Des Arc citizen., 1859-02-18
[From the United States Economist,
 CUBA.


 The example of Spain and of France in selling respectively Florida and Louisiana to the United States, because they were repaired by our exigencies, is complete answer to all those writers who so perse- veringly assert that Spain has been gross ly insulted by the hypothesis of the Pre- sident's Message in regard to Cuba. If it Is such an insulting proposition now, as many English and American journals would have us believe, it was certainly no less an insult to the Great Napoleon, who was not in the habit of submitting to in- suit, although in the case of Louisiana he
 pocketed it in the shape of S0,000,000 francs, that were just then very acceptable to complete his armament against Eng land. l. was al the moment when the bad faith of England in relation to the execu- ton of the Treaty of Amiens became ap- parent and war inevitable, that the First Consul having been 'insnlted" by the United States in the same manner that Spain now is in respect to Cuba, remark ed to M. de Marbois as follows (March 1S03): Il will no longer keep possession which cannot be safe in our hands which may perhaps embroii me with the Americans, or might place me in bad position with them. On the contrary. 1 will make use of it to attach them to me, perhaps embroil them with the English, and create against England ENEMIES THAT WILL REVENGE US IF WE CANNOT RE- VENICE OURSELVES. My decision is made -I will give Louisiana to the United States, but as they have no territory to give us in exchange, l will demand a sum of money to pay the cost of the extraordi- nary armament that Great Britain com pels us to make against her." He called at once Mr. Livingston, the United States minister, and Mfr. Monroe, who had just arrived to negotiate a right oftransitdown the Mississippi for Western produce. Those gentlemen accepted at once, and made a treaty for the purchase of Louisi- ana for so million francs. Of this, 20 millions were to be applied to the indem- nity of American commerce for illegal captures, and 60,000,00 francs were paid over to France. This was the mode in which Napoleon received the ''insult. How admirably would the words he then used in relation to Louisiana apply to Cuba in the mouth of an able Spanish statesman of the present day. The Is- land is inthe hands of dissatisfied peo- pie, and cannot be held safely for any length oftime. The weak power of Spain wants friend in the United States far more than did the young giant France al that day, and the wisdom that prompted | Napoleon to sell, what he knew the Eng. fish were only waiting a declaration ol war to steal, should have weight witt Spain, who must be aware of the strong desire for independence among the Gu, bans. We may at the same moment ad. mire the ful6llment in this case of the prophecy with which most of the remarks of the Great Napoleon were in singular manner endowed. In 1903, he stated that Louisiana might be the means Q averaging France upon England. II 1915, that prophecy was fulfilled to thu letter. After long series of outrages or the part of the English, and submitted tC with spaniel-like patience on the part o the United States, until pushed 10 such { point that English cruisers entered ou l harbors and seized our seaman to mai her ships, war was declared, in spite Q the "3 ,000 parsons of that day. To seiz' Louisiana was, of course, one of the plan
 of the English. In the mean time, th' disaster of Moscow, and the rising of al Europe, compelled the Emperor to con centrate his troops by withdrawing then from Spain, whence as they retired, the, were followed by the Spanish, Portuguese and English troops, until the complet'