Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-06-02
From the X. Y. Journal o; co,nnerrcl

l.. y y Y
The islnni d! GuLa. towards which the eyes 81
Amrricnnr are. according TO their different views,
rrrcliiv anXiusiv .irnln" was discovered bv tn-
iumhus, towards lie end nj bcio''rr ila2 For over
n Quarter century li- vain" :" tlir Spanish gnV-
rrinrnt WIZ bur secondary, !; being lrSs Ir:nrr" Gs
II permanent colony. lii ns i,iacc for military de-
puts near Inc Cnn-t al irNir". Thus III" gr'h"S d-
vc.si:v rya:. IN The maps n The Island, al M nj
most incrr.iIbi" lack oi c"rftcEs lr ', b" found in
some which profess ~ have been a. aIc na sixty years
atcr the discovery nj the Island. II retained its org
nn Indian name ui Cuba: though, IA Is shown by old
charts, after competition with .luan". Fernando,
nn Santiago, Ave Marin aud otlr: loyal or devotion
al nupclatioua. There il much doubt which was the
first settlement made on the Cuban Cnnst. Baracoa
WIS probably the frs; establishment. and continued
in be III. capital ur the Island until j22 whra the
>rht n government wns transferred Ia Santiago ,lc
tuha. We arr n! by lrrnal ila. del Castillo, titnt,
in ljfI, tho port n! Havana existed. which had for
mnrly been called Puerto II" Carenas, an. not lla-
vann. \ discrepancy Is un!ahc, in the accounts 90!
historians, concerning the whereabouts nj this time
"l lavanG; ronr locating il on the Southern, an'lsup-
puaIg il o lnvc been subsequently, transferred 10 the
Northern side o: the lslnnl others asserting that
Havana was originally The nt province, not
town, and thu: two distinct placcr, iii the same pro-
vince, luvc been conlnumdc inlo one by those who
insist on n removal having taken place. Certain il
is That Havana wns originally founded by Don Dcg"
Ne!asqurZ dr Curlla who bestowed pains in cndnw
Ing /, with useful establishments and madc II place
Of mark as early as lIl5. In l,''S was destroyed
hv French vessel nf war; hut this lid not prevent
i,s rsinu again rapidly from IT. ashes for i'll 1876
we find The respective nomks-Ir!ars of the Fruncis
rnn md Dominican orders establishing cnt- there
and about the same time il WINS considered worth
attacking by the English. The foundations of the
first nf the numerous irlrcssra that defend the city,
were lnil, in 1889. hv the Governor of the Islund
fernando dc Soto. Ia cnpncinna hnrbor CAUSED it
tn become gradually. the most important rendezvous
for shipping, between Mexico and Spain In l5Gl
the number Of lis families had increased Ia 300 these
I,l tl. ,,rt y,
iury; And towards the middle Of the seventeenth,
they consisted of ln0OU souls. In 549 the Govern
or, Gonzalez Perez de- Angular, resolved making
Havana s residence; III lj39, the liret Cnpaili-(r
abode there; and in l,.'3-u, which period the city
wn- first wallci--hr vicc. of Governor of Havana
and Cnpiain-Gcncral of the Island united.
The miserable restrictive puirv o tile ti!nca,
lcnlrcd CuhH 10 comparative c"inincrcln inactivity
In ITS the ports Of Havana, San;ingo dc Cubn. In
Trinidad md Bniabnno first opcl.'l 10 trade
with the pcniiirula: aIid the sam" favor WAS not eI-
tended 10 Matanzas Nucri.ns, and other places. Until
the last ut the 18th nnd rst vcnrH OF the 18th
century. Notwithstanding. Cuba contains millions OF
acres of fertile c-growug country cnch two arrce
of The poorest u[ which eau produce hngslcad 0s sli-
gar only r., 800 n.shcnds were exported yearly be-
fore us. From this timc however r+ rise IN pros.
pcrty rnpi'; its population nearly doubled m ~
v,nrs FROM i71S to l19S and the revenues oi the
Island which Ind been, in l,6a. but e3D40 dollars.
