The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-01-25


Ar4rSfrioS % sRN.
Mr. SLGDEI4 hom tie Committee ca F9feign Reia
tions 10 Nhich Was feferrri the liB making aPEll ~
tia to aeafe the acquisition 0f the island q Cga y
negotiation reported back the without amendment
anS recommended its passage
IAormpanyiug tie bA i q very elaborate report,
going into history of the several saity,nen q iis
country who had advocated the measure flo1n time %
time and qnotng the correspondence q MI 1efiefse1
with Mr. Madison and Af Monroe aud also the ofAih
enFresponderoe 81 John Adams, Messs Clay, bachaf
an, Everett, aud Marcy.
The report says ID Is not considered necessafs q ea-
aha b the United States To DO 70 would be as mach
work u supeEerosassu to demonstrate an cleaAea-
~ problem in mathematics one Of thos- sxons q
ethics ia philosophy which hare crn universally FeceFed
or ages The ultimate acquisition a Cnba rnay be %
ssifred fixed purpose d the Vnitsd states pnE-
pose rcsnlting fFOIp geographical neesst'ss which have
hea reeeGaised ~ sll nalils md ~ aininssfstiff-
and - reara e Which the panaar seoe l7s heei. ~
Pressed with un&umity aFPsstl Ia any question
q public policy that has heFeofsre engaged the pnlle
mind
Tie purchase ail annexaii5n of Louisiana lei,
necessary corDIlsry 10 that of Florida and both point
with neyring certainty 10 tic acquisition g Cuha ana
al ngTee that sc result not only desirable bat IN
evitbie and that the only difference Of oaaon = q g
the time, mode, and conditions a obtaining r.
That spain cannot long retain her gTaspoa thai liad
and that there are bpt three possible alternatives IN tle
future ID Cuba First possession ly 81 the great
European powers which haa already declared 20 pc
Incompatible with safety and had also announced 70
the world that any attempt Of the kInd Noud be re-
sisted by all the within power that when We
made the aiunciaton weak and feeble knowing
that the struggle would be fearful aud unequai but were
prepared make il 81 whatever haEard Second, thr
Independence 81 the island which could only Be main
tanned nominallg ia Icality-but yoald lnerta-
bly, fall under pToectoIaic, open or disguised ~
under bWn. annexation would follow as certainly a.
the shadow follows the sRstance TnTd and llst Is an
nexation the United States and when and how Is
that b he effected By conquest negotiation Con
quest without the hostile interference OF any other
European power than Spain wonld be expensive bat
with such interference Wond Involve the whole civilized
world in war, entail upon interruption OF our or
eign trade and expenditure Ear exceeding any sum
contemplated be offered for the purchase Of Gu
la and would end ia seryile insuTrection and injury
Of the island Purchase then by negotiation seems
the only practicable course, and that cannof e at
tempted with any reasonable hope Of snoctss unless
the President is furnished with the means suggested 70
his last annual message.
With regard to what las been said about indrlicaey
Of the proposition and woundng Spanish Pride il rs
erts that desire 10 purchase has been known % the
world for years, and simply SAY 70 Spain, You have
distant possession held hy very pfccaEi0ts teiihfe
which is almost indispensable for the protection q our
commerce, and which may fiom its peculiar seogFaph
cal position, character Of population the mode IN wIch
4 it is governed Lead at any time to rnpturs, WHICH
both nations would depneate This possession docs not
yield a revenue, average for seven years, 70 a
hUndredth part Of the price oer lrnei yoa lia' g
rejeeted it, but circumstances daily changing ana
Shoud zar break nuf IN Europe, spain can seArcely
escape being involved III il, and the people of CHea
seize that opportunity % procuring theiE independcnee
Sc
+ Mr.. MASON a. a raeiuler of the committee from
whom that report emanatt feat il 10 be due 20 himself
10 say few words this ooasion. III did nut fiiow
that all who cOncurred In report concnrred IN all the
therein assigned The report states that Il 4 the
policy Of this country by successive acccssons "a terri
enlarge its boundaries He could not agree that
such the policy OF this government and. If that
the cnly f5T acquiring Cuba, he should be
Of the very last to agree 10 IT, he admitted that
there might be political necessity desolsag upon this
country become the Of Caha; but in announcing
that opinion he az the time expressed has regret
THAI there should Be such Necessity Cuba mast mia.
uatey BE- part 81 the UHited States Of AmeTica q
that lac did not entertain doubt Ii nst bC that snch
necessity exists 10 that lac would reserve his
opinion but lie agreed cherfully toreporting thu bill
becssc the President Of the United States who has the
constitutional right to give Information to congres Of
the state of relations With other nauiss gias in
formed Congress ia his annual message thar he deems il
useless TO any negotiations for the purchase OF
Cuba unless the power given TO him, should the
tngccy require it to meet portion Of the expenditure
in advance
Mr. SEWARD tin behalf cf Iiuself and Mr. Feor who
were members OF the COMMITTEES Foreign Relations
said that they ssented from the report Of the majority
of the COMMITTEES, and desired to submit bill imldying
their views q substitute fox the bill Just reported
Tbc bill entitled z hilI concerning the relasions be-
tween the United States anil Spain then read for
ted States at the beginning Of The next anBra session 81
Congress shall communicate to the Senate II In bis olin-
ion II M not incompatible with the p1ic interest the
relations which shall then lie sRsisting lctwcon the
United States and Spain, and anv negotiations which
shall then e pening for the eesien ef Ca1 TO The Uni
ted States and such statements IF the condition OF the
tcasHry and also Of the effective condition OF tic army
and navy Of the Uitel States may enable Cunses t.
indge whether That time Il will Ia necessary % adopt
any extraordinary TO maintain the rights and
promote the interests of the United States connected with
growing out of their relations Spain. The second
sectin provides that tle President II in his discretion be
shall deem Il necessary in view of negotiations with her
Catholic Majesty which shall be pending during the next
recess oG Congress may either the Senate Con-
gress in extraordinary session hy proclamation
Mr.. s. made remarks imbodyinE his objections
to tire original bl and aiTocatcd the substitute which
be submitted lie could not the east earthly pros
pect Of acquiring Cuba BY the passage q this bill and
therefore the question whether Cuba desirable
not not az all Ia debate. Mr.. s read extracts from
the recent proceedings of the Spanish legislature, show
ing that they regard tie Presidents ian9uagc in refer
this subject in his recent message insult 70
I Spain and the question was whether Congress
should authorize the President TO repeat this ndiguiiy
whether Congress should the responsibility of
such proposition, knowing in what gut Spain regards
IT. This scheme seemed 70 him be empty and inprc-
tcbIe and II not ior the respect which
the President and the committee who had recommended
it. he should almost pronounce it Tidiculons Before
surrendcring his constitutional preroaive to the ge-
dent be wanted 70 know what TO be the p0iiticsl
ss Of the present population Of Cuba when should
i be annexedRhat TO become oi its white p0pula-
ton what II its free colcred population and what its
slave population was il 70 be a Iegrito7y OK State
and in what should il be represented Ia Con
gress He ooad not consent 10 place large of
IL Il