The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-01-28
TWO CENTS

When forced iy the hattle 81 New Orleans 10 retreat tie
British oet with the remains % the army board hei
"a Havana ior and rie aud oould nSt proceel
~ Jamaica until had rained there soue time 20 rrt
Had Cuba as that trne horne intimate political as it
Dies territorial relations the ned states the British
Acct not oniy would fonnd alt of refuge there
bat could have safely approached shores a
similar instance occurred IN the at,k ~ thv French
upon Vera Cruz The hert Prince a. lonvile con-
csntrel Al llayana before the attack and returned there
to reit after i had clFtare,l san Juan a. Tlua-
The terTteiai r-aiigs OF Cuba to the other islands of
the Antilles giyr is marked preIondennoe Ia area
and population t exceeis all te other Islands together
while Ia its abuuace 81 safe and capaciOus ports IL
equals them IT. geographical position gives IL also pc
culiAr advantages ia respect 10 then- With one ca
treinitg resting Ia nasiurted proximity upon the
tinett for support the other extends between and ID
sight q 81 DaEingo and laIaisa. wbeh the only
other Islands Oi the Antilles possessing amy territorial Ea
portapce lts natural resOlrces and facility of internal
communication give % these teuiorii relations power
which bs superseded By any combination 81
natural acquired advantages in the other Islands Of
the AtaericaH Ar~&~sseAs~v
las territorial relations the nited states osnstitute
probably its greatest value ia the estimation o European
cabinets The geographical formation OF our Atlantic and
Gtlf coasts pacs il midway between them enabling the
power that holds cHla 70 hnp-e AZ viii all maritime
tecOure tetweeu their ports AT the time il Is the
key 10 the gates than twenty Thousand miles
Of riyeI fafigati eHPtying into the tnf Of Mexico,
the shutting Of which woHld ihfict serious injury
upon every interest CONNECTED with the great valley
q the Mississippi The evil effects ~ such an nl-
toward event would be felt not only by the ia
that region, but Also By the manufacturing ana com
leIcal Interests Of the North aud Elst to which their
important markets woull br cs,d u the dDuble opera
ton of itpedra Intercourse and tle diminished ability of
the West consume the prbducts and fabrics Of The
East consequent upon tir inability q dispose ol their
own surplus productions.
The territorial relations Of the island Of Cuba to the
United States have also great importance in another
OF
than half o har Of foreign territory living drerY
the most important lines Of transit between the At.
ltbtic and PaEihc STATES a the enfrrcy, aeroas
through which must pass the Teste portion of the trade
and Intercourse between those sections and IL the arm
aunent and for military defence uf the Pacific
states il they would agoid the DELAYS and dan.
gers incident to the route round Cape Horn The trac
by The thmus routes between the ports Of New York and
SAN Francisco alone nov of greater Importance and
value than foreign trade with any ee nation Great
Britain not excepted The valae of treasure and mer-
clandise transported by these routes exceeds Annually
one hundred millions of dollars, while than
hundred Thousand passe gers throng them giving em.
ployment 70 nearly one laif the ocean steam tonnage
registered in the United States
This iar q foreign territory lying these important
lines o transit extehds from Cape Caiece I'D Yucltan
wli Is the eastern point of Mexico the island of Porto
lco distance 0f loHrteen hHndTed miles and under the
geErs hieal necessities Gf trade aud travel may be said
without any distortion If language To lie immediately
between the Atlantic and the Pacific States Through this
bar Of foreign territory there but three passages oyen
u commerce, all of which In possession, under The
immediate control, Of European powers The most west-
ern Of these i the passage between Cape Catoche
ahd the western end Of Cuba forming the southern outlet
TO the Gulf If Mexico and which can be approached from
e Atlantic ports only by first passing through the chan
FLORIDA. Erset-r IlFsf
miles ieruAid from Havana.
The passage next eastward il the channel between the
eastern end o Cuba and tile western extremity Of St Do-
ningo IT Is about forty miles wide at the narrowest
part having the harbors Of 81 3ago ana Guantanamo in
Cuba, sde tionave and F9Tt au Prince in Hayti
ON the other, and Jamaica lying directly its south
outlet These two those most fTequentel ia
intercourse between the Atlantic and the Pacific States
The other passage s the channel between the
eastern end of st. DJmingo and the island OF Porto Rico
and under the immediate control Of the powers holding
those two islands being commanded by the bay Of SaT
na in ST. DJ7elo and the haT9rs in the Spanish island
Of Porto Eico.
OF the territory comprised in this long extent Of
try Cuba being half and Porto Eico, onetenth be-
long To Spain the government Of which barely be
said 70 be an Independent power while 81 Domingo,
comprising about one third hcld by the negro dynasty
q Hay and the nongel government of Dominica neither
of which has a sell ruled policy. Jamaica, in posses
sion OF Grrat Rrtain laps the contiguous extrenilies z
tbs Two greater islands. Cuba alone, Of the Antilles
possesses sufficient erlitora power to deep thee pazsas
open to our commerce and to guarantee their safety
These territorial relations u that island possessing they
do important bqarng npon all the neghhoriag
trif aad eontrripg Roral power upon the government
that ho it, lbs stbieet a salbtude TO the goyern-
nents Of Wetea EaTcPa and seem worthy of the watch
inl care 0f Tie statesmen Of America