Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1859-03-12
SPEECH OF SENATOR THOMPSON
OF KENTUCKY,
ON THE ACQUISITION OF CUBA.


Mr.. THOMPSON (Ky.)-Mr. President, it is
annoying to me that, after having been on
good terms with all my brother Senators, I
have had much difficulty in getting the floor
to say what little have to say on this subject,
just as l am going out. Iwill not say that it
is impolite or unfeeling, but it is certainly
very annoying. desire to say something on
this bill, which proposes to make an appropri-
alton ito facilitate the acquisition of Cuba by
negotiation" SO FAR as my strength and voice
may hold out -------
In the first place object to the title of the
bill. 1t imports that we are to acquire Cuba
by negotiation, and that we simply want some
facilities for that purpose, which, in mercan-
tile phrase, means money. Here it means
$50, OOO, 900. viii not vote to commit N.Y.
self to Eanything of that sort; and, besides,
before get through, hope to show to any
reasonable man that the whole scheme is i'll
timed, improper and uncalled for.
The zeal and ability with which the Sena-
tors from Louisiana press the acquisition of
Cuba have struck me with some surprise. It
seems to me that if Cuba were acquired, the
whole sugar interests of Louisiana, which is
now protected by tariff, would be prostrated.
The lands of Louisiana are too far south to be
very well convertible into cotton lands. The
loss Of machinery, the loss of time, the igno-
rance of the hands, would be equivalent to
fire on each plantation. Not only that, but
there would 60 out from Louisiana to Cuba,
for the purpose of getting lands there, the &C.
tive, the enterpristng capitalists, the men of
value, and the men of substance. Many of
the sugar planters, and the best of them,
would emigrate; the drones, the idlefs, and
the triders, would stay at home We see this
exemplified in the case of every new State.
You find there an active enterprising, thrifty,
propulation, more so than you see in an old
State, because the active, the enterprising, the
intelligent, the men bent on making fortune
have gone there. Kentucky has been bled in
that way by Missouri, by Louisiana, by ILL
nois, and by Indiana, until will not say that
it has such sorry population that it lately
turned to be Democratic State for I be-
ieve we could still have held our own if it had
not been for this everlasting niger question
and the American question
Well, sir, what will be the second effect up
on Louisiana? Wherever in the world COM
merce prevails, its entrepots are the points of
transhipment-the termina of great lines -
they are the places where commodities are ex-
changed, and there cities grow up. Now, sup
pose the city of Havana should grow up un-
der the American protection it will be some
six or eight or ten days shorter for foreign YES
sells to load with cotton than go to New Or
leans; and cotton will be transported there
from the Mississippi Valley, passing;by New
Orleans Cotton will land at the last termi-
nus land in good harbor and it is plea
santer place than New Orleans, and no more
liable to yellow fever. say, then, this is
bill to break up the sugar-planting interest of
Louisiana, and to dwarf the City of New Or
leans. Why, Mr.. President, that little city of
Lexington of yours, in Kentucky, was very
nice, pretty, growing town until it had
couple of railroads run through it, and now
nobody goes there at all; people do not even
dine there. Laughter Two roads have
run through it-one going to Cincinnati, and
one going to Louisville; and all the people 20
to the one city or the other where they have .
larger stock of goods to pick from, and be-
cause they like little pleasant travel, and Ia
dies like to take an airing anyhow, and see an
other city. There is neither trade nor COM
merce, nor eating nor anything, done there.
Why, sir, the jimson weeds are all over the
streets, and the town absolutely looks seedy.
Laughter. That is the effect of going through
one of these places and giving them thing of
that sort. just before that, the little town of
Danville, when I was q boy, as matter of
great enterprise, constructed, and nearly broke
themselves in constructing turnpike road to
the city Of Lexington and . fine turnpike
road it was. At that time they had thirty
three stores and good deal of trading there;
but when the turnpike road was made, every
body went to Lexington, and Danville is now
perfectly finished town. There is grocery
and, perhaps, one or two stores and a sort of
tavern-just symptoms of a town having been
there. Whenever you translate the terminus
the entrepot of transhipment-you will find
that New Orleans, as place of business, will
shrivel up and shrink in the same way. That
is my judgement.
Without regard to the fact that Spain says
she will not trade, the bill is an enormous pro-
position upon it's face. We gave $15, ZOO, 900
to the Emperor Napoleon for Louisiana, q vast
territory, reaching from the mouth to the
source of the Mississippi river, embracing the
present States of Louisiana, Arkansas, Mis-
souri,, Iowa, and Minnesota There was
perfect kingdom for $15, 100000. We got
vast domain of public land, of crown lands be.
longing to France, more than enough to paw
all their expenses of the purchase, and of their
survey, and leave US profit. That is trade
that man might well strain a point for. JET.
ferson was said to entertain some Constitu-
tional scruples about that acquisition but al
most any mans Constitutional scruples would
give way under the force of such trade as
that. Then we bought the whole southern
end of Florida, that vast peninsula, for $5,-
100000 1t would have been pretty good
purchase, if we had not been paying ever since.
will not say that we have paid more than
no toto 30 fovss 10 n ko<o
and will not speak disrespectfully of her; but
if it had not been for Osceola, and Sam Jones,
and Jumper, and the enormous price per CO.
pita that it has taken to catch, transport, or
kill the Indians there, that would have been q |
trade. But do not suppose now,
If Florida was put up at public auction and sold |
it would bring more than would indemnify us
for the expenses of the various Indian wars.
Now, sir, we come to the Island of Cuba, |
and what are we to get? We get the public |
Moro Castle, and the jails and |
the Court houses. We do not own the ne
groes; we do not buy the land for ourselves
but it is a trade simply for the sovereignty. |
w ell, what does that sovereignty amount to
1t amounts to this !: that you are to protect |
The people of Cuba; that you are to extend
over them the laws of the Union that you are |
W neeP ou pTateS tnat II tney eCntO ngnt
you are to help them. Of course we shall
have to build up their wharves; attend to their
public wants. The youngest child in the FAM
ly of course will be petted and how much
you are to expend to get her in proper trim,
he Lord only knows.
Two or three very vague notions have been
Introduced into this debate. Gentlemen have
alked about Americanizing Cuba. What
sort of Americsniz1tion will go on there? I
understand the Senator from Louisiana to ex,
press sympathy with Cubans, who, he said,
paSns Ge for rssr A hRnsn oo on
kentucky, will 60 there; they will say: "The1
Government has bought it, and, as against
Cuban, they will consider that it is pre-empt-
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