Year: 1859

ling to shed the first drop. Laughter five
get into this war we must 60 through, with it at
all hazards, at every expense, and at every loss
Our commerce, our progress, everything would
be loss and ruin to US. We, with our INSULT
cient navy, should be utterly unable to cope
with those two powers. They do not seem in
clined to fight US; they do not want to fight US;
they were willing to share fairly with US.
suppose the talk about fighting Just means this,
and no more: men know that there is in this
country deep rooted popular sentiment of dis
ike, an inveterate feeling of hatred, toward
England mean. with the lower orders. 1t
comes down additionally from our revolutionary
war 1t was revived by the last war we had
with her, It is safe thing in any ignorant
crowd to curse England, and you will not find
anybody of any party who does not back you.
! suppose it is popular theme for defamation;
but think it is time we had quit it. believe
that is the prevailing, dominant feeling with the
ignorant portion of our population. Whether it
is just or unjust, will not pretend to say but it
is an element in the American character; an ell
ement like their ignoring the rights of Mexi-
can or Spaniard. 1t is feeling they have
They hate red-coat and Britisher. Mr. Dali
las and Lord Napier may have as many suppers
and feasts as you please; they may talk about
the same language and reading the same Milton
| and the same Shakespeare and about common
blood and fraternity and all that. Very well,
that is Just as nice as two ladies who hate each
other like the Devil, gossiping very pleasantly
i over tea table, lLaughter.l That is what it
amountslto. Folks do not feel that way. It
is as harmless, and just about as foolish, as the
oVations TO the success Of the Atlantic telegraph
That was another one of your schemes dead
failure. 1t is said, now, that it is doubtful
Il bafh
If the Queen. y .1


have seen it stated that, so far from any Of
that sort of conversation passing, it was trick
oftrade The stockholders got up the messages,
and they were conveyed as the Governments,
and the shrewd ones got out, and the soft peo-
pie got bit. Those net in the trick were left in
the lurch. Whether that is true or not; do
not know; but do not reckon any message was
ever sent. Two years ago.. the Senator from
Louisiana, who is so enthusiastic now about
Cuba, predicted repeatedly that we should have
great results from this telegraph. l told him
it would be failure. / pointed out that you
were contributing money to make line of tele-
graph both ends of which would belong to Eng
land; and I said that, throughout such an ez-
tent of ocean, shark could bite it in two, or
whale could knock it in two, or it would be cut
in two in running over the mountains in the
sea. Practically, in my mind, there was no
chance for the thing.


Now, Sir you are here after Cuba It seems
to be favorite project of Mr.. Buchanan
have not the time or ability to say all that
want to say, or TO say it in such a style as
should like to be in trim 10 say it. think Mr.
Buchanan is hardly consistent upon this sub
ject. When he was Secretary OF State, he
wrote about it to Romulus N. Saunders, our
Minister at Madrid-a rough, coarse, North Car
olina mana gentleman. though; but | reckon,
i from his manner and his walk, and his look (for
he W ugly, although he was clever, the last
| man in the world to send upon such an errand.
So keen and eager was Mr.. Buchanan then to
i get Cuba, that he wrote a letter TO Mr.. Ssun-
ders on the subject / will not put it in my
speech, but will ask somebody to comment on
1t who can explain it. He told him to approach
the Spanish Government, not in the ordinary di-
plomatie way, by notes, but to talk to the Span.
ish Minister in a sort of quasi unofficial CONVEX
sstion, in friendly chat. "Do not send notes,
"because they may bind the next Government
against US, bat make the suggestion" and he
told him how, in the most delicate and the most
insinuating and pausible way, to approach the
Queens Government One hundred million
dollars was the limit; and if the proposition was
4 not listened to, was not entertained at all, Mr.





ing at al; purposed no insult to your Majes-
ty." Here he comes again with this PROPOSE
i ton, now by sort Of forced sale, warning of
all other bidders, and he wants sac, ,O0O, 900 to
start on He will never get $50, 900, 600 by my
vote to hang as millstone around my success
sor's neck; and if treaty were made in that
way, would vote to reject it anyhow, even at
the risk of losing the $50 600 O00 Just to yindi-
cate the independence of the Senate.


Mr.. President, / believe have spoken nearly
to the extent of my strength and power to-day,
The honorable gentleman, from physical de-
bility. had been compelled to be seated while be
spoke.l will not ask for a eontinuance tc any
other day, because know that the time of the
Senate is precious. / can only say, in relation
to this whole project, that it will re sgitate the
country with the Slavery question, that it is,
think, contrary to the spirit Of our institutions
to put money in the Presidents pocket, 1 sup
pose to be sent to Madrid, for Mr.. Preston to use
in an emergency. think it would be improper
unjust, and ungenerons to our Successors, who
are to ratify the treaty, to take this advantage
of them. / think it is an unfair way of nego-
tiatien. think it would injure Louisiana above
all the States IN the Union, / think that al
this time we ought to compact and bind to
gether and build up and strengthen what we
have. We are young. Let the gristls grow
into the bone; let us get our muscles developed
Let US feel strong before we enter into such
contest; let US cnltiVets the arts of peace, fol
"Peace hath its victories, no less renowned than
. war" That would be my policy, and l hope il
will be the policy enforced upon the President
by Congress. ! am going to look for some sen
sible man for the next Presidency sound man
| would rather he had no platform; DO moi
want to run him in blinds. 1 confess to you
that, in my opinion, my colleague tMf Critten.
den) would, of all men on the face Of the earth
suit me the best. lfyou will give hun chance
viii risk him upon my personal confidence
without laying down creed of faith for him tc
go by; do not want to. stand man upon q
platform, or run him in blinds. -sl


Besides, these Plaifoms are all nonsense.-
Let me say to my friend, the Senator from New
York, if he shodld ever get to be President,
want him to recollect that this platform busi-
ness is al humbug; and when he gets inpoRer,
to kick down the ladder bv which he got there.
The two OF three last platform Presidents we
have had, when they got in the car OF State and
safely seated, all around, everywhere, you could
see, Fdo not stand on the platform when the
ears are in motion" lLaughter.l That is the
way they manage it. There is always some
emergency, Or something to justify departure
from it. Well Sir, hope shall be forgiven.
have been to four or five conventions my
self on account of Mr.. Clay, chiefly, and once,
4 believe. on account of my colleague, to keep
him out of q serape of some sort, and ] know Q
good deal about Them. In the time was in
politics, and we were dominant, always knew
long time before the Convention came on who
would be Governor Hused 10 be said that you
never could know who was Governor until the
election was over; but it was all fixed dup-sE
done in advance / Wish the country TO get or
prosperously and peacefully and gloriOusy
without any Slavery agitation. want man
of sound heat and sound head, who viii ad