St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1859-08-11

ploy coating OF sugar, TO render the
pill little more palatablc.
The first reason advanced for
Northern consumption is, Z" The eX'
palsion Of the Republic to make room
for our accommodating millions of peo-
plep
9 It's alleged advantages CONNER,
cially as "a mart for our agricultural
products.
3. Its necessity for our national de-
fence.
4. Its utility in the suppression OF
the slave trade.
That these reasons are spurious,
scarcely admits Of an argument. Ii
real the proposition would be more
plausablc. For no one objects to the
expansion of our possessions by hon
orable means when required by the
growth of the population ; nor the ad-
mission of foreign State when re-
qucsted by the voluntary act OF the
people in condition to enjoy civil
liberty But no one can pretend that
this is true of the people of Sonora,
Chihauhau, Cuba, or any of the Cen
trail American States. The Cen
trail American Confederation was dis
solved long ago by internal dlsscn-
sous, and its people have never been
able to reconstruct national gov
crnmcnt. The incapacity of the Mex
lean people to govern themselves has
become provcrbial. Mexico has had
as many Presidents, elevated by revo-
luton, during the last few years, as
Kansas has had Governors, appointed
by Democratic Presidents TO carry out
the Democratic Interpretation of
squattcr sovereignty" The ncces-
sity Of lis absorption, as contradlcto-
~ as it may seem, is defended on the
ground Of the incapacity Of the people
to govern themselves. The Cubans
are of the same race; their compe-
tcnce for self-government will hardly
be pretended. Hence their admission
as States, could not be desired, at
present, by the real friends of this
Republic. To hold them as provinces
to be governed by the appointees of
the Executive of the Nation, would be
scarcely less dangerous.
Their acquisition would furnish no
outlet for our people. Sonora and
chihuahua, in consequence Of sterility,
are incapable of supporting dense
population Central America, in con.
sequence Of its climate and malaria
is certainly not desirable to people
who have lived for generations i'll a
healthy and temperate country and
Cuba is now owned and occupied by
a population more dense than that Of
the United States. 1t is an old coun
try-oldcr than Massachusetts or Nir
ginia. 1t was permanently occupied
by the Spanards in 1911, nearly $50
years ago.
1t is said to be about $50 miles long,
and, on an average, forty miles wide !;
and, with its dependencies, to contain
about 1900 square miles, and pop
ulation of 1885, 00--or an average
of over "a to the square mile (Rc-
port No. 80, Senate Com, Cd session,
Both Cong, p 13.(
In 1850 the average population to
the square mile, of Virginia, was %
OF all the States in the Union, exclud
ing territories, about Is of all the
States south Of Mason and Dixon's
line, less than 10; and of all the
States and territories Of the United
States, less than S. Hence the aver.
age population of Cuba is more than
43 per cent. greater than that of Vir
ginia-l20 per cent. greater than that
Of all the States excluding the terrific
rics--533 per cent. greater than that
of all the Slave States and more
than 400 per cent. greater than the
average density of the population of
our whole country. Since 1856 the
population OF the United States has
probably increased 80 per cent. occur
ring principally in the new States !;
hence the foregoing estimate is sub
iect 10 this modification. But with
this modification it will be seen that
Cuba furnishes no room for the expan-
sion Of our population.
But we are not now oppressed for
room. Our possessions are very great
They are 1000 miles in width, and
span the continent from ocean to
ocean, containing an area of nearly
100000 square miles; of which a
very large surplus is unrcclaimed
land. In 1850, as shown by the Cen
sus Reports, the entire area of all the
farms and plantations in the United
States amounted to but 1909, GA
acres of improved, and lS0,52S, 000
acres of unimprovcd land in all
about ASS ,66S square miles. Add t.
this so per cent. for the probable ef
feet of increase of population, and W.
have only 800, 294 square miles owned
and occupied in any way within thu
limits of our whole country leaving
2,366,372 square miles for future DC
cupancy. This will afford ample scope
for our vast energies in developing
our resources, and multiplying oni
population for many years yet to come
our population must be increased I,
nearly one hundred millions before i
will equal in density that of Cuba a
the present moment ..
With full knowledge of these
facts, grave statesmen could not com
nit the folly of using $50, 600, 900 in
negotiating to induce Spain to sell
this island, at the price suggested of
one hundred and twenty, or two hun.
dred millions of dollars, to furnish an
outlet for our population, when Cuba
now containsa population equal to a ia
Iniy Of eight persons for every quarter
section Of land subject to its jurisdic
ton Wise fnanciers could not agree
to pay at the rate Of six or seven dol
lars an acre for the whole of this
ISLAND, every acre Of which is proba
~ owned by private holders, while
selling their own land for $l,25 pei
acre in the Free States The absur
dity becomes glazing when it is OBJ
served that the Commissioner of In
dian Affairs estimates the nett pro
ceeds of the sales of all the public
land disposed Of in the United States
up to the present time, over and abov,
an1 thu cost cf curuoxy q M