New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-04-19
THE NEGROES IN Cuba.


The emdncipadOs of Cuba, whose liberation IL the
course of the present year Lord Howden has pro
cured from the Spanish Government are class Of
persons whose condition has for eighteen years been
topic in the diplomatic papers passing between LONDON
and Madrid. The class was created by treaty ne+'
tated by Lord COwley in l5l7. In that treaty SPAN
formally prohibited the slave trade and agreed 10 o.
tablish at Sierra Leone and az Havana Mixed Courts
partly English partly Spanish 10 try captured saVer
and vessels accused of being such, and TO deliver MO
the hands of the Spanish authorities all negroes ound
on hoard OF savers condemned at Havana, while those
brought into Sierra Leone were TO be cared Tor D. tue
authorities Of that colony each government agreeing %
set them free.
THIS treaty took effect on Oct %, l-2O but when IN
1e3 WAS revised in order TO afford additional security
asnst the slave trade Lord Clarendon who
with the peq.t alton found that the Spanish government
had not kept its pulaons respecting eserecaptured
rocroes or enancpados Instead Of setting them tree
.ccordior to agreement had bound them out on the
rrourd that they required instruction both in ministry
and reloicn to qualify them for freedom The
irdentures were made nomna.y for tive years, tue
tr povino : 1873 10 the government for each appren-
.; brt the masters worked and abused them just IS
,bev did their slaves and at The expiration ct the Term
mn cara vos takep to secure their release eXceplt were
to bind them out again. the CapianGenra or his SUD-
ordinates pocketing the pice. The whole number Of
,oauciDados thus illegally hedn bondage was originally
- 600. of whom $500 were women. No doubt large
nortiop lad already died from i-treament aud over
work but vet the British Government demanded that IN
sccoupt should be rendered Of them all ami OF the de-
cendonts Of tLe females aud at the same time intro
duced clause in the treaty bywhch slave cargoes should
berea{fer he handed to the government by whose
menofwar they we're captured, without regard to the
mort of their condemnation; in consequence of which,
vitbn the four years from 157 to l352 alone nearly
o. eco Africans who under the original treaty would
have gone to increase the population OF Cuba nave been
carried 70 the British West Indies and set at liberty
since 1885 the release of the Cuban emancipados
OVID If rber descendants, has been insisted on
b- il has required nearly score of years to accom-
psb the purpose How numerous the class nov is we
have no means of Judging i'll the ordinary course OF
things following the usual decrease OF the slave popu
iaton and having had few or no additions from Africa
since 1895, it must be less than it was then The adj
dton it makes to the free black population OF the
island will accOrdingly be insignificant
We have before us the census of Cuba for l521 AMI
again that for lS41 Taking the growth OF population
during that period of IA years basis OF calculation
the result would be that the island now contains 5lOO
whites TO 10000 blacks But the fact is that for the
five years Immediately preceding l-2, the blacks IN
creased with rapidly while the white Immigration was
comparatiyely small. This was caused very much by
the stimulus which the British tree trade legislation OF
1916 gave 10 the production OF slayegrown sugar In
IS4S for instance, the import OF negroes was worthy
the most pamy days OF the traffic, ana so It would nave
continued had not the British Government adopted the
suggestion of Thomas Carlyle, and sent squadron 70
the island as well to the coast OF Africa we may,
therefore fairly conclude that out OF the million and
quart er inhabitants in the island twothrds II not
more are Of negro blood of whom about quarter are
free.
The British Government havlDg secured the hOerty
of the emancipados is bound TO take up another
subject which il has already had IN hand We mean
the position OF the negroes smuggled mo the island
since the slave trade prohibited In 1870. Ot the
number Of these there is of course official record
Az long ago as lS40 Lord PamerstOn proposed TO the
Spanish Government 70 have legal examination into
the case of all slaves supposed, on sworn uiormaon TO
have been brought in subsequent TO that time, or TO be
the descendants of such negroes and TO set them free
unless the owner could show the contrary. This pro-
posa was not accepted and indeed its execution would
be involved in some difficulties but on the other nand,
it is certain thar very large portion, probably the ma
orty of the Cuban slaves held il bondage contra
~ 10 The pledges of treaties and to the Spanish laws
To effect their emancipation may expect that the
British Government will use every opportunity. Aud
though it may be very long before the end is achieved
We see no reason TO doubt that il will finally be gained
the release of the emancipadOs indicates rs possibility
and We NAV be sure that England will allow no tayora
bic concatenaton Of circumstances TO pass without
crowdng or coaxiug Spain into the measure If Cuba
remains in the hands of Spain slavery is sure 10 be
abolished
Equally certain is the event in the island sh oud
be wrested from Span by fi5uster Invasion The
Spanish Government Las already avOwed its determi-
nation to emancpate slaves before abandoning the
colony TO American cOnquerors Let no one doubt that
such emancipation would be efectual it would be
legal IL would BE- rtle more than carrying into effect
the provisions Of the treaty Of ISL according which
robody has ever lawfully owned negro, the descen
dant one imported since l-2o Aud we may be sure
that under such circumstances with Spanish leaders
direct and Spanish aid support them the blacks o
Cuba would make good their freedom against all TIT
fllibusteros OF the universe.
Cuba is purchased by the United States, i is quite
as sure rapidly 10 become a country of blacks alone
great slave emigration from this country would follow
the purchase the dkprOporticn OF the two races
ALREADY enorrnous-would at once be vastly increased
and every census would see more Africans and fewe
whites among its population. The end Of such pro
cess is plain. IL is the abandonment OF Cuba BY th
whites and the abolition OF slavery leaving the islan'