Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1840-04-16

the hoenty -fow.-They are constantly seen
dropping asleep over their work. and as often
reused by the whip Of the driver. No wo
man, or not more than one or two to planta-
ton, are allowed on The Island Estates il
is needless 10 dwell on this abomnable fea.
ture in the economy Of the system. The men
are Of course soon worked 10 dtdfh-and as the
natural increase fall far short of the demand,
their places must be supplied from Africa.-
This plan is defended as the most economi
cal and profitable. That it is SO is proved by
the fact that one Slave in Cuba produces
three or four times the amount Of sugar rails.
ed by one in Jamaca before the emancpa.
tion. These atrocities nre chiefly confined
to the interior plantations. The domestic
slaves Of the better sort Of Spanlards are
treated with great humanity. and the laws OF
the Island are much more humane IN their
provisions than is generally supposed-but
their operation is chiefly felt by thu towns
that Of the inland estates Is in general be-
yond their reach.
"In tb, humane and profitable business
in Cuba, are engaged n,ultItuJes OF Ameri'
coos--many New England men-and to her
shame be it spoken, at least few Boston'ans.
The loss Of life on an estate owned by one
OF the Inter when il was IN preparation for su-
gar cultivation, was stated by physician who
resided upon il in his medical capacity to
have been FORTY per cent. Perhaps these facts
together with the circumstance that the Al
Iican Slave Trade is carried on 10 great ex-
ten' by northern capital-norihcrn men, and
northern bottoms-apd is defended and con.
nived at by our Nationai Representative at
Havana--may he p curious enquirers to on
answer To the question which sometimes per-
al haf
with Slavery ?"
In all Of Consul Trist's long dissertations
on the metallic currency" the Hacienda"
commerce" "agyicuIiure," "eIpofs," "im
ports," supplemental" and other remarks
on the wealth and prosperity OF Cuba, he
does not once name the situation OF that class
of people whose labor with The aid of luxn
rant soil and climate, produces 1t all. in spite
Of the blasting effects of specie currency,
und the dazsiing CLEAN" Of The bayonet OF
On arbitrary government.
A superficial reader would be led to sup
pose, from the great parade made about the
peaiih Of the Island Of Cuba. by our wise
statesmen, such as Mr. Benton, Mr.. Calhoun,
Mr.. Walker and Others, that it was really far
more prosperous under its specie currency,
than any other country on earth. a little
To prove the iaIsellood OF such an assumption,
and the superficial views that have been Ia
ken Of it by these worthless, in common with
every other subject Of importance, connected
with the business Of a country they touch.-
As before stated, Cuba is blessed with al
exceeding fertile soil g. climate, and produces
almost exclusively tropical products. conse-
quenlly but very small proportion of It's pro-
duce is consumed al home, but must he sent a
broad g. cxchungcdfor nll the various products
md manufactured articles OF other countries,
which are needed by its inhabitants. This,
with many Of our hair braincd statesmen, con
sti,utes the unfaillng evidence of the pros
perity Of a country. For instance, 1t a cargo
Of broadclo,h, of hats, of boots, and shoes, or
other articles, are made by the people who
themselves consume them, and the portion of
the population while making them, are sup
ported by the products of another class of
their own countrymen, il is Of no Importance.
But let these same articles be imported from
a foreign country, and paid for BY perhaps
fifty times their bulk in our own produce, and
requiring n great amount Of shipping to con.
vcy il abroad, subject to waste and oil the
contingencies of trade, ond burdcned with an
immense cost for transporla,ion-thcn in the
eyes Of these most wise and erudlte states.
men, these imports assume the character oi
being Of some value, and the country is con-
sidcred prosperous in the same proportion
that its citizens ore compelled to pay the ex-
pcnsc Of sending their products abroad to
exchange for these Imports
Mr.. Consul Trist himself states the popu.
lation Of Cuba to amount to about 100000
scattered over an Island containing, us he
says, over 40 COO square miles III Is, however,
probably over 50,0O0 as before stately Of the
richest and mcst productive soil. He states
its exports in 1887 10 have amounted to $50,
46,407, which probably was considerably
more than one half of the whole yearly pro-
ducts Of the Island, from The circumstance be.
fore alluded to Of its being a tropical climate.
We will cnll the whole yearly products 40.
0C0,0O0 dollars. which is probably rather al
over than an under calculation for this veal
thy and prosperous pattern"
Wewlll now turn to the cold rocky. and
barren region of country, called .NtW Eng.
land, where, too the people ore cursed by
paper currency, and False SyStem," and
whose inhabitants, though industrious in their
habits, probably as people, live more com
tortably than in any Pnrt Of the world be.
sides ard do not generally work 20 hours
out Of "a, as do the laborers Of the "chdrmed"
Island OF Cuba-conscquen,ly they cannot
be expected TO produce rs much under the
same circumstances. The people Of New
England are called upon in common with
other portions Of the United States, to aban.
don their g. false system" that tends to i'm
poversh them, and in the language Of Mr..
Benton, to "plant themselves on the solid
rock Of gold and silver" and adopt the specie
currency Of Cuba. But before we listen TO
the advice o! a man who has proved himself
in common with those who act in concert
with him, Ito say the leas; Of ,hem) to have
been mistaken in the effects Of every import.
ant innovation they have made on our ins,tu.
tons for the last ten years-before we listen
again TO his advice suppose we make some
comparison between our situation. while un-
der the operation Of q False Sysiem," and
that Of happy Cuba, .fourishing under the
." True Sysiem "of Mr. Benton and Mr.. Van
Burcn,-a metallic currcncy-and 90 hours
pork of her iaborers out Of t,oeniy four "regu-
lated by the "gieam ofhe boyonet "
Massachusetts for instance, contains :, 500
square miles, being about one seventh par,
rs large as the Island Of Cuba, and contained
n, the last census in 1880, 6I0,400 inhablt.
ants. An estimate was taken some few
years ago of the value Of the various products
of industry in Massachusetts, and they were
tound To amount If the writer mistakes not
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