Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-08-30
THE REPORTfD PUHCnAsE OF
CuaA ny THE UNITED STATES.

x pppoRTfD PURCHASE OF
cUBA BY TIE UNITED STATES.
The news comes over the wires that
President Grant is endeavoring to pur-
obose the sovereignty Of Cuba from
Spain, for the purpose of aiterward an
uex;ue il TO the United States. Grant IS
full Of vagaries, never having time to
give any subject of State mature thought,
for The reason that his time is occupied
in caressing bull puppies and driving
fast borses. We know it takes two 10
make bargain generally, and sometimes
three ss in this instance; for while Spain
nav barter Cuba to the United States Tor
ao,d vet it is not clearly demonstrated
that the Cuban people would be willing
~ come under the sway OF the stars and
stripes CERTAINLY these people are not
in the market to be bought and sold like
slaves to. any government that should
make the highest bid for them. Cubans
are fighting now for independence, and
while they would be grateful to the United
States for any assistance rendered them
in this pressing emergency, they still
would insist on deciding under what form
of government the citizens Of that island
will in the future live.
We presume the thought would not
be pleasant to contemplate by these
s,avaowners 10 have their negroes turned
loose BY this Government, and in the
twiokling os the eye be elevated to their
standard of citizsnship. Such would be
,be inevitable state of things with the
Fourteenth Amendment adopted and
the Fifteenth, now pending, as part OF
the Constitution, which these people
would have to consider and accept
Then this feature Of our organic law would
opers,e most harahIy npon the Cubans, TOR
while the entire population OF the Island
ia fourteen hundred thousand, about
six hundred thousand of these are
s,ayes. while those II remaining are one
hundred and seventy five thousand Span
ierds and six hundred and twenty-five
thousand Creoles, making the negro
population almost equal to the Creoles,
their masters. The Spaniards who live
on the Island are as much hated by the
native Creoles as carpet-bagger IS by
the people of our Southern States. 30
there could scarcely be any combined
action with these two against the negro
influence, should Cubs be made State
IN this Union.
The declaration Of the 0stend Confer
ence has been answered by the eman-
cipatioa OF slaves in this country, and
it is now no longer necessary
we should have possession Of the
island, for the reason that the people
there maintained the institution Of
slavery as we'll as ourselves. Then
It is settled understanding by
the Cespedes faction, as well as by
the government ofSpain, that in the event
either party should be victorious, slavery
shall be abolished on the island. The
territory of Cuba being in extent q, liz,
GAL acres, is sufficiently large for sep
arate existence; while its annual product
of cattle, sugar, &C flee, tobacco, molasses
cocoa, cotton, rice. indigo, fruits, timber
fisheries and copper ore, would place i
on footing of entire Independence o
all the world. 1t ia no doubt desirable
spot, and one that our people have beer
for long while anxious to obtain.
But we are left in doubt as to whethe
the people living there, separated from
all the world, with climate and soil an
surpassed, with every convenience for {
separate State government, would prele
to come under the dictation of the Radi
cal party in this country or continue
single-handei the noble struggle for lib
erty and independence.