The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-02-24
TUE EEHRRYE 1922

~ All .I1 h1RA { ;;.W Ao FHA0sf
sSMr. SIMMONS accepted the amendment as a.
addt i s Ills VIII Nils Which ~ vas Then &,
On Hotiep Mr. Sas blu wa vas fa 4t
amended BY adding to fhsa section restf STU cling
expenditures te-the objects specified tih the bill
[ Mr., Hunter 5, anepdmeptl the, follexingi d9a.
ITsMh4Sds, Thai nothing i4 this aetr shalI he
eopstrBedats interfere with, thai BisbyHs eHssnE
ofIshes RppRepfiatien ei0r the cont naeatdek.l
pensas sol tpraigR ieterteapsn attbefdispqstieal
oftbeoP resribnti0 tns ;yiiIailrsqmi bnI
rhes bflf a5as tiaen 9Elssetsa4y Boz uHssn23.i
aOso nmtisie iDvIiM -ShdeilI the nsHnats talanD
pryneedad 90 ghe bfnrtiaa sceAsdes 5etb chs
bif,aak appropriations Ito ssaeihtate die ;aefI
d afdt 6l ~ 6aflap byasa gtt@tieh .yniss9ld 10
Mr. Mss6+f troftiiei The iEsfl6wRs9 $50 81 stiB.i
stFfftt1 T5tfl9 46ll, nj n Was forfert6 to- be
nNH1eA4 ybod 9dt hsdt 1sdtaT ssslo jEse3TqS
fqqassofted fhat t6htre2SsP fluffy apprdaes
the politt III the message of the President re-
speeting the ptopriety and, Ultimate necessity
OF" aeqniriihg the5isla2d Of Cuba by the r 9aited
States. - That whilst, ,refraining this time
from, any, ePp initial aYe to otntpre measures
whiih circumstances Whether Alleging the
peaceful relations of1thsi twQ ,eopgfrieS or the
safety, of the l}pted States, may FENDER peeesi
sagy, itbiS deemed sufficient at present only to-
declare. that whenever it shall seemd6t TO Spain
to transfer the island, the United States will be
prepared toiredeiye on teIfas that shall be-
Just aad equitable to both countries; and fer ia
requivalentyi a nd that because of the pon
sitiea OF Ghba m the Gulf of Mexico, and more
especially ofiits proximity to the coast
of the United States, this Government cam
never 1fenAaia2 Neutral Under amy European or
other policy which shSuld Separate Cuba from
the dominion ofFSpaih III favor Of any foreign ign
PoUthtI ,11HOJ 81 :, LlDD ohJ .Fcn IL -i's'f&i11-
Mr.. ,Collanef addressed the Senate in OPP o 2
sifion, to the bill Heretofore all our statesmen,
had concurred in the that So
lopg, Us Cuba remained IN The hands Of Spain
we had no reason Cur apprehension, /, Now it,
is Proposed 10 establish a, new doctrine, found
ed on an alleged, law of, growth represented 10,
beimperatlye on 4 greatnations5hIike England,
France Rassia,i and the United States The
eNamPleooti, monarchieali aggression and conrr
quest is held up as the justihcationi ofa similar,
policy TO be pursued by our country. Should
Coiigras endorse. the mahims of this policy, ast
the same are inaugurated blythe present bill
For himself, he was opposed 10 the theory that
territorial extension was a necessary source of
national strength, fora convincing proof of TIA ="
0ialivitality! Pie British nation was strength
ened By its colonial SYSTEM; bit Such a system
eddld' not be c6hstitRtonaTly Or proftably en-.
GRATED On our GoVerfmentf AT segregated
possessions hecessitate. for their SUPPORT and
retention a large standing army and navy.
Are we Wiling to enter upon u pnp bailey which
will nconpel Us to greatly enlarge our miii-
tary and nayal expenditure? e., Hitherto we
hayei annexed only such territories as joined
our owp, and were deemed to be capable of
AmerieaHizaton. But Cubais not contiguous
toIQer limits, is already occupied, and therefore
not open to- the influx f-onr citizens, with their
civil institutions, and social habits. In point
of military strategy, the, island OF Cuba could
be heiat against a greatmaval' Power only on
the ooadGsion1 of our pOssessing,a still stronger
naval force dThe people, moreover, are fitted
for anne xation neither bytheir POSSESSION Of
civil institutions nor by thtfr acqfiesctnGe in
the principles of religious liberty "a "'F7'7 %.
