Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-02-17
CONGRESSIONAL.
WASHINGTON, Feb. Is.

SENATE
Mr. Crittendeu made an able speech on the Gu
ban question He admitted the desirability of Gu
ba, and the Presidents constitutional right to ne
gotate for it without legislation; but sad Suppose
Spain were TO sail; suppose England and France,
who proposed q tripartite treaty, were to permit
her to sell the island she holds trustee where are
we to get the money! We have been obliged to get
in debt for market money, and another is wanted.
The Treasury emits funeral sound when We
knock for money, for none is there. He did not
mean to say the country could Enot produce any
amount OF men and money, but it is more convent
ent now to have fastened on Us and our children
ten million per annum interest on two hundred
million loan for the purchase Of Cuba
Mr.. Crittenden here made a digressson to speak
of Central America and other weak States. Once
twas the policy, he said, of the American Gov
eminent to maintain friendly feeling with all the
nations Of the continent. He remembered when
the American name was loved, when it was dear
to struggling republics, when the declarations of
encouragement which had been spoken by the
voice of Henry Clay were read at the head of their
armies. How have we lost all this y Read the
message, and there you will see that we are at va
rance with Mexico, Costa Rica and Guatemala,
and that we are buried in difficulties from the Fe-
| lee Islands to the Spanish Throne. Do all these
specks Of war augur well for the revenue? Yet a
bill is pending to place the military and naval
forces in the hands of the President, apart and
ABOVE tne dCtlOH VI OOHgEtsS. luS Dll was mOSL
unwise 1t was to enable the President to make
little wars with little people. He then viewed the
Ostend Manifesto, and its implied hint If Spain
will not SELL we will take. The President supports
his demands for thirty million dollars by the exam
pie of Jefferson, but the cases are not parallel Be-
| fore the treaty is assented to BY Congress, and
| even if Congress never consent, the President can
draw the money and take its safe keeping into his
own hand. The President himself may be above
suspicion, but the Constitution does not entrust
him with one dollar. The hands of the ExectiVe
| should be pure and unsoied by money He should
be unsuspected, and not even exposed to the IN
scrupulous suspicion of money dealing. Further
it is unconstitutional, because it augments the
Presidents power, and destroys the balance be-
tween the States.
If we had Cuba, and had paid two hundred mil
lions for 1t, we would say to her, we have rescued
you from European tyranny, and saved you from
being a bulwark against Us, In the hands of auy
European power. Establish free and independ
ent government of your own under our protection
1t will be better for you, and we believe for Us
He did not want to see our Anglo-Saxon race
mingled with people who do net understand OF
appreciate cur Institutions and he didnot think ON
country's greatness was to be achieved by adding
acre to acre, but by filing it with arts and indus
try He believed that this whole scheme of policy
would burstlike bubble
The bill is mere piece of fanfaronade. It is q
part Of the fire works now set at large to give a
different complexion and hue to the rather dark
ened features.
Mr.. Benjamin replied to some Of the points in
the remarks of Mr.. Crittenden.
Mr.. Crittenden reviewed the points in Mr.. Ben.
ljamin's reply.