ,,.,
outbreaks OF tue negroes W VIC H'u'"ein " ""Nie"
an tho nautations to the incendaiism OF the pant
to IIJ;n,r, III refers to the statistics of the iniIs
l n. -, r,a1,;,o f,II ~ eonvicts far crimes
showRg they are Decoh'hs i"ii VI eo'i''S 'o e'iN'
Aike these He says M
1, 49, 49,. a,aan ,aars /, .,,
lse sees ~ ~ ten' y, ~ ,hn not inf or die ,
auqnes b, how much Iuer nd i pp themselves
ifthf4i hssa mind then, insts49 ef nowr
The staten ent annexed to this despatch was rs fol-
lows: