The Sun.
London, England, 1870-05-30 00:00:00

THE STATE OF CUBA.

A Cuban woman thus writes to a friend in New York :
"If you could but see how I am now dressed! My cloth-
ing, if exhibited in a museum, would excite curiosity. There
is not a beggar woman in the world who would wear it, but
that is a matter of little consequence. I prefer to wear such
rather than the far richer dresses which I wore before the
war, if I can only be freed from Spanish dominion." "My
children," writes another lady, "have positively noth.ng to
cover their nakedness, and I do not see how I shall be able
with the rags which I have to protect my person from expo-
sure." " When our boys kill a Spaniard," says another,
" we cut his garments into pieces and use them as best we
can for our clothing, and we are satisfied, even in th
midst of all our sufferings, because at the end of the
struggle we shall no longer be under Spanish rule." " Make
haste," writes a girl, "to send us something to wear ;
toll our friends from Havana and in New York
to forward us goods, needles, threads, &c., because we
are ashamed to be seen of any one." "Whatever clothing
we see," says a Cuban soldier, writing to his friends in New
York, "is what we take from the Spaniards, and this is
required for the poor women and their children." "It is
enough to make one weep," says another, "to see our
women, formerly so well, so elegantly dressed, appear in
Carnival season in tatters, but it is cheering to know that
they accept tbe situation without murmur. As to clothing
for tho soldiers of the Liberating army, that is out of the
question." 4 gentleman belonging to the division of Mo-
desto Dial writes :—" Po not ask fpr a particular friend or
relative. All have had their throats put, or are left dead on
the field of battle. The Spaniard has made the whole coun-
try a desert between Mansanilla and Bayamo. This last
mentioned jurisdiction has been, as it were, almost wholly
depopulated. The troops of Valmaseda have spared neither
women nor children."

THE CANADI 4N GOVERNOR-GENERAL ON

EMIGRATION.
A highly important letter on emigration, from Sir John
Young, the Governor-General of Canada, has been pub-
lished. The immediate object of the letter is to discuss a
plan proposed by Sir C. Trevelyan, to the effect that
agricultural families should be sent over to Canada and
placed on land, their land being made responsible for the
repayment of the expenses incurred in their emigration
and settlement. Sir John Young thinks that such a
scheme would be met by grave difficulties. Emigrants
from the old country are not fitted for the task
of clearing land ; and scarcely any emigrant
so placed would be able to live until he has raised a crop
from his land. In many cases, too, there would be no
chance of recovering payment of the sum advanced. Sir
John continues : " The best plan for an emigrant from
the old country is to work for wages till he has become
accustomed to the work of the country, and has earned
enough to subsist on land till he can raise a crop. In that
case he would have no debt upon him but the cost of his
passage ; but a the *Eia,rne tfte, donbt, those who
sent him out would have no security for repayment of ex-
penses but his honour and gratitude, which would be but
a slight security when the creditor is some public body or
association with whom the debtor has no personal ties. It
would, of course, be easy to take a bond for repay-
ment of the debt, but very difficult to
enforce it. Even while the emigrant remained
in Canada the expense and trouble of following him
to enforce his bond would almost be conclusive against
doing so, while, with the escape into the States so close at
hand, it would always be in his power to evade his
creditors. Some would pay and some would refuse,
and it would be necessary to submit to the
loss arising from the latter. But under such circum-
stances a ' reproductive ' emigration in its full meaning
becomes impossible. Meanwhile, for emigrants able
and willing to work Canada offers at present a very
good prospect. The demand for agricultural labourers in
Ontario during the present year is estimated at from
30,000 to 40,000, and an industrious man may expect to
make about one dollar a day throughout the year if he is
willing to turn his hand to clearing land, threshing, &c ,
during the winter. But it is of no use for emigrants to'
come here unless they make up their minds to take what-
ever employment offers itself most readily, without
making difficulties because it is not that to which they
have been accustomed, or which they prefer."

NEW YORK SHIPPING MERCHANTS.

