The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1851-08-06
Cuba.

Cuba.
That the inhabitants of Cuba have
Just cause for revolution, there can be
no doubt, with those acquainted with
her history and condition. The govern
ment of the Island is one of severe mil
tary despotism, and is carried on, aud
maintained, for the special benefit of
Spain, and not of Cuba. 1t should be
legitimate cause of revolution that the
natives of Cuba-the Creole population
are declared from all participation in
the Government. They are also shut
out of the Army and Navy, and thus
deprived of all military preferment,
while, at the same time, they are very
heavily taxed, aud form one of the prin>
cipal sources Of revenue to the Spanish
Government. The people have no Con-
sttution, and the Captain General, ~
appointed by Spain, possesses almost I'M
limited powers. There is, at any rate,
no Constitution TO curb him. More
than this, we believe that any people on
the face of all Gods broad earth have
right, whether divine or human, to gov
ern themselves, by such an organization
as they deem the wisest, best, aud every
way, the most eXpedient.
We have before us pile Of Havana
letters, published in the New York pa
pers of Wednesday, which are mainly
occupied in a repetition Of the various
facts already recorded, from the dis
patches from the Isabel's news, received
at Charleston. The preponderance Of
testimony is decidedly in favor Of the
revolutionary side of the case. The
reports of the successes of the insur-
gents are confirmed by these correspon-
dents, as well as the accounts Of the dis
affection of certain Of the Government
regiments. The Government, in its
published bulletins, has spoken of the
instruction as a slight affair, but this
does not comport with its sending every
possible amount of force from Havana
to the insurrectionary district, the inter-
diction of the passage Of sealed docu>
ments, the activity of the Naval force,
and the proposed return Of the Captain
General, from his summer residence, to
Havana. We cannot doubt, from these
movements Of the Government, that it
attaches importance 10 the movement,
either in its immediate aspect, or ulli-
mate results.
Against this conclusion, however,
there are certain personal testimony, the
publications Of the Government, and
what commercial men consider an i'm
porlant fact, viz.-ihat the markets of
Havana remain unchanged" The edi-
tor of The New York Herald states thai
he has held conversation with an Amer
lear merchant of the FIRST responsibility,
who left Havana on the ODD inst. and
who says that two small parties at Prin'
cipe had taken up arms, were promptly
defeated by the Government troops, and
then sued for pardon and received it
from the Governor of Principe. Also,
that on the l7th inst, all was quiet at
the latter city, that no desertion Of the
Spanish troops had occurred, and that
all the reports published in the United
States papers were fabricated that no
apprehension existed at Havana, and
that the whole affair amounted TO moth
ing more than riot. We may be mis-
led by a blind sympathy, but in the
light of all the other evidence, this stale
ment seems 10 us quite as cxtravagant
in one direction, as the revolutionary
statements are in the other Our read
, ers have had all the important state
ments before them, on both sides Of the
matter, and can form their own concln-
sions.
The question will very naturally be
asked whether the Cubans are able to
carry their revolution to a successful is
sue, provided they have really common
ced for that end The only data that we
/ have before us are in the statement of a
letler,wriler, that the scattered forces
of the Government, in the island, do
not exceed Is 900 men, and that the ma
tive Spaniards in the island are less than
10000, while there are 400, 600 white
Creoles. If these arc facts. and it is
true that the latter are united in their
aspirations for liberty, the result could
hardly admit of doubt, for the home
Government is proverbially powerless
and Inefficient The pronunciamentc
made at Principe states that the Span
sh press has threatened, in case of in
surreclion, to arm the Slaves. and lei
them loose upon them. If this savage
threat ever be fulfilled, the result vii
form one of the darkest pages which his
tory ever was called upon to record
Spring field Republican.