New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1859-08-26
FLORIDA sra1p cANAL-ouBA.

FLORIDA SHIP CANAL-CUBA.
There Az some exceedingly shrewd gentlemen
who prnls that They can zee no other object to b
attained ID ths possession OF Cuba than the com
nAnd x position which win b secured In holding
that Key Of the Gulfn and Of this class Of politca
seegs are the mass OF orr northern brethren and II
this consideration Of the matter they all do not hest
tate to confess that such possession Is desirable.
course, however, they had rather forego this advau
tage, Of which they have very confused and Ill
ds6ned Idea, than have Cuba come In and bring he
slave territory with her and in casting about to d.
wise IN expedient whereby we can get along withou
the Key OF the Cult" they long since hit upon til
plan Of canal across the Peninsula Of Florida
through which trade and travel and naval arma
ments could snugly circulate, without the necessit
Of running the gauntlet Of the straits Of Florida file,
with the cruizers Of an enemy rendezvousing in til,
friendly or neutral ports Of Cuba.
This Peninsular Canal ia very pretty projet, and
perhaps far future generations may see it carried out
1 Various surveys have pronounced it impraetcable
but what may seem 50 to the engineering skill Of this
| age may wear more favorable aspect to that Of
another. This ship canal Of one hundred and 6fty
miles in length may some day be discovered to be
feasible and be deemed promisng speculation, even
II prosecuted At cost Of many millions Of dollars.
It would supply extraordinary facilities, but whether
| the mercantile marine Of the time when 1t may be
constructed, nine.tenths Of which would be steam
vessels would find 1t more profitable topay the heavy
tolls that would have to be levied to make it yield
anything, in preference to consuming day or two
more time In running round the peninsula, the dan
gers Of which navigation amount to nothing when
the vessel ia steamer, is question. The saving Of
time, too, would be an exceedingly small matter,
the slow passage through the long canal would con-
sume nearly Is much as going around, while only
those vessels bound to from points in and about the
same or ATTITUDES above the canal would save moiety
OF distance.
Following out such reflections as these, one must
come to the conclusion that there is little probability
that there ever will ship canal cross the Peninsula
Of Florida, and that if there is will be Of very little
service. Yet sufficient Of importance has been con-
sdered to attach to the subject that several surveys
to inquire into the possibility Of construction have
been at different times instituted by Government and
even now we have before us one Of the ablest Of
Northern journals which advocates the enterprise
and urges that its fntion will supply all that renders
Cuba desirable. The last Government survey, one
ofrecent date, makea report which represents that
the canal can be considered practicable, but we do
not famous for the shrewdness with which he spends
the peoples money, though renowned late years for
the success achieved in getting rid Of it in ways I'M
accountable will take to touch the scheme. He
possibly may, IL Democratic administration is his
father confessor, for there is no knowing what he
will do under such melancholy circumstances
But how will this patent plan supply the place Of
Cuba, even . " Key OF the Gulf" as the Chicago
s1,srnn a. aI 4
Cuba the :. Key Of the Gulf?n Nothing more than
that the fact Of its position renders it place where
any naval power at war with the United States can
rendezvous and recruit close to the scene Of action
in the immediate neighborhood Of our coasts, its
neutral ports harbors Of refuge for merchantmen and
menoEwar, whence the latter can sally out at will to
cruize in our waters, to land troops, which may be
collected there in force on Shores and to which
they can fee for protection when too closely pressed.
Il is the Key of the Gulf because its possession or
the privilege Of the protection Of it's neutrality can
enable any superior naval power to lock the Gulf
against US and to make it the point dappui of oper
atlons. viii the ship canal remove Cuba? II can,
then II may be the Key Of the Gn!f. instead, but
# it cannot, then Cuba must continue the !" Key
the rendezvous Of enemies right under our very nose
whence squadrons may be despatched even to block.
ade the Gulf terminus Of the canal through which arm
aments might be slowly essaying to sneak to rein
force the fleet Of this Southern sea. In war with
France or Great Britain the depots Of Cherbourg or
Portsmou nth, with the country which they have to
supply them, might just as well be in the spot which
Havana occupies, where the neutrality principle will
give free admission. and where every want can be sup
piled to ships-of war.
Then, we should have Cuba, because she is de facto
'rremedably and incontestably the naval Keyof the
Gulf and must be 80 until the revolution of another
chaos shakes out Of position the component parts Of
the planet. We should have Cuba because q Euro
psan monarchy ought not to have foothold there
more than In Mexico. We should have Cuba because
We want her slave territory. We should have Cuba
because in getting possession Of her we should be rid
Of a commercial parasite which clings to our very
skirts and sucks the blood Of finance like vampire,
for the trade balance due her annually draws from us
millions Of specie-a I" sort of thing" which, the
political economist will say, ought not to be allowed
to go on" This last reason why we should have
Cuba must be papable to the sense Of all, and to
none more forcibly than Northern brethren who so
well understand the worth of dollar-aye, Of pic.
ayune. Cuba produces commodities that we must
have, and SO long do not possess her to raise
them ourselves, we must come down with the dust,
and fatten the tyranny that Expresses her.