The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-01-27


es cost. When the importation of slaves from abroad
arrested the home production affords the only
Of supplying the increasing demand for labor It may be
assumed as an axiom OF political economy that the ina
of population if not the only test the
reliable of the average well being of the class which
Is applied Tried by this test the slave Of the United
States affords very high standard compared
with the white population OF favored land But when
comparison made with the statistics Of African slavey
in all European colonies the results startling Dincc
Las Casas, in his zeal for the protection of the In
dian, originated the African slave trade, It IL esti
mated that the whole number transported to the
world has been about S375,000. OF these, ia our
colonial condition, and since have only received about
900 BY natural increase after deducting all who
free, had in 1850 8 20s 900 slaves of the African
These, allowing per eentage of increase
for nine years the returns show during
| the last decennial period would number
1900, 600 while from the data, the frUe-co
orcd population would amount to 4960O0. The
British West India colonies received about 700,
goo. The whole population Of those islands, MciHhins
Jamaica and Trinidad acquires, from the stsaniafxls an
British Guiana, black Write and mixed, Is brt eG2
039 The Spanish and other West India islands recciyed
about N0D, 600 This is very much move tlsan their
entire population to-day. The proportion 1naxs vAIy ln
some of the colonies but the general rcsrt VIII 1onnd
everywhere the A very much lcsg nuIEef nor
existing OF African descen either rura ar AaaxpaSAtsrn
have been imported from Africa. Sss ls M
There is another aspect in which this pr6bF xpA}
be viewed which is deserving OF serious H.
is iorciby put in The President ennal aaegen3t fhc
multiplied aggessions upon the persons ald Qx6kty 0i
citizens by the local authorities of Cibk E TKanv
years past present. in the person OF tho cAranenN3
the anomaly of absolute power to infct injNxy Without
any corresponding faculty 10 redress IT, Ha Sn, a0et
in sight Of Shores oouistate without lust 0au the
property OF American citizen, nsnsccrase s yer-
son but If applied 10 for redress, told that le
cannot act without consulting his ROYAL mHtfees ut Ma
drd There informed ttat 1t Is erssas 70 await
the return Of report OF the which Is to fn obtaincI
from Cuba and many years caIse before II ripe fpr
decision These delays IN most instances 914osans
to an absolute denial Of justice. And even ~hen
the obligation Of indemnity Is admitted, fb# MRt
OF the treasury OF change of lninetTy n p30a2l-
cd as EXCUSE for withholding poyssusS ~ tfgsss
would long since have Justified In resortjng ta tcaS
ures OF reprsal that would have necessarily lei rs wa
and ultimately resulted in the c0nque1t a. &aas MiAm
Indeed such is the acute Of those ~sx prevwi
ing among our people, that nothing but 0 rtyid nou
rality laws which, SO long they foriK NiSepcal6d
unnodied, Chief Magistrates actug unl6E T. aNxastc
ton Of his official oath to that the laws be fally
executed Is bound to enforce has prevented tbG cess
OF organized individual enterprises TINT Wa 14&ng
this have cyolutionizel the island Eth part rtoba
bly, for this cause that the President has recommended
the policy which this bill imodies aud the world cannot
fail to recognise in its adoption by Congress- letersn
nation to maintain him in his efforts 10 preserve
tarnscd national character lpr Justice and air deal
ing sf Netsf FFssS%
The effects of the acquisition OF Cuba will be no less
beneficial in its commercial than In It's political and moral
aspects. The length OF the island is about seven hun
dred and seventy miles, with average brcaih of about
forty miles, comprising OF 81 4G3 square miles
The soil is fertile climate genial and its ports the finest
in the world Havana is familarly known to u.s.
for apart from our extensive trade which employs
eral hundred American vessels thousands Of citizens
have touched at that port in steamers their
habor and have becl ardent prayers that their next
visit should be hailed by the stars and stripes floating
from the Moro And yet Cuba boast Of several other
harbos equally safe and extensive than that of
Havana. a
In 1855 the mportations, by official custonl-house
turns, s3, ,2l6 900; the exports S34 s03, 900 AS
duties are levied exports we'll imports, there can
be exaggeation in these returns, and the real amount
is edi " vlarpcr 80 4
When consider that more than two thirds OF the
whole of the island susceptible of culture and that
not tenth part of it is cultivated, may form
some idea OF the immense development which would be
given to its industry by change from System Of
nopoIy and desposm to free trade and FREQ institutions
Whatever may be the enhanced cost of production caused
by the increased value of labor it will be nearly II not
quite compensated by the removal Of export duties and
ot those levied articles produced in the United
States, which by unjust discrimination virtually
excluded from consumption. 1t is not possible within
the Limits which your committee have prescribed to them
selves for this report TO cite than few Of the most
important. OF flour, an average of three years,
from lS4S to $780, there imported from the United
States 5642 barrels paying duty Of $40 81 per barrel
From other countries, and it is believed exclusively
from Spain, 228,002 barrels paying a duty of ~ 52
per barrel, discrimination against our tiour of
nearly two hundred per cent on its present av-
erage value in markets 0n lard. of which the
importation from the United States was 10, l6S 900
pounds, duty Is levied Of 81 per qunta while Of olive
oil 4Sl 900 pounds imported, which is chiefly
used its substitute paying duty OF 50 cents per quin
tai OF beef dry and jcrkcd, but $50 IGI pounds
imported from the United States paving duty o 81 90
per qunt't while the Importation from other qaTtcrH,
principally from Buenoe Ayras, 90. .54t 900 pounds,
paying duty of 81 IL, the difference being, hi sct
protection OF the Spanish i which thus enjoys
nopoly o this branch of trade. day, with its iIiH
creased population and wealth. Is fir to presume that
Cua annexed TO the United States, with the slim
nlus afforded by low prices her annual consumption
Of our -four would be 600 900 barrels; ef lard.
Is, ,O6O, 00o pounds OF beef 20, 900 600 and "t
pork. tho most solid and nutritious food for The Ia
borcr, 1000 600 pounds The ratio of increase
would be exhibited in whole list &c exports. Many
articles that appear not no all in very limited
quantities would force ter WAY into general consnpr
ton The Spanish ng deprived Of the advantage Of dis
eliminating duties Of tonnage and iInpost, would
abandon competition which II could noe sustain
equal terms and the whole carving trade foreign and
domestic would hll into the hands Of cnterprising
merchants and shipowners but chiefly those Of the north
and middle States, while the Turner Of the West
would have and constant y-noreasing market open
TO him for the products of the soil With all the disad
yantages under which now labor tho American vessels
entering the port of Havana alone last nuD'crc
nine hundred and fyeght, with tonnage Of four hun
dred and three thousand four hundred and seventy n
| (403, ,479) To what figure will this be extended when
ours shall he the national flag OF Cuba
The cultivation of sugar is the chief basis Of the wealth
and prosperity of Cuba. The average annual production
exclusive what is consumed in the island, rs about
400 900 tons that of Louisiana about lis 900 tons
The whole amount of sugar from which Europe and
the United States supplied is estimated at 000
tons of this, Cuba and Louisiana furnish somewhat
than 45 per cent Isit extavagant to predict that