, 1859-08-19
Drea8 Gribtttte.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 1859.


FRIDAY, AUGUST 1s, 1853.
sC1sT1TUTE ron THE PURCHASE
We arc pleased to learn that our views upon
reciprocal trnde with Cuba, meet with the up.
rroval Of the reading and thinking public gen.
orally. There can be no doubt that this il tho
only practicable and peaceful solution Of the
Cuban question that has yet been suggested;
aad It Is not to be wondered at Tint practical,
rcasc:loying men readily accept it as such.
Annexation, evcu were there no insurmonnta-
bio Obstacles in tic way Of it, would bo far
from desirable. This Coufedcracy must be
Anglo-Saxon or failure. It must maintain
its homosencity Of population, its old 1ovo for
trial By jury aud for ha1tas corpus it's liberal
ideas, and its Protestant spirit, if it would
ayoid the fate Of tho Spanish American Repub-
1ics. We could not get Cuba il we wanted her.
nor should we want i.cr if her accession were
possible. Grant that we must have her sugar
and molasses. her coffee and her tropical fruits:
would it not be infinitely cheaper to buy these
commodities with the products Of our soil and
with our manufactures, l'ayins neither inpor:
nor export duties: than first to pay two luud-
red mil1ous If dollars for the Island, and then
buy the commodities on no better terms. Con-
silercd in the light Of commercial question
merely, the argument il no less overwhelming
in favor Of reciprocity and against purchase,
than that by which the former policy is sus~
taincd on political grounds.
The advocates Of annexation profess to be-
lieve that the possession Of Cuba is necessary
to the security Of the GulfSta,cs in case ofwar
with maritime nation. THIS argument is
the main rclinnce in making out their case,
But it is shown to 1,c ralucless by the hct that
will mu::h smaller expenditure Of money
than would purchase Cuba we can secure al
the advantages, in a military point Of view,
which its possession would confer, besides
many others Of a commercial character that the
ownership Of Cuba could not possibly give
These advantages are to 10 Obtained by the
aula Of Florida Recent surveys hare been
made Of the route Of such canal, By a COM
petent engineer; under order Of the govern
ment, and the report not only shows it to be
eminsnuy practicable, but that its cost will not
exceed ten millions Of dollars This is but the
twentieth part Of the estimated cost Of Cuba,
supposing TINT Spain would consent 10 sell it
at any price. AS an alternative for annexa-
ton. 1t commends itself strongly on The ground
Of economy; while itplaces the key t. the Gulf
in our possession; shortens the route from New
York to New Orleans, the mouth Of the Rio
Grande aud Tehuantepec, BY at laastfive lun~
drcd miles besides wholly avoiding tie dan
gerouH.navigation Of tile Florida Keys, 80 fatal
to our commerce. If it is necessary to cxpend
money to give us control Of the key to the
Gull, let it be used for the construction Of this
canal, which can be made at 50 small cost:
rather than spend it in unlimited quantities for
the purchase or conquest Of Cuba.
No question Of commercial policy llas been
presented to the American people for long
while, that can combine so many interests in
it, support, as this one Of reciprocal trade with
Cuba. Ali the States on tho Atlantic scaboard
have Il direct interest in il, for the reason that
it would augment their commerce and greatly
increase their carrying trade. Not a
port or city, from Portland to the
mouth Of the Rio Graude, but would feel
the impulse Of III increased Commerce. Tie
great grain and 'Incat-lrcducing regions Of tho
Vest have a still larger interest iu tho meas
urc; for it would open new market for their
products: that would establish at once per-
1naueht advance in each Of their great staples
The states bordering the Ohio and Mississippi
Rivers are cqua2lly. Interested for these streams
would become tile. great highway for a large
portion Of the trade that would spring up be-
tween the States and Cul,a. The whole
country has general interest, in addition to
chose which arc special and local, by
zeasonpf the facr flat reciprocity with Cuba
would stop lie drain Of from fifteen to twenty
millions of spetAn iittA th!t1 now goes annually 10
pay our tali,nccs with that Island. We know
not how a policy could he more strongly for,i-
fed 1,y solid, unausweralle argument Let us
hnro reciprocity If trade with Cuba, put Ftol,
To fllhbuster;nE. anil 1,'.'ee a quietns upon thu
miserable ragahonls wiio arc constantly try
ing to brinG,t!lc couutzy into trouble.