New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1859-10-06
THE Co,rmrncE OF CUBA.

mobilization before as illustrates and enorces IN
m strongest manner one Of the reasons Why CUBA
ahoul " attached to the great national division OF
the elobe 70 which she naturally belongs, as lying IN
he ye.y watess which pertain to ito the United
atatss. va have before us aThe Mercantile Weekly
Rspcrtn II Saturday, the 21th Of September which
pubshes the list Of vessels in the port Of Havana.
va ud that Of the one hundred and eighteen vessels
wing il the port Of Havana at that date but twenty
were American merchant vessels all the Others save
aevsn, being Spanish.
What sort Of neghbor to have is this, which lies
right under the very shadow Of our own coast, and
yet practices system Of policy SO narrow aud nn.
friendly that We are not only utterly excluded from
~ commercial benefit, but are forced to come down
with ten millions or more to settle up the annual
balance which trade makes against us because Spain.
refuses to entertain any relations Of decent rec
procity, but greedily monopolizes all the benefit
accruing from the oppressed and retarded commerce
and industry Of the island? It is certainly very pro-
vokng for the United States to play the part of Tan
talus in this relation having the rich trade of Cuba
right under our very nose and being debarred from
touching it, save on the extortionate terms to which
such privilege Is allowed u.s. and which, ruinous as
they are, compelled by our necessities to sub
NIT to-having, beside, to submit to the impudence
and annoyance with which il Is professional with
Spanish officials and characteristic Of Spanish gov
ernmental authority, to enforce their unreasonable
statutes.
& Though primarily we of the United States consult
our own rights and interests in viewing this matter
there are the strongest Of considerations which mod
ify those Of selfish nature, and elevate the motive
which aims at the freeing Of Cuba from the yoke Of
Spain to cosmopolitan platform in which all the
well-wishers Of human advancement and world-pro.
gress may shake hands The resources Of this exen.
awe and most fertile island are gigantic but they
attain any due development while the country isN
crushed and oppressed by the iron hand of Spanish
domination. Her industrial and commercial interests
are painfully and hopeesy shackled by the system Of
rule which Is dictated by the home government and
Cuba is yearly squeezed as dry one of her oranges
by the overrulng power which preys upon her re-
sources. The principle upon which the government
OF Cuba is conducted is ingeniously contrived for
getting as much possible out Of her. and it sue
ceeds most admirably filing the Golfers Of govern.
ment and exhausting those of her citizens. They
have to exchange their produce for Spanish merchan
disc at any rates which may be allowed to them and
no expedent is unimproved by which few more
pesos may be squeezed out of them. As part and
parcel Of the United States Cuba would g come out
ia manner which would astonish even those who
have the most exaggerated ideas Of her productive
availabilities and commanding commercial powers.
Az it 10 abe struggles like feftcred giant against the
chains which confne her expansive force, and abun-
dainty shows what she could do, and to what position
she would rise If she were only permitted to use her
own resources to their fullest extent. But there is
good time coming for Cuba, though it may be many
years coming