The independent. (Harrisonburg, La.) 1853-18??, 1859-02-09
Cuf,r. Wilt or MIL.

lniH a:Cd that this purpose is TO teaccom-
piished with or without the consent of Spain.
+ Il IS distinctly enough !oreshadowed tia.
! the intended otter TO purchase Cuba, is to be-
made. not under the expectation that it will
i. accepted. hut that the refusal of Spain
may afford a plausible pre'cxt for wrestling
/ from her by the strong ann, the most va.ua-
Die Of all Ter possessions.
| Il in point of t.ut. it really be the lntem-
ton Of this Government 10 sanction al" act
upon these principles, so abrupt -nd Wide
departure from lis Uniofni rotlcy IN lis III
te,course with Other ra;ior~. would iss'ieet
/ be startling. 1t might we'll amaze Us, II
this Report Of the Senates committee Is 10
be crediiel to see that the Government OF
; the United States, whose great maxim, he
maxim OF Washington( mas ever been hat Ia
'puil:c as we'll as III private affairs, Hone sly
is he best poiicy--that the Government OF
| the United States, which from lis first or
canzaton up to the present day, has made
that maxim its rule Of action, should suddenly
repudiate that rule, and proclaim its in.en-
too for the future OF being actu.ted, at Least
in regard to Cuba, by the same fell spi,it
upon the throne Of Scotland, and which d.
rectea the combined poncts in their occnpa
ton and Partition of Poland.
| Bat fortunately We know that there are
certain Glasses Of men, and among them We
may reckon aspiranis To- the Presidency
whose tongues, to use the remark made OF
the Europeans by Go.lsmih's Indian Philosn
pier, are further from their hearts than Lon
don is from Bantam. They adopt to its
fullest extent the doctrine of Tallerand, that
language was given to enable US to conceal
our ideas. IT, ascertaining the true meaning
Of adroit politicians and dipcmatists, We
must not look to the import OF the words they
| use, but to the circumstances which surround
them, to the motives that influence them,
and to the governing interests that control
them. Applying these rules Of interpreter
ton in the Cuba case, We find that a con
vention is 10 sit at Charleston next year to
make President We find Mr. SidelI.
Mr.. Douglas and host of others, desiring
to be the choice of that convention. That
the acquisition Of Cuba is a popular measure.
and that all these aspirants intend to stand
before that convention with a strong record
on the Cuba question. Hence, the game is
for each to 60, as far as he that goes ta,thest,
for the attainment of Cuba. We accordingly
find them all bidding Cuba for the Pre>i-
dency. We find them all in favor of acqu-
ring Cuba. right OF, wrong. But all this
sudden zeal in the Cuba getting cause, is
sham and clap trap intended for the Charles
ton convention. 1t does by no means iay
a
men. on the Cuba ISSUE Who tor mo
meat imasines that John SlideIl really de-
>ires the acquisition Of Cuba, or that he be
ieves that Cuba will be acquired bv the
United States during the present century
We place to the acc"un: OF hick and trap,
al. that he and the rest of thc Office seeker
say, whether IN solemn debate or in formal
reports or otherwise, about the fixed policy
Of The Government to own Cuaa righttully
ever, 10 look a little into the reasoning offered
~ these Cuba shrickrr, IN support Of their
.a,ituoiHar M doctrines.
In Justification Of wlaf they tell US IS the
settled and determined purpose Of having
Cuba at al hazards, necessity, tlrc trrant'>
plea, alone IS offered. In wha; docs this
necessity consist? We are told rha' CUBA
Is Tie ky 10 he Gu: trade, and IRE com
merce OF HE Mississippi. i hat in the pos
session Of France, Greal I;'iain OF i,u~-la, it
would give to either D. those nation, ii the
event q war, tho ab~ointc control "t he vast
uaj" Of the Mississippi, and brcone tn,
source q, an insurloTlabI" ANNOYANCE an
injury. Ni1ht Ills no, 10 lr ii ".',d Is vel
Of Jamaica, =; Domingo. New i'rovi,tenrp,
GIyuail and o.her islands in HE Ctrib..u
sea-. Suppose France or GT"at Nri:an 1T
war with HE Uttt,d States. nont,! rot the
Iockade OF he Mississippi follow as u n4tu
IaI consequence Could not cIthcr Of those
p"we'~, having 50 immensely the prcron-
defiance over Us in Naval power - ctf.cin-
ally close all in4rrss and cgrc,s to and from
me Mississippi, without the possession Of.
CHba as with it, Il Is obvious that so long;
is We remain comparatively week at SEA, all
the disasters and lnlVriP, arising from the
M"ykpI Of our r1it> IN ti;n" of war must
necessarily happen, let Cuta belong 20 whom
She lnav. ihc mere ownership and posses.
son ot C.aa ~ H.. would ~ absolutely Ill
Gatorv - = protection to oar Gulf trade and
Tie commerce ct the Mississippi in VIII
Wi!h france rr Clcat Britain. That we
cou,G as ag;,in>; either ut these powers. even
hold Cuba if We hal it. is highly questionable.
Jnon our own soil, our own tsyfa f,2pa, WE
are iuyincible Z: but snrcIy we are not equally
50 on the high seas \ few naval s'a,i-tic-
ought We should think 70 s9tl~fy Us on that
point. Sailing vessels are no longer rcrar-
ded rs useful in navy. Steau has com.