Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1859-02-05

/ ana COnultlOnS upon WHICH NuDd SNAIL De uu- |
ncxcd to the United States, and incorporated !
into the Union. say nothing of the present
incumbent of the Executive office say that
man never chose, nor did God ever send on
earth, magistrate to whom would confde this
great question, having a constitutional right to
decide il myself.
need not say, Sir, that all our treaties of an
ncxation contain stipulations guarantying rights
to the countries annexed, to be incorporated in
to the Union, and determining the future polit-
ical rights, power and authority of the inhabi
tants of those countries. This bill, then, is in
derogaton of the power of the Senate to deter
mine by treaty for itself what the safety, honor,
and welfare of the country demand in regard to
the political organization and government Of the
Island of Cuba, if it shall be acquired.
Sir. have always received as political max
i'm the declarations made by ourpredecessors in
regard to the acquisition of Cuba. Every rock
and every grain Of sand in thatisland were drift
ed and washed out from American soil by the
floods of the Mississippi, and the other estupries
of the Gulf Of Mexico. The island has seemed
to me, Just our predecessors have said, TO
gruvitate back again to the parent continent from
which 1t sprung. have supposed that polltl-
cal necessities would determine that ultimate
conclusion; and know that to political neces-
sitics all actions Of governments must bend, and
all sentiments Of nations must accommodate
themselves. ! have, nevertheless, been taught
with the same maxim, this other rule, that the
acquisition of Cuba was question Of time, of
necessity, and of opportunity 1t was just as
clear sixty years ago, when we acquired Louis
lana, as it is now, that Cuba, in the language of
John Quincy Adams, grayitatcs to the United
States, as the apple yet hanging on its native
trunk graytates to the earth which sustains it.
Yet it certainly is true that Cuba was not then
acquired, nor attempted by extraordinary means
to be acquired; and the reason was, that the
time, necessity, and opportunity had not then
presented themselves. In fact, the time is de-
tcrmined by the coincidence of necessity and
opportunity; and that coincidence is the result
of decline of European power on this conti
nent and of development of the growth Of
American power on the same continent. Our
forciathers said, all our predecessors have said,
: that when the juncture shall arise that there
should be just that necessary decline of the po-
litical European power on the continent, and
just that development of American power here,
t which makes Spain unable TO keep, and our
selves able freely to obtain the island, then it
) would be hopeless and idle to refuse to receive
Cuba, even if it were undesirable. They have
said more, and ! subscribe TO it, that we may
safely hold our souls in patience SO long as Spain
, can kcepit, and no other and stronger European
Power can, or tare to take il from her. What
| have to say now is, that the time and oppor-
> tunity do not now serve, in my Judgment, any
! more than they have served for the last sixty
= years. We may be nearest, as, indeed, doubt
= not we are, TO the acquisition of Cuba but we
= have not arrived at that point at which the ac-
1 QUESTION must necessarily be made, or can be
b made, consistently with the conditions of peace
/ prudence, justice, and the national honor.
t Ten years ago the President of the United
r States declared that Cuba was to be acquired
= only by treaty, by purchase, and not by war
: The present President of the United States re-
t afhrms that proposition now that the only
question to be considered is, whether it can be
o purchased nor. Well, ten years age. the Pres
# dent of the United States offered 800, 900 900
e for it, and the answer to the proposition was
y conceived in terms so decided, so unequivocal
SO utterly forbdding all hope that it was never
served about ever since, in order to preserve the
: good understanding and the good nature of the
Il parties. The Message of the President sent
o here on Friday last shows us that, down to this
c hour, the proposition has not been mentioned
r in Spain for period of ten years. The same
i Message assures us even that il will not now be
2 mentioned to Spain, unless some peculiar and
Il ordinary measures are adopted to require
him to bring il again to her attention.
Il Spain holds the island now more tenaciously
d with a stronger and safer grasp than that with
d which she has held il at any time with the last
=, fifty years Ii is nov period of repose in Eu-
: rope and in the Western World. Spain having
5, gone through the crisis of surrendering up hel
/ territorial empire in its largest proportions ha,
J. entered upon new career of material progress
e and improvement. Her agriculture, her man.
1t ufactures, her Army and her Navy, are in
S, hourishing, prosperous and improving condi
n ton. Heretofore, Spain has held the Island o.
r Cuba in the midst of conflicts between the two
l. great Powers of Western Europe, England ant
y France, liable to lose it to one or the other bel
l. ligerent at any moment To-day, England ant
J. France are not only allies but they are unitet
N in the policy of maintaining Spain in the enjoy
a, ment Of the Islands of Cuba and Porto Rco
s. the last remnants of her once worldwide en-
d pire Spain exhibits, more decidedly than eve
re within the last 20 years, the habits of acques
s. cence and loyalty by her people in her existing
s. institutions. She seems to have passed the pc
p riod when the country was rent conyulsed ant
v. distracted by the contests Of democratic ant
Is monarchica factions. At present she is appar
10 entity in condition of profound repose and con
A tentment. If there was any doubt about thi
y subject all doubt is now removed by the answe
N which we have already received from the author
" tiles of Spain, to this very proposition of tn,
SC President of the United States in the very form
J. in which it is proposed that we shall adopt it
ie Our Hall Oh tnls morning brings US tne answer
a of the Spanish Government and Legislature t,
re our advances, even before we have taken tn,
first step. Tn the Spanish Chamber of Depu
lie ties, NJ. Ulloa asked the Government,
te "lf it intends to reply to the Message of Mr.. Blu
t. chanan nasmuch in that message there is para
r. graph on the subject of annexing Cuba to the Unite
=, States, which contains and really grave insul
= = TO the Spanish nation.
u "Nlarshal O'Donnell declared that the Governmen
nc disposed to demand due satisfaction for such
d. insult.
"In its relations with the United States as IN thos
20 of all other countries it has always endeavored to
crcurnspect, moderate, reserved but always dignfe
nc and firm, the Government OF great people ough
ne to be.
nv "Thc present is an era of development and verabl
of restoration. The period of encouragement caused b.
l., war and disurion has ceased in Spain If the powe
of Spain be not great enough to menace, it is stron
ID enough defend the integrity of the territory of tn
IS, monarchy, and to preserve the dignity of the Span
. name without stain.
7 "ln whatever circumstance the Spanish nation ma
find ITSELF it will in the future, in the past, neve
IL be insensibe to its honor; will it abandon tn
In smallest portion of its erritory and a proposition
ty having that tendency will always be considered b.
he the Government insult to the Spanish people
| + Annrohntion