Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1859-03-04
CON G r Els S.
A Night Session an the Senate. Spir-
tied Contest OCer the Cuba Bill.
WASHINGTON, Friday, Feb. %.
SENATE


SENATE
The Post Routes bill passed-30 to
%.
The Cuban bill was taken up.
Mr.. Wilson offered the following
amendment.
Whereas-Reciprocal commercial in
tercourse among nations promotes mutual
prosperity, and is the surest guaranty of
permanent prosperity; and
Whereas-It is not the policy of the
United States to despoil any nation fher
possessions, however rich or valuable, but
to cultivate with all nations the most
friendly and unrestricted commercial re-
lations; and
Whsreas-The unfriendly policy adop-
ted by Spain against the trade and COM
merce of the United States with the Is
land Of Cuba, forcing the adoption of a
similar policy of the United States to-
wards herself, impairs the benefits which
would otherwise result TO both nations
from the trade and commerce between the
United States and Cuba; and
WhereaS-A treaty negotiation for the
removal of all ilhberal and unjust restric-
tions upon trade and commercial inter-
course between this country and the Is
land Of Cuba, and every nation upon This
continent, is most desirable therefore
Be 1t Enacted, That the President
be authorized and requested to open ne
gotiations with Spain, and the nations
south Of us on the continent, for the re-
moyal of al unjust and illiberal restric-
tons on trade and commerce between
them and their dependencies and the
United States, and to defray the necessa-
ry expenses ofsuch negotiations, the sum
of $4,000 is hereby appropriated.
Mr.. Mallory proceeded with his re-
marks, commenced some days since. He
cited the policy of Jefferson, who said if
we are justified in going to war for the
acquisition of any territory, it would be
for Cuba. He reviewed the commercial
to be derived from the acqui-
sition, and conteEded that if Cuba were
annexed the slave trade would be COM
pletely destroyed. The trade was fos-
tered by the Captain General, as Mr..
Mallory showed by a minute and inter-
esting statement how it was carried on,
from the purchase of the slave ship to
the landing Of slaves under permits, at
three ounces per head. The Creole pop
ulation are, he said, opposed TO the trade.
Mr.. Mallory guarded himself from con-
Meeting the distracting subject of slavery
with the acquisition Of Cuba.
Mr.. Dixon of Conn. spoke for two
hours, replying to the points of Mr.. Ben
jamin's recent speech. Mr.. BENJAMIN
had urged, he said, that unless we acquire
Cuba, Spain will emancipate the negroes.
Mr.. Dixon reasoned that, if negro free
dom in Cuba would be injurious to the
United States, in Jamaica it must be
equally so-yet it is not used as an argu-
ment to buy Jamaica from great Britain.
MIR. Benjamin had reasoned that compul-
sorry labor was necessary to develop trop-
ical productions, but Mr.. Dixon thought
that the sugar for the world could be
grown by free labor; and, If it could not,
sugar was not sufficient equivalent for
the preparation ofslavery. In the course
of his remarks, Mr.. Dixon had occasion
to say that slavery degrades free labor.
Mr.. Reid controverted this opinion, and
SAID the doctrine was new in the South.
lie maintained that the white man was
not degraded by labor, although worked
at the bench or in the field side by side
with his slave.
Mr.. Dixon refused to admit the cor
RICHNESS Of this assertion as an exposi-
ton OF the general Southern feeling.
Mr.. Bell traced the rise of fIIibuster
spirit until it eliminated in the Ostsnd
and became reflected in This
Cuban bill. Both were in a form often
sive to Spain. No nation would be ant
to receive kindly an offer made to pur-
chase Its territory when accompanied by
studied murder Of its fallen fortunes
Ills (bel's) opinion was that the Ostend
manifesto and the present proposals were
framed on the perfect knowledge that en-
ia could not be acquired, and that they
were addressed TO what is supposed 10 be
the dominant traits in our nationa. char
acter' The committees report is skillful-
~ drawn up; it promises to extend the
trade and commerce ofthe North. the ne
cnliar industry of the South, and the ag-
riculture of the West. 1t is framed 10
habituate the country to the cry of war :
but We are making no preparations for