The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1859-01-18

usll knoWA that if6pain swers willine % iii
Cubs, the price, II NO contingency whateyer,
would be less than two hundrcd millione 81
Dolias One Million Of Dollars, would b
ne one half Of osse per ceak upon this sum;
and We put il 70 reasonable men. whether
James Buchanan 10 snch consummate fool,
- 70 suppose, that such payment would, OF
could influence the negotiation for the pur.
chase2 Most assaredly not Why then il
this Recommendation made We answe,
pnhesitatingly, it is nothing more or lcss
than trap TO induce Congress to commit
itself to the purchase Of Cuba; and at the
same time to get possession ola Million oil
Dollars with which 70 bride Spanish officer,
g enter into . negotiation for the sale ol
Cuba.
We do not cay that the time may mol
arrive when the possession of Cuba will be
come political necessity; but we have mol
the slightest hesitation in saying, that nc
such political necessity exists at this time
For thirty years past, We have from time ia
time, made proclamation Of our sentiments
upon this question; and we are happy to
have it in our power to add, that in speak
ing our own sentiments we have also given
publicity to the universal sentiment Of the
Northern people upon this subject Wehold
and such 10 the opinion Of the people of all
parties at the North, that 90 long "a Cubs
continues to be 4 dependency Of weak pow
er like Spain, the United States have no de-
sire or interest to possess that Island; but or
the contrary, this Government for many and
cogent reasons, are deeply interested tina,
Cuba should continue to be Colony o.
Spain. 1t is not our policy to hold colonies
but the law Of necessity may force them upon
US. And even then, the objections against o
Colony detached from the Continent, art
almost insurmountable. IL however. Spain
were about to transfer the Island Of Cuba
to either England, France or Russia, oul
people, with scarcely dissenting voice
would say that there existed political neces
sity-not so much for our possessing the Is
land, but-for preventing its passing into
the possession Of a Power which could WELD
it to our injury With Nations az with in
dividuals. the law OF ssfpreservation, is
paramount, and accordingly, our people
will never consent to see Cubs pass into the
hands Of either of the three great powers OF
Europe Snch has been the policy Of our
Government and such the feelings Of the poo.
pie of the Northern States, during the last
thirty I've years; and such we insist, is the
policy and such the sentiment Of the Country
at this time. We deny that anything has
occurred to change this sentiment on the part
of the people; and if so, We insist, that ii the
question were presented to the people of the
Northern Ststes tomorrow whether they
would accept of Cuba as free gift if assur.
cd that on their refusal it would still contin-
ne a dependency Of Spain, a very large ma
Jority of them, would vote in the negative
In short; We desire to see Cuba continue the
dependency Of a weak power, and to procras-
innate as long rs possible, the necessity Of
becoming the owners OF that Island. We
are not prepared to pay two hundred mil
hons of dollars for such national curse as
Cuba would prove to us; and last of all, are
we ready 10 rob Spain of her Colony to the
everlasting disgrace Of our country and a
certainty OF n war with France, besides To-
menting internal difficulties which would go
further to produce disunion than all the
threats Desperation which have issued from
the South during every week Of the last
thirty years.
Threats of disunion and separation from
that quarter, have no terrors; because ex--
perience has proved, that they mean nothing,
and are mere gasconading resorted to by
unprincipled DemagoSues for temporary,
selfish, and local purposes; and consequently,
are laughed ut by all sensible men at the
North. But when the North once threatens
disunion in consequence Of any national
policy which shall extend the area of Slavery
or make it an unwilling party to such extern
sion, there will indeed be danger to the I'm
ion such as never before existed The unjust
seizure of Cuba, would unquestianably not
only be in opposition to the sentiment Of the
Northern States, would as certainly involve
us in war with Spain and France; and we
proclaim our conviction that the
North would never consent to any such war
Tor the extension ofSlavery, and in defense
OF great National Robbery. 1t requires no
prophet to ioretell that such robbery, fol
lowed by an unjust war, might result in con-
sequences far more disastrous to the Union,
than all the gasconading which has emma
ted from Southern Politicians and the South
ern Press since the war Of 1872 and for the
simple reason, that there would be cause for
dissatisfaction with Union which would
produce such a state Of affairs, while all
honest men well know, that there never has
existed the slightest cause for the threats of
disuni"n which have 70 constantly issued
from handful OF disorganizers at the South,
and excited such universal contempt at the
North.
The Herald Mr. Buchanans special organ,
says that MIR. Buchanan "is without par
~ in Congress- and every zane man in the
well knows, that be is literally
without frieads or partisans among the peo-
Pile. Even Pierce and John Taylor, had hun
ireds Of friends where James Buchanan has
,ne remaining; and it is now freely conced- |
I'd, that if his administration has accom-
olshed nothing else, it has rendered the ad
illustrations Of both Tyler and Pierce re-
pectable when compared with that which |
low Is. 1t was generally supposed this ad-
had sunk as low as was posi-
lie; but behold II lower depth was discover
d even for tho existing Government, when
ts chief presented himself to the country in
ne odious and contemplate capacity % sink
nix the chief magstracy of great patton in
o the miserable arbiter of local quarrel /
'etween the pot-house politicians who ha-
'itually assemble at Tammany Hall We
rave witnessed great irritation at the conduct
Il previous Executives, and have heard them
lnsparingly denounced; but never did the
'eople of all parties, from Maine to Louis.
ana and from the Atlantic to the West as far
S the news has reached, exeibit such unmit-
gated disgust for any public man, as has
zen called forth by Mr. Buchanan's recent
onduct in disgracing the Presidential man
ion by such a scene as that which attended
he sitting by tho parry squabbers in this
ity And yet this is the man who has the
ublime imprudcnce to ask of Congress to
ontide to him the purchase of Cuba and the
ontrol of the means Of so doing; Presi-
ent without party in Congress- and alb
Olutely loathed by the very people who cleo
I'd him! The simple fact that there is ne
arty in congress and no class Of people out
f it, who have respect for, or confidence in
ames Buchanan, is sufficient reason why
ne bill introduced by Nr. Branch, should
e laid upon the table without even dis
ossion upon its merits.
But let us suppose the case were different
let US imagine an Executive at the head of
ne Government, who possessed the conf
ence Of the People, and whose friends and
rgans were respected by the country and
ntitled to sucL respect What would then
g the course of legislation upon such a pro-
csition as the one now pending? Would
OF the Representatives OF the North, in