Year: 1859

failure, It is said, now, that it is doubtful whether Mr. Buchanan ever did get that Mes sage from the Queen. l have seen it stated, that so far from any | of that sort of conversation passing, it was a ! trick Of trade. The stockholders got up the messages, and they were conveyed as the Gov ernment's, and the shrewd ones got out, and the soft people got bit. Those not in the trick were left in the lurch. Whether this is true CT not, l 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 telegr. ph told him it would be failure. pointed out that you were contributing money to make a line of telegraph both ends of which would be- long to England and said that, throughout sach an extent of ocean, a shark could bite it in two, or it would be cut in two in running O. yer the mountains in the sea. Practically, in in my mind, there was no chance for the thing

 Now, Sir, ycu are here after Cuba. It seems to be a favorite project with Mir Buchanan. have not the time or ability to say all that 1 wapt to say, or say it in such a style as should like to be in trim to say it. think Mr. Buchanan is hardly consistent upon this sub- ject. When he was Secretary Of State, he wrote about it to Romulus M Saunders our Minister at Madrid--a rough, coarse, North Carolina man--a gentleman, tllongh :; but l reckon from his manner and his walk, and his look, (or he was ugly, although he was clever,) the last man ill the world to send upon such an errand. So keen and eager was Mir. Bu- chanan then to get Cuba, that he wrote a let ter to Mir. Saunders on the sulj ct. I will not put it in my speech, but I will ask some body to comment upon it who can explain it. He told him to approach the Spanish Govern ment, not in the ordinary diplomatic way, by notes, but to talk to the Spanish Minister in a sort of quasi unofficial conversation, in friendly chat. Do not' send notes, because they "may bind the next Government against us, but make the suggestion ;" and he told him how, in the most delicate and the most in- sinuating and plausible way, to approach the Queen's Government. One hundred hundred million dollars was the limit y; and if the pro- position was not listened to, was not enter tained at all, MT. Saunders was to say, Re ally, Really, intended nothing at all purposed no insult to your Majesty" Here he comes again with this proposition, now by a sort of forced sale, warning off all other bid q r., and he wants $30 COG. 900 to start on. He wal never get $30, ,000, ego by my vote, to hang as milstone around my successors neck and if a treaty were made ill that way

 would vote to reject it any how, even at the r.sk of losing the $50, 900 900, just to vi'ldi- cate the independence of the Senate.

 Mr. President believe have spoken near ly to the extent of my strength and power to- day. TThe honorable gentleman, from physi- cal debility, had been compelled to be seated while he spoke. will not ask for contin- uance to any other day, because know that the time of the Senate is precious. I can on- ly say in relation to this whole project, that it will reagitate the country with the s avery question that it is, think, contrary to the spirit of our institutions to put money in the Presidents pocket, l suppose to be sent to Madrid, for Mr. Preston to use in an emergen- cy. I think it would be improper, unjust and ungenerous to our succ esscrs, who are to ratify the treaty, to take this advantage of them. l think it is an unfair way of negotiation. l think it would inJure Louisiana above all the States in the Union. I think that at tli time we ought to compact and bind together, i and build up, and strengthen what we have We are young. Let the gristle grow into the l bone let us get our muscles developed. Let us feel strong before we enter into such a con test let us cultivate the arts of peace fol Peace hath it's victories no less renowned than war" That would be my policy, and hope it will be the policy enforced upon the President by Congress. I am going to loos for some sensible man for the next Pr;s'Ge.s e.s l m I bo I,5 platform l do not want to run him in blinds l confess to you that, in my opinion, my col league Mir. Crttenden] would, of all men CT the face of the earth, suit me the best. Il you will give him chance, will risk him np on, my personal confidence, without laying down a creed of faith for him to go by dc not want to stand man upon platform, ol run him in blinds.

 Besides, these platforms are all nonsense Let me say to my friend, the Senator from New York, if he should ever get to be Presi dent, l want him to recollect that this plat form business is all humbug and when he get

 in power, to kick down the ladder by whicl he got there. The two or three last platform Presidents we have had, when they got in tht car of State and safely seated all around, ev erywherc, you could see, do not stand on the platform when the cars are in notion" Laugh ter. That is the way they manage it. Thclt is always some emergency, or something te justify departure from it. Well, Sir, hope I shall be forgiven. I have been to four ol five conventions myself, on account of Mir Clay, chiefly, and once, believe, on account

 of my colleague, to keep him out of scrapt of some sort, and know good deal abon

 them. In the time was in politics, and W, were dominant, always knew long time be fore the Convention came on, who would b 1 Governor. It used to be said that you neve

 could know who was Governor until the cleo tion was over but it was all fixed up-al done in advance. l wish the country to ge on prosperousy and peacefully and gIorions IV Nnifhnuf Ha