The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-01-26
SPEECH OF HON. $, 8. COX,

ouio, ti $50 e.. 49, .s.....
On EgnaaR Eqxnsor Ds'ousa DE House n Rspr~asu-
'lah WV hea, January Is, 1859.
The House being in Committee Of the Whole on the
state oi tho Union, Ma cox ssid-li il4 et'towt fh
Mn Can1nzass would not have sought the 400,
ahcn did, had not been expecting daily teegraphio
despatch which would have called home aud perhaus
untitled for saying what wished in relation 10 the
questions Of foreign nsrc connected with our terrific
rial expansion ~, i,..lt fsJ slt &, 81
Tborv is logic in history which is as inexou,bIe az
fate writer IN the time of the rst Stuart gave as the
number Of the kingdoms OF Christendom twenty
But there no mention of three Of the principal ma
ions Russia Austria and Prussia Ia their present CON
tiOn OF twelve other nations out of the twenty
now enumerated in Europe OF the thirty petty SOW
ereigntes now extant In Germany. Within two ccntl-
e the transatlantic continent has changed its territory
and rulers beyond all the caprces of fancy yet by law
fixed that which returns the seasons or rolls the
stars
The disquctng aspect of cisatlanc politics signifies
the consulSatioa of territorial changes ON this cont-
nent orgprediced long delayed, but certain as the
logic of history! t' W'
Some of these changes in Europe have been through
decay dissolution aud disintegratica Spain was once
the Peru and Mexico OF the Old World The ancestors
Of the Hdago easlaved In the mines of Spain by
Rome aud Carthage, But now Leon Aragon, Cesslle
Navarro, Toledo, Galica and Granada, oAce separate
kngdons have loSt their isoatvd glory and are only
known the props OF the wos eaten throne OF Spain
The stronger Of Europe have consolidated their
power by excadiag its sphere and absorbing the weaker
neighboriag nations. England, Ireland and Scotland
by nion have tansplanted their colonies and multiplied
their strength and Russia has casped the half of Eu
rope and Asia in its strong embrace until fro che fur
tbest West We perceive the conflict of their civilization
in the funthest East " y, stsR a glsft 3sFa sts
These but illustrations of law from which Amer
lea is not exempt. Not surely will northern Afri-
Ca and indeed the countries whose boundaries are coin
dcnt with the Mediterranean become French western
and northern Asia become Russian aud southern and CEN
tra Asia become English, than this continent become
.1.r~, L n.
than congressional enactment. III we do not work with
it. It will work IN spite Of us This law may be expressed
thus: 2 0.aiffl +''4' ~
Tha tas seker and dsoraaed nations Be absorbed 5y
he arVpJ and orgdnizcd nation Nadosahei Of inferior
grade Surrender Of superior cpiao and ,oly
Whether the of this continent be in tribal con-
don, are Indians ia scmi-cyilised and anachc
condition. as are the Central and South American aud
Mexican they must obey this law of political gray
taou. This law drives them to the greater and more
ilsuous State for protection happiness end advance
ment Whether. the United States go and take them,
or they come and ask to be taken matter. They
must whirl in throw off their nebulous and uncertain
fn and become crystalized into the higher forms of
ciyjmtion.a ~ Aa'aNs e1t' ti# ~
The largest expression of this law Of annexation is
That nation has the right hold SOIL virgin and rch
yet unproducing nation has right to hold great
thmean highways, strong defences this continent
without the desire, will, power to them They
ought and must, inure to the advancement of
tacrce They must become conscate to the DEGREES Of
Providence! ~attgss 3.aa. ses
In carrying out these designs, we have from time to
time, added territory from France, Spain, and Mexico
We have endevored to add other territory which the
jealousy OF France Spain and especially of England has
prevented. 1t is not my purpose 10 rehearse
history in this regard We may have kept step with
interests and destiny but at this uncure standing
on the threshold of this year, only marking
time, not moving forward. 1t is well to inquire whether
there is not upon us the assembled expression
this nation peculiar duty with respect to this element
Of our progress My Judgment s that we to-day der
elicit We are not to the enterprise of the nation If
we consider just the elements of people, martial
mechanical intellectual agricultural and political, who
will doubt but that there dozen locomotive repub
lies already fred up and ready for movement,
The Executive has done his duty He has boldly fol-
lowed out his Ostcnd ideas. He has urged upon a
duty, which, being undonc, leaves him pvwerless and
leaves the national enthusiasm and expansion prey to
adventurous raids and seditios propagandists Had the
hirtyou Congress aided President Pierce in the
Black Warrior matter should have representa-
tives from Cuba on this floor gi iHtH EHl &
The President has called attention TO the territory
upon our south. Not Now Granada she viii come in
time. Not Venezuela she is yet more vital than
New Granada bnt the country north of these and lying
between them and us, must be absorbed For this alb
sorpton must contend not so much with the people,
whose interests will be enhanced by the absorption, but
with Spain, France, and England who have interests
comparable with These interests and antago-
nisms propose to consider in this order First, Cuba
second Central America third, Mexico.
As to Cuba, the for its acquisition well
and ably presented them Its geographical position gives
to the nation which holds it, unless that nation be very
weak, coign of vantage to which selfprcservaton
orbids to be Indifferent Our Mississippi foreign and
coaswse trade $3.50 600 900, and in five years to
be $500 900 000 within its compass While the island
Is of little to Spain, of revenue, it is
to of ncacuabc advantage. The nature of the colo
nial Office in Cubaits power to harm remedessly,
unless go to Madrid for remedy; and the final stop
ping Of the slave trade, we'll urged by the
President. Our unsettled claims. and the many other
dcutics growing ont OF relations to Spain, demand
settlement but receive none
How long shall we continue in this condition? Du-
ring the pleasure of SPAIN Is there no redress Is
our every attempt to be construed into usurpaon
What mpedimeats have to meet There is one
which has, since MIR. Adams's time proved nsurmount-
able-Spansh pride. 1t Is well said by old poet,
that
"a Spnin gives u pride, which spain o a the
May Freely give, nor fear herself desrth.'
Since then there has been curailent of that pride
True Spain has little to be proud of but her reco
econs. Poor sensitive corrupt she holds to the pune
tio Of dignity without its substantial energy. If Spain
viii not sell Cuba to u.s. because she feels that she will
thereby sell her honor, must insist her changing
its policy She should keep the island aoof from French
Intervention She should preserve its independence.
Above ALL Spain should abolish her present Infamous
tariff Her export tariff il an anomaly IN commerce
and her tariff on imports is still more baaric Her c1-
port duty which Is direct on the producer OF ner
and tobacco does much affect MS as the tax
which she loads on our four pork beef and lard We
have tried In vain by diplomacy to noosen these shack
les Nothing but the sword can cut them off |lf
Up tn 1909 Spain imposed restrictions on Cuba by
which trade Mt all allowed witt, any foreign ma.
ton. After this aud on the revival of the spanish mor
chant marine The diereoal duty on goods imported in
foreign 5ops enacted. ID Intended 10 crush out