The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1849-09-28

/ man million ana uiil Oi Etu, VI
which six or seven hundred thoas-
and are white, two hundred thous-
and free negroes, mt ttoes, and
zamboes, while the rest are slaves.
1t is supposed that but about two
fifths of the island is cultivated, the
rest being wilderness, uninhab.tatcd
and despoiled by ruthless Spanish
avaricc, of the glorious forest trees,
which strucl: the early navigators
with so much amazemcnt.
TIL, chief riches Of the island re-
suit from its exports, which consist
ofSugar, coffee, tobacco, wax, cocoa
molasses, honey, run, maize, &c.
The first of these is infinitely t. c
most important, and is probobly the
only one which is regularly mcrras-
ing, in spite Of tie changcable seas
ons, hurricanes, and tie immense
direct and indirect TAXATION to which
the planters are subjected. The
great increase may be estimated
FROM tie fact that in 1912, 6lI6!S
boxes were exported and in 1871,
l,274,8I. The exports for the
last fiscal year, ending with Nov
en5er, were l,2lO,9l7. OF other
articles during the same time, were
exported 7O0,9ll orroJGs (25 lbs }
of coffee, 2O5, 800 hhd3 of mo!osSeS
1900 pipes Of rum, 4,6!7 1877
pounds OF tobacco, al, 239 boxes
1 (thousands) Of scgars, and 5Gl .S-6
IquinIals Of copper ore.
! The cultivation of coffee is near
|ly destroyed. Nothing shows the
great decline Of the trade more than
the fact, that, in 1872 1886
arrobas were exported, while in
1913 there were only 70S, iSl. The
consequence is, that great portion
of the cGtctGi are now Abandoned,
and the land appropriated to grazing
sugar estates, or rice plantations
The tobacco crop rapidly increases
and will so long as the passion for
iIavanna and principe scsars shall
last. The plant is peculiarly differ
cnt from our own, maturing in less
time, and TIE soil is able u!ways to
bring two crops per annum. In 1872
the crop was 5,9l2,933 lbs; in l947
it rose to more than O0,O0O.--
That of 1888 was somewhat dimin-
isLed by a season unusually unPro-
'pi.ic"s, and by hurricanes.
The following table shows that
there has been a gradual increase
ofexports for many years, ana c!
consequent Irosperity:
5f.@f5oa IT,, d i.i t III cr....,H
uiid exports Yeats.
$3.50 isT 555iig5j 55'y5-5 r-9r.rc,.
/ 1893 90 1872 4gU73Gi5 l21JJGjJ $50
,I3lJolSl7 jJugTg7 l,ol6,Is4 -
The number of arrivals during
l8l7, at its ports, was 1904, and
the number of clearances 3,3l6.
Tn amount of American tonnage en-
p.oycd in trade Wit. it, is 476,773
tons.
Such are the resources Of Cuba,
and from them i. is customary to
conclude that the island has enjoyed
4 patcrnal government and en!ight-
cned care from crown of Spain -
Such IS not, however, the case for,
Of all countries in the world, it is
probably the most and the worst
governed. All power in the hand,
of the officers, tie captain general,
civil and military governor, and the
intcndcntc, responsible directly to
/ the Spanish crown, who has charge
o. the fiscal affairs and of commerce
crowds ofgrcedy Sraniards in ev.
cry cmployment--an army of twenty
thousand men quartcred on popu-
lation Of ,500,00O-vexatious tax
es, inlringements on natural right,
monopolies of everything, unblush-
| ing bribery, fragrant corruption,
constant espionage, and an ecclesi-
aitical system behind that of Eng
land in the times of the rulors, are
its principal features. Rigid Gems
orship of the press, want of all pro-
vision for education, and degrad-
ed aud worthless nobility, arrest the
attention Of every stranger, and
make him wonder how any race, in
telligent as are the Cuban CreoleS,
can remain quiet and see their
beautiful island doing nothing for it.
self, and wasting its treasure upon
a people who prize It only as a
means Of supporting sloth and want
Of energy. This wretchcd state Of
affairs point to a reaction, but, when
it comes, Cuba, with her population
Of |, 10000 and her immense re-
sources, must win her own freedom
or, if she do not will deserve to be
enslaved.
= In one ofthe counties of Kentucky