The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-01-30
The Cuba Plank In the Republican Plat
form-William II. Seward In Favor of An.

The Cuba Plank liz the Republican Plat
form-William III. Seward In Favor of AM
nexation.
We give to-day, in another column, the report
Of the minority of the House Committee on
Foreign Relations, adverse to the bill granting
to the President thirty millions of dollars to be
| used toward the peaceable acquisition of the
| Island of Cuba from Spain.
Even if these gentlemen had made logical,
sound and conclusive argument against the pro-
posed measure-which they are very far from
| having done-they would have had the poor salts
faction of learning that while they were present
ing their views to the House of Representatives,
the great leader of their party was conceding in
he most ample manner, on the floor of the other
house, the very point at issue. Mr.. Seward in
his speech in the Senate on Monday last, gives
up the true issue and endeavors to make new
one, on the mere question Of opportunity. In
conceding that Cuba gravitates to the CONT
nent," he has overturned all that any of his fol-
lowers can say against the proposed acquisition
of that island His concession recognizes that
it must come-that there is that among the ele-
ments Of this confederacy which requires its
accession to the Union. He only differs
with the President as to the time when it should
be brought into the Union. He prefers, in fact
that its acquisition should be put off until he has
been made President, and that it shall rebound
to the credit of himself and party, rather than
become the means of defeating them. He has
always accepted 'as an axiom Of political faith,
hot uha tot m TO- MI
he likewise believes that VIM. H. Seward gravi-
tates to the Presidency, he has taken particular
care that these forces shall not oppose each other
So he takes issue with the President merely as
to the time when Cuba shall be acquired The
President believes that the time is at hand when
the effort for peaceable acquisition should be
made. Mr.. Seward thinks that the time will
come, but that it is not yet. A simple compari-
son between the position Of the two parties will
be quite sufficient to demonstrate the respec-
tive value of these two opinions. Mr.. Buchanan
is at the head Of the government Every repre-
sentative Of our country abroad reports to him
on the progress and position of our national in
terests. He is also in immediate contact. either
directly or through the Secretary of State, with
the representatives at Washington Of all the To-
reign Powers. More than that the Sc
cfet agents and intriguers of those Pow
ers seek more or less access to him,
and make to him all sorts of revelations
and propositions. He thus has a full view of the
| field of action abroad and at home and after
calm survey Of it for two years he believes the
time has come for the country to take an impor-
tant step in the path Of its destiny. On the
other hand we have Mr.. Seward, Senator for
| New York, endeavoring to bring into line the
| disorganized and quarreling forces of defeated
party. He busies himself at the capital, and
every once in while Thurlow Weed comes up
from the lobby at Albany, or Farmer Abel
makes a report from Cayuga county, to show
how matters 60. They tell him IL will never do
to oppose the acquisition Of Cuba, and that it
will be equally bad to let Buchanan acquire it..
So Mr. Seward opines that "Cuba gravitafes to
this continent but now is not the time to
make an effort to bring it in.
In defence of this opinion he asserts that the
Slidell proposition is unconstitutional and un-
precedented, and then endeavors to overthrow
three of the brightest precedents in our annals.
he argues that it is going to bring us into an
unfathomable national debt, and then destroys
bis own position by endeavoring to prove that
Spain will never SELL His arguments not only
destroy bis own position, but completely take
away the ground of argument from those among
his own followers who have not yet accepted his
political axiom-that "Cuba gravitates to this
continent"
But even before the real debate on the ques-
ton has come up, it is becoming more and more