The pending bill, if adopted, would have for
its Inevitable effect, in MfIC ollamer udg meht,
to raise into new prominence two subjects Of
long standing ard sometimes acrimonious con
tr8versy.' He alluded to Slavery and the influx
Of foreigners into our: country IF the Northern
people were properly opposed to the repeal of
our laws against the foreign slave trade, how
could they be expected to aequiesee in q meas,
are WHICH Virtually repealed these lawslby im7,
porting balfa million OF slaves lnto this country
by,a single ,act2 And il Virginia and other
Southern, States, were troubled by their free
black, popuktien, what should We do with the
two hundred thousand of that class in Cuba !?
Ori patriotic, citizens were sometimes CHARMED
by the infusion OF the foreign elementin our civil
system, what should be thought Of a PROPOSE
tiou'wrch imports and naturaliZes FIVE hundred
thousand foreigners inia single day?' "'ttad e."
But Ii -s1id that the arreLatiof of cuba
wilii put an end to the slave trade This was
an ilitsorv prothiseAas fllttsory AS the PROM
ists made at the time Texas was added to the
Union. If, With the vigifant guard kept up by
England and the United STATES mare than ten
thousand slaves we're annually smuggled into
Cnba, might we not rather expect an. Increased
importation TO result from the partial or total re-
Taxation Of the surveillance now exercised over
the foreign slave traffic, especially as the induce
ment for their importation would be enhanced
when the price Of slaves in that island should
hare adsan,ie4 fem he pgeSeRt. .fats to the
average value OF Slaves in, Qgr country 4 II,
when slaves in Cuba were worth $500 per head,
ten thousand were annually Struggled into the
island, how many would be surreptitiously i'm
ported when their value had risen to- 81 900 per
head q z" 800 't.. -. ,.....
Mr.. Mallory advocated the bill He. did moi
approach this subject with any spirit Of section
alisnA, ana ala nl,t visa 10 SIS CuLa annexed
merely for the sake of restoring some fancied
equilibrium. This was not an idle discussion.
ii the bill should only pass the Senate, 1t would
give Spain TO see that there was destiny in the
future progress OF this country, to which she
must sufi, it. Cuba, he admitted was not now
for safe, fSr money, and me dsinel,hqtion Of
| Spain to sell the island was Increasing, every
year, We. were further from acquiring the
| island to-day, than we were twenty years ago.
| Nevertheless, he believed that considerations
could be brought to bear upon Spain, which
! would induce her to part with Cuba upon fair
| terms. The views of the President, expressed
in has message, we're taicHIated TO expedite the
matter He conttnded that the acquisition Oh
| Cuba was a necessary consequence of the ac-
| QUESTION of Louisiana and Florida. So Tho great
! statesmen Of the nation had foreseen that the
! possession of that island would ultimately be-
! come necessity, and" Calhoun himself had
/ reilly advocated the policy Of acquisition. 90. +.
| | This country was 7apun+iant,y ~Ie. to pl,I
| chase Cuba. The people Of that island could
! alone paw a large portion Of the purchase
| mt4sy he Eclr. pfre3 the Gnlf Hf Mexico to d
deiililohli upon Its side, the aessh being the mar
! row strait between Florida and Cuba. Six wal
steamers could completely block up the neck
4 effectually hemming in our vast g ulf commerce
! Such position as this could not be overlooked
| BrISin jag plppted her cannon on every avail
] ableafock alS}ana ta3' 6 rif THE declarations
of statesinenl 10 the effect that this Government
Is content thar Cuba shall remain in the hands
| of Spain, wsare all uttered i'm the DAYS of our
] rational Weakness, and Of SPANS strength the
.ease IS now entirely different. If,Spain wereto
lose euoa, Sic 8egsl4 Gli fsoh; her high posi-
ton at onee; and England and France seek to
maintain her in the possession of the island
solely, from motives of hostility to this conntry
! I H counselled. speedy act;on an tho s,,hac,