Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1859-03-04

oSA he houiu iafoE Odi atI uii4nS Couiipl
of the island either as a proteetorate OF
as an independent power but be likewise
held that the time has not yet come when
its possession was necessary either to oul
development or security.
We are not now in position to accept
Cuba, if Spain should offer it as a gift
We cannot accept it until we have built
up navy of sufficient strength to main
tain it. The first blow that would be
struck in war with naval power
would be to wrest it from US, and hold its
harbors as a means of annoyance against
us. The committee promise that the ac-
quisation of the island will give US the
monopoly of sugar is equally fallacious,
The increasing production throughout
the whole temperate zone.
Neither is it true, as the committee
say, that, when a nation ceases growth its
decadence commences. History does not
teach this doctrine Of expansion, nor is
there any parallelism between the growth
of nation and of individual man. Are
our internal affairs so perfectly organized
as to leave no range to our ambition p
Has ever the question of currency been
placed On-a satisfactory basis ? Is our
great internal domain reduced to such
narrow limits as to afford no scope to our
energies? Our territory is 10 greater
than the whole area of the Roman En-
pire. All this we are bound to protect
and defend. The accessible points of our
extended frontier would require hun
bred thousand men, with at least two hun
dred and fifty war steamers. The Chair
man of the Naval Committee says our
whole number of guns is 100. The
French Navy alone has $4,000 cannon
afoat, with 500 ships, of which one half
are war-steamers. We are not prepared
for such a war; and yet the President
announced, on a recent occasion, that our
policy henceforth is expansion.
Mr.. Kennedy of Maryland addressed
the Senate, arguing that the acquisition
Of Cuba is subversive to the best interests
of the South. Referring to the aspect
Of our domestic affairs, he consid-
cred that innovations had been engraft-
ed on the policy Of this government
which inevitably betokens its dissolution.
The doctrine of State rights did well
while we were a homogeneous people,
bound together by common troubles; but
| that day has passed-the unbounded
prosperity of this country, its fertile
lands, and increasing wealth has attract
ed to it people from every clime-there
Is no common interest to bind US togeth-
er. The Constitution and the Supreme
Court are derided and the Constitution
threatens to be but a rope of sand, una
bic to bind from having no power to
punish infractions of that Constitution.
He had been derided as an old FEEDER
alist, and the men who denounced him
had now on the table two bills more
dangerous in consolidating power in the
hands of one man than any that ever
emanated from the old Federal party
They had also a bill to give away the
public lands to the sweepings of Euro
pean lazaar-houses, to squat thereon, and
under an easy franchise to control this
government, before they had learned
word Of our language, or one idea to-
wards comprehension of our institu-
lions. Yet, while offering this extraor-
binary bonus to the disconnected spirits
of the old word, they refuse to vote for
and renounce the Old Soldiers BILL
How comes it, he asked, that there is
such diversity of opinion in the Demo
cratic party, marching under one banner,
and protesting common principls?
lie proceeded to ask how it is posi-
bic for Us to hold Cuba, with but ffv-
seven ships in our navy to protect the
fifty Cuban harbors. Our Paraguay
armada consists of canal boats, and side
wheel steamers. Have Senators reflect
ed on the baneful effect the acquisition of
Cuba would have on slave property :?
He remembered the opening of Alabama.
Virginia had scarcely yet recovered from
the effect of that exodus of her labor to
localities where slave labor would be
more remunerative. With the slave
trade stopped, Cuba would be a perpetu-
al drain, and would put planters into a
more unequal contest, by Withdrawing
the labor from the cotton fields into su-
gar production. 1t is estimated that five
hundred thousand slaves will be abstract
ed from the Southern States, and a thou
sand millions of capital, within FIVE years;
and, ii we drift into war with ENGLAND
ana rance, we will have to maintain a