It appears that the New York Shipping Merchants who
remonstrate against the present effort to revive American
commerce object only to the proposition granting subsidies.
At least so we gather from the statement preceding the
list published elsewhere. To such remonstance we have
not the slightest objection. We join in it, whatever their
motives may be, not because we do not wish American
commerce revived at any cost, but because we do not
believe that the granting of subsidies is a proper and
effective mode of doing it. From that part of Mr. Lynch's
argument we dissent, though with the objects which
the bill seeks to attain we heartily sympathise.
We believe that the proposed rebate of the duties
on imported materials would be encouragement
enough without the granting of any direct subsidies at all.
Mr. Lynch's bill is now before the House, in which it is
evidently to be thoroughly debated. There are also other
bills, proposing subsidies to four steamship companies,
still under consideration in other committees, but all of
which will doubtless be introduced in a few days. We
know little of the merits or demerits of these bills
providing for individual interests, but our firmest faith
lies in a bill which will offer encouragement to all classes
of shipping merchants and all kinds of sailing craft. Our
commerce is to be revived only by wise measures general
in their application.—New York Tribune.

THE COMMUNITY OF YELLOW SPRING S
For the first few weeks all entered into the new system
with a will. Service was the order of the day. Men who
seldom or never before laboured with their hands, devoted
themselves to agriculture and the mechanic arts, with a
zeal which was at least commendable, though not always
according to knowledge. Ministers of the gospel guided
the plough ; called the swine to their corn, instead of
sinners to repentance; and let patience have her perfect
work over an unruly yoke of oxen. Merchants exchanged
the yard-stick for the rake or pitchfork. All appeared
to labour cheerfully for the common weal. Among the
women there was even more apparent self-sacrifice.
Ladies who had seldom seen the inside of their own
kitchens, went into that of the common eating-house
(formerly an hotel), and made themselves useful among
pots and kettles ; and refined young ladies, who had all
their lives been waited upon, took their turns in waiting
upon others at the table. And several times a week all
parties who chose mingled in the social dance in the great
dining-hall. But notwithstanding the apparent hearti-
ness and cordiality of this auspicious opening, it was in
the social atmosphere of the community that the first
cloud arose. Self-love was a spirit which would not be
exorcised. It whispered to the lowly maidens, whose
former position in society had cultivated the spirit of
meekness—" You are as good as the formerly rich and
fortunate ; insist upon your equality." It reminded the
favourites of former society of their lost superiority ; and,
in spite of all rules, tinctured their words and actions
with the love of self. Similar thoughts and feelings soon
arose among the men ; and, though not so soon exhibited,
they were none the less deep and strong. It is unnecessary
to descend to details; suffice it to say that at the end of
three months—three months !—the leading minds in the
community were compelled to acknowledge to each other
that the social life of the community could not be bounded
by a single circle. They therefore acquiesced, but reluc-
tantly, in its division into many little circles. Still they
hoped, and many of them no doubt believed, that though
social equality was a failure, community of property was
not. But whether the law of mine and thine is natural
or incidental in human character, it soon began to develop
its sway. The industrious, the skilful, and the strong
saw the products of their labour enjoyed by the indolent,
the unskilled, and the improvident ; and self-love rose
against benevolence. A band of musicians insisted that
their brassy harmony was as necessary to the common
happiness as bread and meat; and declined to enter the
harvest-field or the workshop. A lecturer upon natural
science insisted upon talking only, while others worked.
Mechanics, whose day's labour brought two dollars into
the common stock, insisted that they should, in justice,
work only half as long as the agriculturist, whose day's
work brought but one. For a while, of course, these
jealousies were only felt; but they soon began to be
spoken also. It was useless to remind all parties that
the common labour of all ministered to the prosperity of
the community. Individual happiness was the law of
nature, and it could not be obliterated; and before a
single year had passed this law had scattered the mem-
bers of that society, which had come together so ear-
nestly and under such favourable circumstances, back
into the selfish world from which they came.—From
" History of American Socialisms," by John Humphrey
Noyes.