The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-01-28
The (uba Question In the House-Shnll Isol,-
tcai Trtcksters Obstxuct Our National


hcai Trtcksters Obstxuct Our National
Progress!
The question Of the acquisition of Cuba, now
before both houses of Congress- is the great
question OF the day in every circle-politica,
financial, commercial and agricultural because
is solution, either favorably or adversely, direct
y affects every interest in the country.
We give today the report Of MIR. Branch, from
| The c, mmittee on Foreign Affairs, to the House
of Representatives. on the subject, and his bill to
give to the President thirty millions of dollars
with authority to open negotiations with Spain
for the cession of the island to u.s. Mr. Brauch's
report is an able review of the question in its
material and practical form, making compile
ment, as il were, to Mr. Slidell's excellent argu-
ment OF the political and ethical phase of the
subject. After reviewing in a concise manner
the steps on our part which led to the acquisi-
ton of Florida, Mr.. Branch takes up, one after
another, the relations which Cuba now bears to
our agricultural, manufacturing and ship
ping interests, showing from official sources
their present connection with our trade aud
tn numerous obstacles of political and eco
nomical character which now obstruct its de-
velopement. They can only be wholly and con-
clusively swept away by Cuba becoming a
member of the Union. For the attainment of
this point Mr.. Branch goes to work in ptacti-
cal way, on the path pointed out by Mr.. Bu-
chanan in his last annual message
The question is now fairly and squarely before
Congress, and upon that body rests the vast re-
sponsibility of giving to it such life and action
as become question vital to the interests of
mighty people. We believe that there is large
portion of the members of both houses who fully
comprehend the greatness of the issue, and who
will meet it, in all places and at all times, in
way that will merit and receive the hearty ap-
proval of the whole country But there is set
of miserable low, dirty, pettyfogging politicians
in each of the great parties that divide Congress,
who will neither look at the issue like men nor
meet it as becomes the representatives of free
and American constituency. They have come
into an ephemeral public life on the foolish quar-
rel of the niger question, and they wish to
bring that question into every issue that is pre-
sented to the people. Having no higher ground
to claim continuance in their present posts
than the fact that they are fanatics for slavery,
or fanatics for abolition, they ready to forego
for awhile their bitter hostility to each other,
and to strike hands in friendship for the purpose
of keeping life in the niger.
In order to cover up their schemes with thin
pretence to virtue, they feign that it is the man
and not the measure they mistrust. Measuring
the sagacious and far seeing views of the Presi-
dent by their own petty, selfish and shortsighted
purposes, they cry out that it is dangerous to
trust the President with so large sum, forget
ting that its expenditure is strictly guarded and
limited by the law; that there is no precedent
for comforting so great trust upon the execu-
tive-forgetting some of the most brilliant pages
of our country's annals; that the time is not op-
perfume for the step-forgetting that their view,
bounded by the limits of the county of Bun
combe, would never let them know whether the
| opportunity was at hand or not; that it is deep
and devilish design to secure a denomination
forgetting the pledges of statesman filled with
honors, and who has had enough of setting and
keeping the country right after the disasters
caused by their miserable quarrels; that it is
partisan scheme for party aggrandizement-
getting that every fibre of the body polite and
the common veal thrusts out its flaments to-
wards the island of Cuba.
But the question is national one in the
| highest sense, as these petty bungers in poll
tics will find out to their sorrow before its dis
| cussion by the people of this country is closed
by the admission of Cuba into the Union. and
we have entered upon the great era of material
development and prosperity which its coming
in will inaugurate. And not only is it national
question, that will be appreciated by the Ame-
rican people, but it is an international question
of the highest character and moment. It is
mighty step in the path of our national destiny.
The fact that we do not fear to contemplate it
will give us higher position and greater
moral influence among the nations of the earth
than have hitherto been accorded to us. The
Presidents message caused great commotion
in Europe, because he did not hesitate in it
to call upon Congress to take the giant
stride that lay before us but when Europe
| learns that the statesmen in the American
Congress have not hesitated to take up the labor
which Mr.. Buchanan told them was theirs to
perform, her slavish press and selfish kingcraft
will howl in their despair at the daring of free
people. Before the discussion which Congress has
yet to 60 through is finished, the echo will come
back from Europe, and the grandeur Of the policy
uggested will be known by the dismay it spreads
among the minions of despotism. But when
Europe shall see that we dare TO take the step
that lies before us, and to which our national
advance, the interests of ourselves and of the
whole civilized world, and the increase Of
wealth and consequent Development of human
knowledge, are impeling us, then will her
statesmen and her princes turn to us with
smiles, and hah our progress and success in the
mighty scheme Of world development.
Should these miserable tricksters in politics.