, 1859-04-09

CUBA AND THE FLORIDA CANAL.
We find III the Nutionul 1ntcYigcacer co1A-
m,,uication from Il gentleman Of Mississippi.
suggesting what seems 10 us an c;sy solution Of
the Cuba question. 1t being constantly asserted
that Cuba il the Key Of the Gulf Of .uerico,'
md that it is necessary to hare it in order to
insure ready and safe passage for our com-
merce, The Mississippi gentleman seems to
have looked about to SEQ whether somo other
door cannot he opened, Of which VIC have a!-
ready the kcyin onr own pocket. And sure
cnouehh he finds just what he wants in the pro-
posed. ship canal across the peninsula Of
Florida
This canal once mads, and our COM
inerce need fear nothing from Cuba, be-
sides having oil the advantage Of shorter
passage through much easier and less dang
crous navigation This canal has long been
advocated on tue latter grounds alone-and if
wo now add the consideration Of military and
naval advantages, to secure which it is said
we must have Cuba at any price, it makes
strong case Of preference over the proposed
purchase or seizure Of that gem Of key, and
al other little keys mixing indeed big
bunch, lying near the door Of the Gull
We beg Mr.. buchanan to look at the ccono-
my Of the tlling-i, indeed, the l,omely virtue
Of that name has any charms for lin. He
proposes to spend thirty millions just to open
negotiations for Cuba Let US spend ten mil
lions to open the canal and the whole thing
will he better done, besides securing many col
literal advantages not contemplated and avoid
ing many dangers and troubles necessarily
involved in Mr. B. very bungling project.
And when our Southern friends, who so
often complain Of OUT efforts to gettl'c General
Government to improve our Rivers and Har-
bors, come forward in Congress with propo-
sition to carry this great improvement in the
South, NC think they will find northern votes
ready to support them; that Illinois and Mich
igan and Wisconsin will forget the Southern
opposition to the improvement Of tic St. Clair
Flats, and seeing the national character Of the
Florida Cana}, will support it heart and hand.
II we had Cuba to-day, it would bc Of no
use to us in any military sense, as against the
great naval powers England and France, with
out IN immense outlay beyond what our peo-
pie would ever sanction. Cuba is the key Of
the gull, not because the guns Of her fortress
c5 can command directly the channels colnmu-
nicating with it-but because tile harbor Of
Havana, when properly fortified, can shelter d
ilee1 which can lie in safety, and watch, like 4
spider in Ills web. for its prey. So tl,att to car-
r. out the key idea, NC must have at Haya-
ma fortress equal to Clcr'ourg or Cronstadt,
and then a fleet Which can come out; on oeca-
sion, to meet its great adyersarles III open WI
ter. And these things VIC cannot have with
ont IN expenditure Of as nrny millions as it
will cost to buy our elephant to begin with.
In short, our people ought to sec: that all
this talk about the necessity Of Cuba rs the
E',y Of the Gulf is sham, and cannot be car
/ riel out without a complete change i'll our
policy, and an adoption Of the systems Of the
great military monarclies Of Europe. for which
VIC flncy they arc hardly yet prepared.