Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-06-29
TBY OUR OWN REPORTER.
The Discussion in Raleigh.

uessrs. Branch ana oanders-uiet pursuant u aP-
,rtment at the Courthouse in this city, on Friday
soOiur last The audience was unusually large,
i mich interest appeared to be evinced to witness
.ho tilt. The discussion was prolonged till about
,idnicht. The following is the substance of the
debate:
Mn SANDERS opened. lie announced himself as
candidate for seat in the U. S. House of Repre-
ontatiycs. His antecedents he said, were strictly
1cmocratic-in no instance had he departed from
Semocratic principles proper In presenting the
views he entertained, he merely asked for that JUS
,;re to which he would be entitled in the Judgment
# the audience He had no active agents to sup
rort or vindicate his opinions. As an independent
freeman he had as much right to occupy his present
,ostion as any other man in the country. He asked
* right an impartial decision He declared him.
elf democrat as he had always been, on the great
issues dividing the country; but he must say, and
he said it in sorrow, that the administration of Mr.
Buchanan had failed to meet the public expectation
This might sound strange to the friends of Mr.. Bu-
chanan From his youth he had admired that great
statesman but when he found his conduct of the
affairs of the country departure, in many instan-
ces from the pledges made in the late Presidential
ranvass he, for one was bound to differ with him.
When Mr. Buchanan was elected it was told to the
South that it necessary to defeat the Black Re-
publicans to the passage of the Kansas bill
and to secure the admission of that State into the
Union as slave State. And now, he asked, did
any hope to Kansasa slave State? Ifnot then
that one failure of the present Administration.
He next alluded to the question of internal i'm
provements by the general government. Many
battle had been fought and won in opposition to that
question: Now, he said, the democratic party had
been astounded by the declaration on the part of
Mr. Buchanan, to build Pacific railroad with the
rublic means. This he declared was the second de-
parure from democratic principles
Next the question of specific duties and ad ralo
rem duties. The President, he said had recommen-
ded a departure from the old democratic system of
nd yalorcm and resort to that of specific duties
and this Mr. S. considered third departure from
democratic principles
The next point Mr. Sanders said was the PROPOSE
ton to send L. S. army to Chihuahua and Arizona
for which, he said, there no precedent in our
history 1t has not been the custom to send armies
able to send one to London to any other foreign
country This was new democratic doctrine.
But the great question, he said, the great alb
sorling question introduced into Congress by Mr..
Branch-was the Thirty Million Bill. Like Aaron'S
rod that swallowed up all others. The bill proposed
10 give to the President thirty millions of dollars to
pav in advance on the purchase of Cuba Mr..
Branch had cited the cases of Florida Louisiana and
New Mexico as precedents. Mr. Sanders commended
these cases were different from that of Cuba. The
former lay by US on own continent, and in them
our citizens had some foothod and therefore there
was some excuse for their purchase. He, MIR. S.,
had been for them and their owners were willing to
sell Cuba, however, was detached, and was not in
habited by any portion of our own citizens, butt
a most foreign to our institutions. But suppose
the bill We're passed, the negotiations made by the
President, and the thirty millions paid down where
was the consent of the Senate upon this, 1.-THE
consent of the Senate the constitution explicit
Mr.. BranchS position to leave the matter to the
discretion of the President without the consent o
the Senate. There was no doubt the thirty millions
could be spent without this consent If the Senate
should refuse by two-thrds vote to ratify tn,
treaty. the thirty millions would be lost and W.
would become the laughing stock of the world
Again, said Mr.. s., suppose the bill passed and tho
Black Republicans come into power. Mr. Branch
had stated that the bill was so guarded as to pre-
vent
Mr. BRANCH here interrupted Mr.. S. to correc
him in this particular. What he did say was, tina
the money would be guarded by general law whicl
carried every surplus fund into the treasury at tn
expiration Of two years. He further explained tina
the object of consulting Congress by the passage O
the bill was to guard against such treaty benI
made as would be rejected-the Senate giving it
assent in advance.
Mr. SANDERS resumed. Was there no danger il
it? Was there any precedent for such a larg
amount! w as LneTe any Necessity lOT tilc puTCIlaS
of the island now? When necessary, he Mr.. S.
would take the island by force of arms, if needs be
Why necessary now-when were at peace wit
all the world-and in this summary manner? H
thought there more in this bill than many coul
see. 1t was proposition to encourage the SPANS
people to rebellion. 1t appealed to them-showe
them the advantages of union with US and Of civ
liberty. And he asked what would think
such a course from friendly power if we occupe
the position OF SPAIN and Cuba were one of our co
onies? Cuba was the rghtful property of SPAR
and she had done nothing to justify interference
This view of the matter seemed to him to be thu
which should be entertained by all honest men,
not by politicians. He asked if it was fair, or if
was dealing honestly with Spain. And he asked
in the event of Cuba rebelling with the aid of fill
busters, and her applying for admission into tn
Union-it would not be matter of grave considers
ton and he dwet upon the habits, character an
laws of the people of that island to show their III
fitness for republican form of government. The
as to the price Mr.. Branch proposes to pay thirt
millions of dollars while his report showed that tt
annual revenue from the island to Spain, was twe
ty-four millions
Mr. BRANCH. The annual tao on the island
twenty-four millions, large portion of which W;
expended in keeping up an army, &c.
Mr. SANDERS. That is distinction without
difference
Mr.. BRANCH You cannot base your argumel
upon rerenue of twenty-fOur millions. 1t is NJ
so much
Mr. SANDERS continued. The sum of which twe
ty-four millions was the interest, at six per cent
was four hundred millions of dollars. Was IL
country in position to pay such sum for Cuba
The revenue now derived from the products of TIL
island imported into the United States would be los
What the revenue to be derived from it he could nj
tell It's coffee and sugar might become lit
cheaper, while at the same time the sugar interest
Louisiana would be destroyed He repeated,
could see no necessity for the island now-when
became necessary for our defence then it would |
time enough to take possession Of it The questio
was of sufficient magnitude to engage the serious a
tention of every man before he went to the poll
The manner proposed by Mr.. Branch would undoub
eddy lead to the forcible possession of the islam
Mr.. Branch had declared in his report the hostilt
Spain to the idea of selling, and he could not Vi