Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1852-12-08
GadprEssh GIutkablltg aseglstar
THE IONE s,rARI

Oppression and rapacity 7of the mother
country. since Spanish coIonists first set
Z tied on her soilt aUsedas amaratime gar
risOn. to guard the Spanish possessions in
the Gulf of Mexico, Cuba was deprived
OEall rights. commercial and Legislative,
and lay upon the sea in gripping poverty
ind dependence, without a privilege or
aspiration, till 1893. In that year a
dreadful calamity aroused her population
to unusual energy, and opened 10 her a
narrow pathway, which was slowly OPEN
ed wider and wider till she can now see a
clear road to speedy deliverance. The
famine of that year was so great that the
Spanish Sovereign, Charles the Third,
waSaeonlpelled to abrogate the monopoly
of Cuban trade. enjoyed by the lordIy
Merchants of Cadiz and Seville, and ex-
tended it to thirteen ports of his king
dom. He did this, rather than meet the
distress of the colony out of the Imperial
resources. Commerce then gradually
grew up, and the white population in II
years, multiplied from 10000 to 1,30o,-
600. Some runaway slaves from San
Domingo took coffee planting in the nor
thern district of the island, and the man
uEacture grew rapidly into Importance,
despite of the encouragement and jealou-
sy of the mother country. Almost every
commodity necessary for life was impor-
ted from SPAIN under enormous duties,
and Cuba loyalty paid these rascally im-
posts till '93. when blockade ofthe YES
sells of France completely cut off all such
supplies.
This caused another breach in the ieal-
Gus restrictions of Spain. The people in
sisted that the Colonial Government should
open the ports to the ships of neutral
States, The Havana became covered with
foreign bottoms, and the audacious colo
nists got plenty to cat, and wore much
more clothes from that day forward Ag
riculture was improved, and the immense
tracts of land, which under the ban of the
crown had laid idle, were cultivated with
success. These acts of legislative indie
pendence were visited with imperial an
ger in 1910. But the insubordinate
Spaniards refused to anuuI their own es-
says in sclfgovernment. And Spain, the
naughty and viRStictivc, held her tongue
and spared her blows. The courage of
despair defeated the royal authority Of
Madrid.
King Ferdinand the Seventh did - We
ry wise thing in 1919. He saw there
was no use in bullying any longer, so he
took to petting, anil conferred on the is
land thePrIviege of Il representation in
in the Spanish Chamber of Deputies. y
very sagac Gus, determined Cubano-Span-
lard, with some of the hot blood of the
Hldalgo under his diplomatic bearing,
fought the battle of negotiation for the
colony at the Court, till 1929, when all
restrictions on Cuban commerce were re-
moved. Her traffic became world wide;
her coffee, sugar. and tobacco, brought
high prices in the markets of England,
America, Russia and Germany. Her
mines of gold, silver, and copper were
worked by adventurous capitalists, and
her prosperity became almost flbu-
LOUIS. What had lately been wasting
island dependency blossomed like sea OF
paradise. X
The mother country-how much alike,
to be sure, are the acts of all these ma
ternal guardians-began to thirst for the
new and the rich blood infused into her
prosperous subject. She taxed her for
love of her; and coolly pocketed as her
share of the spoil, three millions of dol
lars out of the fifteen millions revenue
which Cuba produced, besides exacting
the profuse pIy bestowed on her Execu-
tive. She sent to govern her semi-mil-
itary, semi-political Viceroy, with train
of raPaci0us officers and administrators.
She usurped all the patronage of the 90
vernment, and in a word followed the IL
Illustrations and constitutional precedent
of sEnglaud-in Ireland She deprived
her of her Representation in the Chamber
of Deputies in 1888, and desigatcd her
authority in fulfto an irresponsible and
mercenary brood Of foreigners, to rob,
harass. plumber and insult at their 'impe-
rial will. OF course, she conferred up
on her standing army to maintain 'law
and ORDER (and made her pay through
the nose for it, and gradually concentra-
ted the power of the local administration
in the person of her deputy, who has alb
solute power over life and death. The
white inhabitants are in the most abiect
POLITICAL seryitude. They have not the
smallest share in the governments; and
dare not NEEDLE in the management of
theirowu affairs. Blessed with large for
tunes, they send their sons and daugh-
ters TO the schools of Paris and New
York to receive the highest education,
and see them return to their country, en-
lightened by education, to succeed their
own political and social vassalaGe. No
wonder they are disconnected and angry
No wonder that they hate the vile tyran-
ny which degrades and robs them.
The proud blood of Spain flowing in
the veins of the colonists has often glow
ed at all these injuries They cannot
comprehend why their glorious island
should be pelting prozince to a distant
and tyranical government. They think
oh, monstrdls artdacity that the dominion
Of their country should rest in themselves.
And 50 for twenty years they have spec