The New York herald., 1867-12-18
The Purchase OF Cuba-Copperhead and
Radical OhIectiens.

10 rurcnaso OF Cuba-Copperhead ana
Radical Oblectiens.
One hundred and flfly million. osdolars for
"the ever Hithful islands or Cuba and tho
! island AZ Pasie Ri.s is |. sum Of money which
no intelligent man win pronounce high price
for these beautiful ana advantageously located
pieces Of real estate. They are cheaper than
St Thomas ct seven millions, or than the Inn
measurable hyperborean expanss Of ALASKA
would be ct seven hundred dollars; and yet
Alaska, looking ct it as q fisherman, is nota
bad Investment Cubs, then, q the price
asked, Is . bargain. In seven or eight or ten
years, under our present internal revenue
taxes, this flne island would pay into the Trea-
sury every cent Of the purchase money for
both islands Twenty millions year, more or
less, are furnished the treasury ct Madrid from
the revenuss of Cuba This fertile island
seven hundred miles long and ffom ffty to
ninety miles wide, lying along the front Of the
Gulf Of Mexico, like huge breakwater h
cheap to great naval and commercial Power
like the United States at any price. If s..
Thomas may be called the key Of the Gulf,
Cuba may be called the lock; and with the
lock and key Id bur possession the Gulf would
become IN American lake-s naval balance Of
power or incalculAble importance.
Its . remarkable fAct, however, that oppo-,
sition to this proposed transfer of Cuba has
sprung up in both the copperhssd and radical
camps. A oopperhead journal lying before
us-a model Of wisdom in Ii own conceit--
objects on the ground that, q things are now
managed, We should with Cuba have only the
addition Of another negro Stats TO the ten In
process Of organization. and that from .
democratic standpoint, another negro Stste
would smash mp the Union. and result in an
independent Southern negro contederacy. II
mnst be admitted, TOO, that seven hundred
thousand negroes and mulattoss against six
hundred thousand whites In Cuba would be
apt 10 turn the scale, on the basis Of universal
negro suffrage, in favor OF negro supremacy;
but as this thing. II established, cannot last
long, we think there win not be nuoA danger
in risking it. gDmA0efs atEAw ktN esg
Mr. Sumner, the great apostle o. the Massa-
chusetts radicals in the United States Senate,
opposes this acquisition on the terms suggested
on the ground that II would be fooIsh TO pay
one hundred and Aity millions OF any other
sum for Cuba, when by quietly waiting four
or Eve years we shall get the lovely island for
nothing. But where is the philanthropy or
Mr. Sumneri There are now half 1 million or
more Of negro slaves in Cubs. BY ,hnying the
island now these slaves, under the constitu-,
iional amendment abolishing and prohibiting
slavery, become at once frea = not this 20
contamination devoutly to bs wished Z" Il,
Mr.. Sumner, on the other hand. willing to keep
these slaves in slavery, and to keep the Affi-'
can slave trade going likewise four or Eve
years longer, in order to save ons hundred
and flfty millions OF dollarsi. What sort OF
humanity Is ,thisi Isit not Of that New Eng
land sort which furnished the slave ships and
did the carrying business in insgroes from
Africa for South Carolina and Georgia In the /
good old timer ,- .s.s n. ,ssa
But whatever may be the factious objections
Of copperheads or radicals to this proposition
for tho purchase Of Cuba, we have only 70 say
70 the administration, let tho bargain be-
struck, let the treaty be submitted to the Ben
ate, and ii will 60 through. There is, regard
less Of money, prevailing pubic sentiment
in this country in reference to Cuba which our
politicians, when put to the test win not dare
to disregard. e4s
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