Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-09-27

shot across the sky of Cuba, with fear of change
perplexing" many, has fallen from the armament
and sunk in blood. For time it was the cynosure
of every eye: the political astrologers duly noted
its rise, progress, and course in the ephemers OF
our daily journals but tomorrow, perhaps, in
the all-absorbing engrossment of some new nine
days wonder, the portent0us phenomena will be
handed over for insertion in that" old almanac, as
Lord Plunkett facetiously entitled History. But
we fear our readers will find us guilty of SHINING
agans. Quintilian by violating that rule of rhetor
cal architecture which prescribes that the portico
be not made too large for the house or perhaps
they may even liken our article thus far to the
Osiris" of Bishop Berkeley, which, purporting to be
chain of philosophical inquiries concerning the
virtues of tar water, ends by gradually sliding into
disquisition on the Trinity. Let us, then, with
out further preface, proceed to cursory notice Of
the volumes before u.s. a.,
The first of these works was written under the
confident assurance that in the resistless course
Of things periphrase we suppose for . manifest
destiny" the island Of :. Cuba is was n destined
soon to be free - and the author, in the tone of
alarmis then proceeds to ask if tits best for her TO
become so without our aid and nfuence"-an
interrogatory to which we imagine any other than
libustero" will not hesitate an instant TO answer
in the affirmative. The general tenor, however, OF
the work is une xceptonable, and the complexion
we suspect il OF being mere ritacimenfo from the
works of TurnbuIl, the "Viaje la Habana" of
the Countess de Merlin, and few others--has col
ected mass Of information, historical, geograph-
cal, and STATISTICAL with regard 10 Cuba, that can
mot be found, SO far as we are informed, in any
similar publication. Ofthe spirit and tone in which
Mr.. Alexander Jones has written the pamphlet
whose title is appended above, we cannot speak
in terms of equal appreciation. II would seem, in
deed, to have been ndited under that intense exa-
cerbation Of indignant feeling which was to have
been expected only from member, of the New
| York Cuban Junta, The author dilates, with evil
dent gusto, into the usual commonplace of an In
jured patriotsm-common-p places which Sometimes
serve the turn Of thwarted vlany equally well and,
| like that rob ustious periwig-pated fellow whom
Hamlet would fain have whipped for o'er-doing
Termagant, he sometimes tears passion to atters,
to the very rags to split the the groundngs.
We hope our readers will not suspect us of hav-
ing art or part with Mr.. Jones in ogling Cuba with
a covetous eye, if we cast a rapid coup d9il over
the island which exults in the admiring designa-
tons Of the Queen of the Antilles, Sentinel Of the
Mississippi, Key Of the Gulf, Gem of the American
Seas, Beautiful Antle, and Pearl Of the Islands.
We shall avail ourselves of the statistical tables
furnished by our authors, and Of few other sources
| of information at our command.
| Cuba is about $50 miles in length, by about SO
in mean breadth, the latter varying from IS to 100
miles. Its superficial area, according to Humboldt,
| is 1880 square miles, while Mr.. Turnbull, with
greater facilities to form correct estimate, CON-
putes it as low as $4,000. In the I" Resumen del
Censo de Poblacion,' &c. of the island for 1850,
the extent of territory is stated in caballerias at
73l,773; each caballeria containing, we believe,
about 80 acres. Of these, 1925 caballerias
is barren and unreclaimed land the remainder being
devoted to cultivation, reserved for pasturage or
covered with wood. To descant upon the une-
qualled fertility of the soil or the commanding
commercial position of the island is of course, SUI
perfuous. The climate, particularly in the west
ern part, though tropical, is marked by percep-
tible diversity of seasons, and the whole island
being traversed by SARA, the highest peaks Of
which, Potuo and Cobre, ascend $500 feet, the
climate varies, of course, with the elevation of the
country. The mean temperature is 7Oo, and the
hottest months do not average more than 64o or So
Of Fahrenheit. Ice sometimes forms at night after
long continuance of northerly winds, but snow is
unknown. Time fails us to enlarge on the see
merry of this enchanting island, so recently the
scene of bloody confict-the well-stocked plania-
tons, enclosed by hedges of brsing aloes or square
trimmed lines; acres Of" luscious fragrant pines,"
surrounded by fences built from the unhewn coral
rock; fields of thckly-crowded pantains the
royal palm rearing its stately trunk and tufed Co
ronal Of leaves, now by the road side, now over
fields of sugarcane and now over the cafetal while
at the feet spread on carpet of ever-during yer.
dure, lie the products of tropical flora: nor have
we time, along with the sprightly Lady Wortley,
to study characteristic lady in her qaafren or 90.
laafay the hacendado, mounted on horseback, with
cigarito in mouth ; yon knot of guagiros, or pea
SAINT creoles; and the African, toling beneath the
eye of his mayorai.
The population Of Cuba, according to the census
for 1850, was l,247,23O. The taxes Of the island,
as Mr.. Jones truly observes, are enormous"
Besides about Sl2,000,000 Of revenue taxes, the
church has its thes of all the ganddo of the FARMS
though jealous Catholics, the Cubans are COM
PEELED to pay tax on the bulls of the Pope, and
after being taxed all their lives, are taxed even in
death, for an impost is laid on all deaths of nom
insovent persons" The total revenue derived
from all sources of taxation, imposts, benevolences
amercements, &c. is stated by Mrs. Kimball al
$25, 100000 In reading the tax lists of Cuba, one
is forcibly reminded of Sydney Smiths portraiture
OF English taxation.
Such, briefly, is Cuba, the island which, as the
Captain General declares, in terms that Justly carry
a reproachfu significance, 81 men without law or
conscience have attempted to wrest from the very
nation which endowed the world with new hemi-
sphere" We do not next propose to indulge ia
any historical reflections the late invasion OF the
island; nor are we willing to disturb the ashes of
those misguided men whose heroic death did them
more honor than their life Living, they merited
our reprehension. for thew were outlaws 30 hit