The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-06-28


free laborers and artisans or rather the want Of
numerous class from whence they may be drawn,
must have contributed in great measure TO all
mechanic services being performed by slaves. Thus
II is that in order to facilitate the effect Of the
measures which have for their object to promote
within the towns the replacement Of slave laporers
by free ones, and in order TO remedy Immediately,
as far as possible the actual scarcity of labor il is
indispensable TO authorize the immigration of white
colonists, Spanish foreign, with whose assistance
the iree and laborng class which is wanting may be
formed in Cuba.
The experiments made mp to this time show that
this remedy viii be effcacous; but in order to pro-
vide for It's due development it is indispensable to
Determine the conditions on which the introduction
Of coonists Is to be permitted and to fix the rea-
lions between them and their masters with regard
to the public interest and the powers Of the govern
ment.
The Governor Captain General of Cuba, Jealous
for your Naestys service, and believing the want of
labor to be most urgent, published an ordinance
lists from Spain China, or Yucatan and making regu-
aons for that purpose, rs also for determining the
reciprocal rights of the colonsts and Of their mas
tiers. Bat the government, considering the import
ance and gravity of the subject have Judged it in
dspensable, in revising those dispositions, to sub
NIT them in the form of decree to your Maiesty's
sanction. Its principal objects areto facilitate the
introduction of colonlsts in or Ter that competition
may increase the supply, and thus lower the price
OF labor; to prevent the colonists from being i'm
posed upon by avaricious speculators to empower
the government to impose special conditions with
the same object on the importers, according to the
nationality, number and circumstances of the colo
nists to be introduced in each expedition; to give
facilities within the limits of the law for fixing the
particular conditions of the contracts with the colo
nsts, in order that these contracts may be drawn
up not to give rise, by ambiguity obscurity to
questions of difficult solution; to establish pr0tec-
torate confded to the political authority, which
may decide, er 9quo ct bono, all the questions that
may be raised between the coonists and the mas
tiers, and may be susceptible of this proceeding; to
determine the most essential civil rights Of the
colonists and of their families so that those rights
may be respected in the contracts; to empower the
colonists and their masters to rescind these con-
tracts at fixed periods, either on account of mar
rage or by previous compensation in order that the
condition OF the colonists may not degenerate into
than that of the slaves themselves; to enact mea.
sures protective of the health and life of the colo
niss in order to prevent the avarce of any master
from putting the one or the other in danger; to
tiers for the correction of slight offences as may
not be cognizable by the Tribunals. In all these dis
positions, nevertheless, the government have
fully abstained from opposing the smallest obstacle to
fixed between the colonists and their masters some
reciprocal obligations and rights independent of
the contracts, these have not gone beyond what
concerns morality, religion, or the State.
by the owners of slaves, and to put stop to the e
climate hopes which have so much contributed to
the dinution of the slave race, 1t is indispensable
to put an end by ecacious measures to the eternal
question of the slave trade. The government are
resolved to cause the solemn treaties which they
stipulated with England to be fulfilled but they will
not propose to your Majesty any measure which may
relax In the slightest the severity Of discipline which
is the guarantee and forced consequence Of slavery.
Although the fear Of measures of this kind being
adopted in contraventon of the Penal law of l845,
which prohibits Investigate ons to be made within
the estates in order to ascertain the origin of the
eXiRtinp them.
keeping back many from the illicit commerce of B0-
zal negroes, nevertheless it has the evil effect of
creating among the legitimate proprietors feeling
of insecurity and disquietude. In order to prevent
at once such fears and dangers it is requisite tostop
the complaints and demands Of the government Of
Great Britain which, in the use of the right gvent to
it by treaties watches strictly over their fulflment;
and this will not be attained without radically
tinguishing the slaye trade
The means which the government propose to your
Majesty for eecting this have in their opinion, all
the advantages that can be desired since their eff
cacy being unquestonabe, and their execution most
easy, they ensure nd guarantee all the existing
rights relative to slavery. By opening in each CAPT
tai or heutenancy OF government register, where
al the slaves who now exist in the island may be in
scribed and fliated by closing defnitvely this re.
gster for any new inscription as soon as the neces
sary time has arrived, in order that no proprietor
may fail voluntarily to inscribe his slaves and by
considering manunisted and free all men Of color
who in future do not appear inscribed and
ated, making at the same time exceptions in favor
of infants and Of fugitive and slaves during the
time for the inscription and Of those whose conduct
future more slaves than those now in the island and
their descendants; there will be exterior, visible,
and unquestionable mark to distinguish them from
the free men; and if some Bozal negroes should
be clandestinely introduced 1t would be impossible
to make use of them as slaves without exposure to
the serious risk OF losing them the first time they
might be met with without having the proof Of
their inscription in the civil register. This danger
mill ~
which has hitherto maintained that illicit traffic in
spite Of prosecution.
The negroes fraudulently introduced are worth
how al much as legitimate slaves, for as soon as
estates neither the one nor the other be the OBJ
ect Of legal search BECAUSE is always easy to frus
trate any investigation respecting them. But when
the register is once established and closed, the
will be ephemeral and uncertain that which it is
sought to exercise over those which are not So
This will at least produce very considerable differ
ence between the value Of the respective classes;
slave traders, not finding the risk they run sufi
GENTLY compensated by the profit they obtain, will
abandon forever 30 unworthy traffic.
The obligation which Is imposed on the owners,
and contracts which affect the condition Of the
slaves or the rights which are exercised over them,
will also contribute, in great degree to secure tho
property over them, and to prevent the frauds which
When the fulflment of this obligation shall be Sc
cured by declaration that the acts and contracts
which are not so registered shall have no effect in
regard to third parties, who may not have inter-
vened in the same, no one viii be able to alenata
the slaves Of another, or to sell as free from all
lien the partially redeemed slaves (coartados), or
to commit any other fraud of the same kind.
But the inscriptions and annotations made in the
registers being Of such consequence 1t is indispen-
sable to secure, by all possible means, the RESPONSE
bility of the functionaries who are to have the
charge Of them and the exactness, clearness, and
legitimacy of the statements. With this object,
some rules of organization and procedure are sub
mitted to your Majesty, which will require to be
completed by such regulations as the first authority
of the island may adopt
These, Madam, are the fundamental principles of
the three projects of DEGREES which the President of
your Council Of Ministers has the honor of submitting
to your royal appreciation. If your Majesty deigns
to approve them, this will bestow upon your people
of the Antilles some improvements and reforms of
great importance for their preservation prosperity
and encouragement.
Madam, at the royal feet of your Majesty,
(Signed) The COUNT OF SAN LUIS.