The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-07-19

it's statesmen, in which he says, 'Tell Gene
raj Grant that if he wants this island he can
have il"
Porto Rico will undoubtedly follow the lead
of Cuba sooner or later, and with most of the
Antilles it is but question of time. Tue
necessity for dominating the Caribbean Sea |
is absolute and immediate for this country, |
and the effort for the acquisition of ST. |
Thomas by the administration of President |
johnson was a far-sighted and states
manlike movement In the present |
condition of naval improvements,
steam will exercise controlling in1u-
ence in the event of war; and war vessel
leaving our naval stations, even from far
south as Pensacola, will have exhausted much
of her coal before reaching the meridian of
st. Thomas; hence the necessity of n strong
station and post of supply and reft well up to
windward. Nothing but the maGgnity of
partisan opposition, joined perhaps to gross
Ignorance on the part of Congressional COM
mittees, frustrated the appropriations neces-
sary to carry into effect the treaty of cession
negotiated with the Government of Denmark
Great Britain holds four powerful positions
of constant menace to this nation-Haifax.
Bermuda, Barbados, and Jamaica, with the
small naval station at Antigua besides. All
these places are fortified and stocked with
warlike material, and conveniences for supply
and repairs. Halifax and Bermuda are inn
mensely powerful both for defense and
offense all the stations are within easy steam
ing distance of each other and within this
chain of posts we need to secure and main
tain a substantial foothold.
There is a marked deficiency in the infor-
nation of the public at large concerning the
real condition of the West Indian islands.
Some general idea prevails of the in
juries inflicted upon the British
Islands by the arbitrary action
of the home government in the eman-
af ha ole ahn
of differential duties in favor of colonial
sugars, whereby the industry of these once
| important colonies was for a time entirely
Frustrated, and the whole system of their
labor absolutely demoralized But since the
perpetration of these positive wrongs, the
| policy pursued by the Government has been
| almost equally disastrous, in its neglect and
in the influence accorded to pseudo philan-
thropists in regulating to so great an extent
| all action respecting the prosperity of the
| colonies These two conditions, neglect and
prejudiced administration, have alienated to
great degree the affections of the colonists
as respects their government, and induced
them to look to the elements
of prosperity existing in other systems,
and their results upon the interests
of their people. In 1853, when the writer
passed through the islands on mission to one
of the South American republics, he found the
sentiment in favor of affiliation with the
United states not only strong in many of the
colonies, but in some decidedly demonstra-
tive. Planters in British Guiana, comment
ing upon the in juries inflicted by the course
of the home government, did not hesitate
to assert that if the United States would
hold out the necessary encouragement
they would run up the flag at once; and
a leading legal officer at Trinidad remarked,
''You are a young man, in the opening of
your official life, and you can in no way Sc
cure for yourself higher fame, nor engage
in work of such permanent usefulness, as to
devote yourself to the annexation of these
islands to the United States"
Repeated visits since to the different colo
MES have but confirmed these views, and the
reason is evident. All of them suffer from a
want of labor: they need firm policy with
that useless mass of negro population now
left in their midst as an encumbrance, and
for which they cannot legislate effectually.
At present the tide of emigration passes away
from them, and their magnificent soil, climate,
and natural position are almost wasted.
They produce articles of prime neces-
sity to mankind-sugar, cotton, tobacco,
cocoa, and coffee-yet from the scarcity
of labor are obliged to import food from
America. The British Provinces send cargoes
of salt fish, rice is brought from India to feed
the coolie laborers, and lumber, -four, butter,
lard, salt beef, pork, biscuit hay, and oats
from the United States. Incorporated into
the American Union as States, money would
flow in upon them for internal improve
ments, their labor would be regulated
immigration attracted, and their produce
reaching its principal consumers free
of duties, every plantation would at once
appreciate in value to an immen extent,
and all their production be stimulated
and expanded. The advantages are too OBJ
vious to need recapitulation, and force them
selves upon the attention of every rejecting
mind.
There are some of the islands of no par
} ticular value, except as completing the claim
of possession-such as the Virgin group and
the Dutch colonies-but these could be pur-
, chased for moderate amounts and with the
hearty assent of their limited populations
The French islands, Guadaloupe and Mar
Unique, are so well governad and generally
: prosperous that only the superior CONNER
cial privileges, and an augmentation OF the
value of their estates arising from the
free market for their products, would in
fuence the choice of their planters; but the
English possessions would soon enter by an
open door, particularly those where the
energy and wisdom of local administration
have re-establshed agriculture by the intro
duction of coolie labor. Antigua Is some
thing like Canadian town in it's sentiment
of local aristocracy, and consequent loyalty;
and in Barbados the English prejudice re-
mains as a consequence of uninterrupted
prosperity arising from its unique position as
respects the control of its labor subsequent to
emancipation but Barbados is exclusively a
sugar-producing island, and self-interest
would swamp national prejudice; while St.
Vincent, Grenada, Tobago, ST. Lucia Trini-
dad and British Guiana would undoubtedly
| UalcO1ne nOlitical union as soon &c it's fuI of