The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-02-24

trade, and insert 900. The latter sum was
for the maintenance Of our feet on the coast of
Africa, and $4,000 for the support and educa
ton of the negroes of the SLAYER Echo, recap
tured and sent back to Africa by Government.
He desired to strike out the latter branch OF
the appropriation altogether, believing not only
that there was no authority for it in the Con
stituton, but that, when properly understood,
it was not warranted by the dictates ofhumanity.
Mr.. Hunter said the appropriation was to
carry out existing laws. 1t was first to pay the
bounty to which the captors of the Echo were
entitled, and then to carry out the contract with
the Colonization Society by which Government
was bound to take care of the negroes for one
year. If the law is constitutional which prohib
its the African slave, trade it must follow that
the Constitution gave power to carry it out with
humanity.
The amendment was rejected by the follow
ing vote:
Reas-Messrs. Chestnut, Clay, Davis, Fitzpat-
rick, Hammond, Iverson, johnson of Arkansas,
Mason, Reid, Thompson of Kentucky, Toombs,
and Ward-l2.
Nays-Messrs. Allen, Bates, Bell, Benjamin,
Bigler, Bright, Broderick, Cameron, Chandler,
Clark, Crittenden, Dixon, Dooliule, Douglas,
Durkee, Fessenden, Fitch, Foot, Green Hale,
Hamln, Harlan, Houston, Hunter, Jones, King,
Mallory, Pearce, Polk Pugh, Rice, Seward,
Shields, Simmons, SlideD, Smith Trumbull,
Wade, Wilson, and Yulee-40
The bill was then laid aside by general con
sent.
The Cuban BU-The Senate then took up
the bill making appropriations to facilitate the
acquisition of the island of Cuba by negotiation.
Mr.. Thompson, of Kentucky, addressed the
Senate in opposition to the bill. He objected
to its very title. 1t intimated that the President
IL L. L r
of money. How was it to be applied? The whole
scheme was ill-timed and uncalled for. Cuba was
not well calculated for cotton lands, but it would
drain the adjacent States of the South of the
best portion Of their citizens. New Orleans
was now a great entrepOt place for transhiP-
ment, and the tendency of annexation would
be to build up Havana at the expense of New
Orleans, which would shrivel in proportion.
The President knew very well that Spain was
not willing to trade for Cuba, and what sort of
Christian humanity was it for the President,
having found the sore spot of Spanish pride to
take an ignited frebrand and keep constantly
"jabbing" at it. Poor Spain had no peace of
her life; if she had, perhaps she could be in
duced to trade. What was the use of buying
Cuba, when they would not own either the soil
or the negroes? They would get only the SOW
ereignty, which meant the expense of keeping
off pirates, and petting generally this youngest
child of the family. They could not divert emf
grafton to Cuba by any trick of legislation if
1t did not go there by the natural instinct of the
Anglo-SaXon race to hunt up the best lands, it
would not go at all. 1t would be no objection
with him, that the Cubans we're of the Roman
Catholic faith they might be good citizens for
all that; he founded his objection on totally
different grounds.
He regarded the proposition to annex Cana.
da as monstrous. When the time came that he
had to be overborne here by gentlemen from
Cuba, from Nova Scotia, and from Davis's
Straits, he hoped the Union would break in
two, justas the Atlantic cable did, simply because
twas too long. Cuba had got to be Americanizcd,
as the Louisiana purchase was, by the influx
of young and enterprising American citizens.
The Cubans might know very we'll from the
example of Louisiana, that very soon after an
nexation they would be rooted out-eaten up
as the blue rats are by the Norway rats. Cuba
was now said to be painting for liberty if an
neXed, the Cubans would be painting for life.
He opposed the Pacific railroad project, which
he considered, i'll connection with this Cuban
scheme, only part of the brag game for the
Presidency in 1860. 1t had been proposed that
the Americans should "see y the Admnistra-
TONS one Pacific railroad and go two better"
The true policy of this country was to build up
and consolidate our own internal interests
take care of what we have got, rather than seek
to get more. He was opposed to fostering and
promoting the ilibuster spirit of the country.
and had very poor opinion indeed of these
strutting penniless adventures known as fill
busters. He did not believe that either France
or England wanted would seek to obtain
possession of Cuba. The ambition Of the
French Emperor was turned in altogether diff
ferent directions. If England wanted Cuba in
his opinion she would take it in spite of us,
especially if she were backed by France When
we came to fighting England, it would be no
little Indian skirmish or Mexican running fight.
But the ambition of England and the prospect
ty of that Empire depended upon events ON the
other side of the world If Cuba were given to
us to-day, the vast fleets of England might take
it away from us, or starve us out. 1t would
prove a point of weakness rather than of
strength. He denied that it was in any sense
the key of the Gulf of Mexico No fortified
tons could be built which would block up the
passage into the Gulf on either side, nor strong
enough to defend the island against British
feet To say nothing about color, he thought
he had been to more respectable weddings than
1t would be when Uncle Sam takes Cuba for
better or for worse. We should find heavy
job on our hands This bill was calculated to
create a rupture between us and England and
France. This Government should take warn
ing by the respectable old Virginia gentleman
who was broke by paying taxes on too
much land. We had better pay the debts we
have already. We were saved in California by
the God-send of the gold discoveries, but in
buying Cuba there would be no chance for any
thing of that kind. There was no God-send
left there. He regarded the Ostend manifesto
as deluson, intended only to keep the Gulf
Toto in bnunor ho bod
led an inch this way since that manifesto and
never would if the Cubans understood how the
Americans would treat them. The result of an
nexation would be, that the Cubans would sell
out to our Southern planters, and leave the
island
He reviewed the provisions of the bill, point.
ing out its Objectionable features. 1t proposed
to send this thirty millions to the safe keeping
of our Minister in Spain, instead of keeping it
in the Treasury as the Constitution provided.
No matter how fair and accurate the Presi-
dents accounts might be, there would be gossip
and scandal about them. Setting the filibus-
tiers upon Cuba would be like training monkeys
to pick cotton, which was said to work firstrate,
except that it took two overseers to watch each
monkey. 1t looked te him as though the Cuban
scheme was put forth in order to win the South
to the President, while he was to secure Penn
sylvania by means of the iron interest Ii
- A. l~-:l~loP ohat Buchanan was
good for ten years more as the Democratic can
didate. The President would hang on to power
with sturdy Scotch grip until it should he
wrested from him. AS to the coming fgbt. he
expected to have no hand in il. He did NOT
know exactly where he should stand. He could
not be Locofoco any way he understood thai
the discipline of that party was extremely
rigid; perhaps, if he could get a private con.
versation with the Senator from Illinois, he