Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1852-11-24
From the Dublin Nation, of septembere5.
The Lone Star.

Antilles has groaned under the oppression and
rapacity of the mother country, since Spanish
colonists first settled on her soil. Used as mar
atime garrison, to guard the Spanish possessions
in the gulf of Mexico, Cuba was deprived of all
rights, commercial and legislative, and lay upon
the sea in gripping poverty and dependence, with
out a privilege or aspiration, till l7Ss. In that
year dreadful calamity aroused her population to
unusual energy, and opened to her narrow path
way which had slowly opened wider and wider,
till she can now see clear road to speedy deliv-
erance. The famine of that year was SO great
that the Spanish Sovereign, Charles the Third
was compelled to abrogate the monopoly of Gu
ban trade, enjoyed by the lordly merchants of Ca
dz and Seville, and extend it to thirteen ports of
his kingdom. He did this rather than meet the
distress of the colony out of the 'simperial re-
sources" Commerce then gradually grew up,
and the white population, in fourteen years. null
tiplied from $4,000 to 100000. Some runaway
slaves from San Domingo, took to coffee plantnS
in the northern districts of the island and the
manufacture grew rapidly into Importance, despite
of the encouragement and jealousy of the mother
country. Almost every commodity necessary for
life was imported from Spain, under enormous
duties, and Cuba Loyalty paid these racally i'm
posts until 1913, when blockade of the YES
sells of France completely cut off all such sup
plies.
This caused another breach in the Jealous re-
strictions of Spain. The people insisted that the
Colonial Government should open the ports to the
ships of the neutral States. The Havana became
covered with foreign bottoms; and the audacious
colonists got plenty to eat, and wore much more
clothing from that day forward. Agriculture was
improved, and immense tracts of land which un-
der the ban of the crown had laid idle, were cul-
tyated with success. These acts of legislative
independence were visited by imperial anger in
1901. But the insubordinate Spaniards refused
to annul their own essays in self-government-
And Spain, the naughty and yindictive, held her
tongue and spared her blows. The outrage
of despair defeated the royal authority of Madrid.
King Ferdinand the Seventh did very wise
thing in 1912. He saw there was no use in bull
lying any longer; so he took to petting, and con-
ferred on the Island the privilege of representa-
ton in the Spanish Chamber of Deputies. A
very sagacious, determined Cubano- -Spaniard, with
some of the hot blood of the Hidalgo, under his
diplomatic hearing. Senior Arrange, fought the
battles of negotiation for the colony at Court till
1911, when all restrictions on Cuban commerce
were removed. Her traffic became worldwide;
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 fabul oas. What had
lately been wasting island, blossomed like sea
paradise.
The mother country-how much alike, to be
sure, are the acts of all these maternal guardians
bagan to thirst for the new and rich blood infused
into her prosperous subject. She taxed her for
love of her; and coolly pocketed as her share of
three millions of dollars out of the fifteen milli-
ons revenue which Cuba produced, besides exact
ing the profuse pay bestowed on her Executive
She sent to govern her, semi-rnilitary sem-po-
litical Vceroy, with train of rapacious officers
and administrators. She usurped all the patron
age of the government, and, in word, followed
the illustrious and constitutional precedent of
"England in Ireland" She deprived her of her
representation in the Chamber of Deputies in 1898,
and delegated her authority in full to an rrespon-
sible and mercenary brood of foreigners, to rob,
harass, plunder and insult, at their "imperial''
will. Of course she conferred upon standing
army to maintain claw and order,'' (and made
her pay through the nose for it.) and gradually
concentrated the power of the local administration
in the person of her deputy, who has absolute
power over life and death. The white inhabitants
are in the most abject political servitude. They
have not the smallest share in the government;
and dare not NEEDLE in the management of their
own affars.'' Blessed with large fortunes, they
send their and daughters to the schools of Pa
ris and New York to receive the highest educa-
ton, and see them return to their country, en-
lightened by education and travel, to succeed to
their own political and social vassalage.. No
wonder they are discontented and angry. No
wonder that they hate the vile tyranny which de-
grades and robs theu. e
The proud blood of Spain, flowing in the veins
of the colonsts has often glowed at all these in
iuries. They cannot comprehend why their glo-
rious island should be Epelting province" to a
distant and tyrannical government They think,
oh, monstrous audacity that the dominion of
their country should rest in themselves. And SO
for twenty years, they have speculated on "re-
pealing the Union'' by the moral force of their
strong right arms. From Havana, Santiago and
Trinidad to the Copper mountains ''Young Gu
ba'' has been propagatng revolutionary doctrines,
and preparing toisnap the golden link of the
crown. -
In 1887 they asked England to guarantee her
protection, and they would proclaim their inde-
pendence, and abolish the slave traffic But Eng
land, the hypocrite, talked of international
treatise and the rights of property, and took to
scourging and plundering her own Cuba, near at
C,,I J,bo bar for al