Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1859-02-12
Speech OF senator seward ON Cuba.


The speech of Senator Seward Immediately
following the presentation of Mr.. Slidelps re-
port, in favor of the thirty millions bill, was
one of the most able efforts in opposition to
the measure He took the ground that the
measure reported by Sentor Slidell was an
executive measure and its nature coresponded
to its parentage. 1t proposed to relax consti-
tutional and legislative restraints upon the ex-
ecutive power and to transfer the control over
the treasury and the power of negotiation in
foreign affairs from Congress and from the
Senate to the President of the United States.
AS such it was measure disparaging to the
intelligence and independence of the national
legislature, as well as dangerous to the iber-
ties of the American people, and it should
therefore be scrutinized. His own conviction
was that under no circumstances ought the
bill to receive the favor of Congress.
He thus discourseth of the expediency and
reasonableness of the project.
This great increase of the public debt we
are asked to make at the very hour when, in
compliance with tho Executive recommended
ton, we are proposing to authorize him to
build the Pacific Railroad, at cost of not
less than $125,O0O,OOO more and simulta-
neously with this, in the same message, we
are also asked to authorize the President to
move the army into Mexico, which can cost
nothing less than 800, 900 more; and at
the same time, in pursuance of recommended
tons of the same weight and authority, we
are asked to authorize him to employ the
army and the navy against so many Spanish
American States on this continent as he shall
choose, which can require nothing less than
500, ZOO, 900 more; so, without any financial
system at all, we are to have a great debt
created by this Congress of the United States,
on the recommendation and application of
the President to strengthen the arm of the
Executive, while weakening the power and
the constitutional force of the Senate and
House of Representatives, debt of $780,
100000.
The honorable Senator from Rhode Island
Mr.. Simmons-the other day spoke in glow
ing terms, and yet most Justly, of the credit
of the United States, and showed that, with
the small debt that we now have, o nominal
debt, We can 60 into the market, and with five
per cent. stock borrow money at premium,
or, perhaps, borrow money on four per cent
stock, any where in the markets of the world.
That is because we are novices, inexperienced
untried and unknown in the money market,
except for paying such small debts as we
have made. But, sir, when we shall have
shown that we can increase our debt in forty
days, for that is the period which remains of
this session, from $6O,0OO,O 900 to $5OO,OOO,-
900, beg leave to express the opinion that
the rate Of interest will be found to raise in
proportion to the Gberality with which we pro-
pose to borrow. In that case, you will find
your revenue derived from all sources scarce
ly more than enough to pay the interest of the
debt which you shall thus have created, leav-
ing no funds whatever for carrying on the Or
binary operations of the government.
This, however, it might be said, is a fanci-
full picture, because the bill appropriaees only
sc, 600, 900, and not the whole $3.50, 600, 900,
which have supposed Nevertheless, sir, it
appropriates the whole amount which the
President shall write in the treaty. We give
him blank draft on the treasury, and author
ize him to fill up the amount for himself I
have supposed he will fill it up with $780,
900, 900. But am told that we can retreat
from this contract with Spain, five find it too
expensive land abandon the measure without
paying the additional sum which the Presi-
dent may write in the treaty. Slowly and
carefully; Mr.. President, let us consider.
Certainly we cannot retreat from it withoue
forfeiting the $50, 100000 which will hava
been paid. That condition will operate as
constraint upon Congress to appropriate all
the remaining millions whichl the President
may stipulate, and it will equally operate as
constraint upon the Senate to ratify the trea-
ty, whatever sum may be stipulated by its
provisions.
Again, sir, no one can suppose that the
President would pay the $4,000, 5000 in ad-
vance to Spain, without securing possession
of the Island of Cuba. When he has once
obtained the Island of Cuba, and paid 3d.
000,000 as an advance upon the consideration
money of the purchase, the treaty will be
contract executed, and Spain and the whole
world would laugh with derision at the pre-
tense that we could rescind the contract and
repudiate the remaining debt, on the ground
that we had then looked into our Constitution
and had found that we had violated it in pass
ing the law by which we had authorized the
President to make the improvided bargain.
And treateth of it politically thus:
have said that the bill has also political
aspect. 1t proposes to bring into the United
States foreign country, seven hundred miles
long, and seventy miles wide, containing one
million five hundred thousand human beings,
subjects of government, occupying practically
every foot upon its sidewalks in its cities, and
every acre of mountain and plain and valley in
rural districts of that Island-a population diff
ferent entirely from the citizens of the United
States different in language, different in hab-
its, different in manners, different in customs,
and radically different in religion q popula-
ton that will practically, forever hold the pow.
er to exclude all American immigration, AZ