Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1859-02-25

All the interest which it may have, all the
gold which it might heap together, would
not be enough to procure from Spanish dig
nifty the sacrifice of this glorious remnant of
the precious discoveries, the surprising and
magnificent conquests which our ancestors
made throughout the world.
"Thc President of the United States makes
a singular declaration
"This course we shall ever pursue, unless
circumstances should occur, whc we do not
now anticipate, rendering departure from
it clearly justifable, under the imperative
and overruing law of self preservation
"No, gentlemen, the memorable and ON
nipotcnt law of sclfpreservation of an indl-
vidual as of people has never demanded
the violation OF the sterner principles OF mo-
rails and Of justice. The violation of these
principles would be source of alarm and
perturbation to all the civilized nations.
do not fear that there is any Government
who will infringe them.
But you know, gentlemen, that when per-
lis of this kind come, when questions of this
nature arise, it is always important to an
individual and nation to have right and
justice on their side. The Spanish nation
will provoke no struggle, bnt it will fight it
through if it is drawn into one. 1t will al
ways cndcavDr t. have right ON its side, be-
| judges by that, aud God gives the victory to
HIM who fights braycly in defence of justice.
1t the President wisSd to renew negotia-
tion with Spain, he had til, unl1ubted right
to do 50 without the intervention of Congress.
| cannot believe. sir, that the President seeks
this appropriation to further any honorable
! negotiation. or that he thinks the money
will he needed for any such purpose. There
seems tn to have been II design upon the part
| Of the President 10 thrust the question upon
Congress and the country in the most ohjec-
tionablc form in which it could he put
| think he holcd h the magnitude and iu-
vrlty "i thi' Proposition, t. dir.r' rublic 1T
tcntlun FROM the imbccility nd pro!lisacy
this sinking and doomed Administration.
If the President hittercd himself with any
such hope, he will soon find that the people
will only regard it as II new evidence of his
incompctcncy. and that he looks moro t,
Capitalization of power in the Executive than
to the preservation of the rights OF She Repre-
| sentaiycs of the people.
| The objection with me to the acquisition
of Cuba, which is paramount to all others,
is the character Of its people. The poTMh-
ton Of Cuba, rs shown by the census of 1880.
was 900 900. and was composed ot-whites
sol ,9SS free clDrti I76. OH Slaves $50 ,425
| Among tn isc cltsscd Is whites were 90 900
| Splniir.s. 10000 Canary Islanders, 5000
| French. Loco English, and 1900 North
| Americans and other people 1t will be seen
| by the ab,vH classification, that nearly all of
! the white pop" tirn are foreigners, who
| have been cdr To hate republican inGti-
| tutions, r. can laws. and republican
mariners. power and strength u
State is red more by the intelligence of
| its pru ,ad their attachment to its nsti-
-. 4. Iln, al g
| Cub. 4gc wholly unfit share in the bane-
fit. Of our Government, or to participate in
| it, administration and the introduction of
such d population must weaken instead Of
adding strength to the Republic.
object, Mr.. Chairman, to tn acquisition
oi Cubl. because it will make this Govern
m,nt responsible for the disposition of the
| slavery question there. Gentlemen upOn
the other side Of the House seem to take it
for granted that WHEN Cuba is admitted. she
will come as II slave state, and with u slave
Representative. Ii these gentlemen will re-
| fleet Tor Il moment upon the political history
Of the country for the past few years. they
Will sec that no such result can follow.
| There is to-day large majority OF the pen
| pic Of this country who are solemny pied sed
Il resist, by all constitutional means, the
! furthc. extension Of slavery. and they will
never consent that new slave States snail be
formed nnt IF f,re;c, Territory IN he nnrch.
oscd with tho common treasure If tho coun.
Try And tnos.,yh, th;nl. that tho ,cou;s;
| ton Of Cuba will add t" t.In poitca! strength
of the South, are lahoriog under a great de-
msi,n
.,,.. t..., ,....ol NJ ,h.;r ,Lo.
liberal Offer for Cuba will furnish sort Ut
justification for its tprcblr seizure in crr-
..'.' ' ,.,;t,' ~
""! ~" W. ,,'''S n'''.' w., ' W..
'''.'l w., 5 go, III;
So !" op't'".''S Guy niu'' o'.,
S''''"9 ''' W. 80: .o
VI s'"'h' II, '"G l"'Son. 'o"u'''." u the
=; ire'Su.A y, n".r '''''''y enou2n Nv"
!, W. VIII p"e i"'ii% ~. L.ud T re.vloIe
us ieso"ioc' P'''',s'' va, vN''''"9'V" iioasuiy
anu W.. ,''''r va Wv i"0o',o''
WHY" 'Ni',V '"' l,olio' '''"c' ''u'. ~ w.
"",' new cir'nt'''- ~ "'r' I:...:.' ,
% - ,"'' '','i' I'.;,ad ..,,a. ,l,,,
',,lI t,'., If thn
INV ''' III; a",,,i,,,t W.
ha, ''''. l,o,,d r.'.,s r, h l;evo that sr,b ~,
ntto,,,,. 7n,,,ld H., s,o,..srI nc wa nov, f,r
believing that We can succeed with spain ;
and. as lar as danger to "''r prosperity anu
peace IS concerned, II u Inuch greater from
the british than the spanish possessions on
tins continent. y" ocetn intervenes between
our possessions ana thoSr "l treat britain
lhcy are divided only by an imaginary line
extending across the continent by the ac,
qulS'ii N oi the BRUSH possessions, we should
acquire Il rich and productive country and,
what IS more important, we should bring
into the | nion AN Intelligent and freq people,
and country where tie laws ol climate and
taewill of the people have settled the ques-
ton of human slavery forever. Mr. Char
man, have II" expectation that the views OF
the President are 10 receive an ENDORSEMENT
by this House.
But his purpose is answered in bringing