Ind iucrrasrd within one year al tlc irs! relaxation
of colonial restrictions, Ia lS62i dolnrs In lSo the
unrts Of ITavuna Santiago dc Cuba Alninnzas and La
Trinidad wc:r opened Ia the world and from that
time. Cuba has been f;riclin. rapidly forwards in
wealth und distinction. Tie rrvciuc yielded by Ma
tnZn- alone, III 1878, Ia h" Spanish government, was
9Ju lr3 dunrs in 1872 but zen Years niicr the
atrctions Ia commerce hiti been tciloFc' tat lsinnd
welded t1Sj HI ol!HS i'll taxes 10 the Spanish crown.
and the cxpuratcu ri siiar reached the amount of
$50 Geo uuintals Ii lS4S the exports OF Cuba were
estimated nj S26,uOo,DOo; her imports at !1,uO00n0;
her revenue at Sl3,DG0,0O0: and VI. Ramon de In S;
IRA supposed the amount oi property in the slnnd TO
be worth $st0O0n,H00 although the portion of ii I'M.
der cultivation is supposed t" pc not u per cent OF
ts whole extent!
Cuba i. divided for fiscal purposes, into the three
nicndencics OF llavaDa, Santiago de Cubn and PG-
c:tn Principe. The lnrIrlun! oi HavalIn Is General
Superintendent III all rrvcincs. Each lntcninnt IL
diyid,. among dcccnied tnnnclal administrators,
who in url, nvc their -u-dcicga!cs through tho in-
terror nj the leland. About Onc-IlaIi OF the iir",:H
nf the government is derived from cN"rhltnnt Gu:irs
nu foreign "um!s !!ir most unreasonable pRrtoi which
nrc ,Iircr.l uirs, tho United States. according 20
McCulInch :-"Cuhn derives ninc-.cmils ol he: sup
ir o; tlm,r from the United States, principally from
New Orleans. the duty np"n which Is
Ss..jS per b,rrcl per Sphsh s!hp
9.59 per foreign ship
Tic population of Caba has increased III proper
+on to Is Growth in comm rec md agriculture. In
lSi1 TIC inhabitants ut Iio Island were 31l,9S. In
1858 tie; bad Increased 10 about ,uCg92 Ol these
6[j.DiD NJ! wI!!". Li.Utu sHi:c DidG.s allit hDoht
ag0Ouj tI.c Diack. By royai order Gf 18th March,
1887, free coIorci people Were prohibited from land
i'm. in Cuha on any pra:cnrc whatever. Novcrtho-
css the treatment slaves is usually hn!nauo and
mild There arc restrictions upon the evils attending
slayrrr which in not exist in Tho tn!.od States
According la old SrnnsN Colonial law. slave has
the r,.H Il, buy h;Hsif free. and ,l'a canister rni"i
oni, no: dispute !!s right, h the lr" VII" !lae com
mciicct paylng !or his liberty hy !msa.mcn's, may
work where he plcascs i'll Grdcr 70 acquire more fn-
mildly the means 10 purchase his freedom. slave
bos nlsn the rich; q; demand his sr 10 another mas
far in ease he is dipen-cd with the one he pnssesscs
The rapid increase the slave population may be III
n crear measure due 10 the continued np"ria'ion oi
slnyes from Africa. In some ycars, since $50, as
many as 20 UuO blacks are believed 10 have been I'm.
nortcd into Cuba i'll a single year. IN lS44, lepUO
slaves are said TO have been imported, and the mum
brr brought in yearly, present may average from
" to 3Oul. We DO not believe that the Spanish home
government nre directly responsible for the contnu-
nnre of this Internal traffic i'll flesh AM! blood: but
there s little doubt that of tho Captains Gene
raj of tLe Island have wnked AT it, and made it
source Of personal profit.
Cuba. Whatever her ultimate political connection
mny become certainly may be considered as destined
10 eminent prosperity This cannot be doubted when
We reflect thu, she possesses urea Of $1,000 square
Engyh miles, il nearly equal in aize to Ireland, and
of fertility unequaed by any like amour. Of terri
tory OH elrth