Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-03-24
GERRIT SMITH ON THE CUBAN CUES.
TON.

Then. again, | am charged with gross inconsis.
tency Tor icing in favor OF the annexation of Cuba,
whilst ! an M frequently presenting az an evidence
of the desperate prosayery wickedhess of this ma
tinn, it's ~graspinS after that island. Thelogic here
IL, that ii | wish To get a dramsllup into my hands,
although il is for tho purpose OF transforming II
into tho abode OF temperance ana every other rir-
tue. | stand ON the same level with him, whU would
get il tor tho purpuso Of myFsng IL still mere u
dramshop. and still moro tE' resort and nurse of
wickelnesS.
Since | am on the subject Of Cuba, l cannot for,
hear saying how exceedingly anxious | am, as an
abOliti0iist, for her annexation to this country.
Indeed my best hope of the abolition Of American
slavery, slnco my hope nf it, at the hands Of abu-
litionists, began to give place to despair, has beer
in such annexation.
The type of slavery in Cuba is, in some respects,
more terrible than in any other part ot the world.
The flniily relation, which, elsewhere, softcns the
horrors of slavery, is to a great extent, unknown
aiaSng the slaves Of Cuba. The breeding of our
own slaves is an alleviating feature ia oar slavery;
and slavery is light in the breeding States, conipar
cd with what it is in the other States. Plantation
after plantation in CUBA has hundreds Of males,
and scarcely one female. The condition and char
actcr Of the laDol ers on such plantations are, there
fore, as brutal, as they well can I've. Again, SO &C.
we're is the treatment Of the Cuban slaves, ~thatthcy
die under it. in n few years. The slaves Of our
own country live. on m average. moIo than thirty
years. Tho slaves Of Cuba much less than half
that time: and, hence, as | pity them, | would have
Cuba annexed. | would have her annexed too, as
l pity Africa, who is every year, robbed 1t thou.
sands of her children to supply the murderuus
waste of life in Cuba. But, more than all. | do
desire the annexation, because / believe it will con
tribute, nightly, To tie overthrow Of the whole
system of American slavery.
lst 1t VIII change Spain into an anti slavery ma
ton: and, then, not only will she be arrnyed
against American slavery, but other nations-espe-
cIdily France and nsSe by
her change, will he far more cordially and effective
iy arTayed against it than thcy have hitherto been.
I'd. The Spanish truops, that now uphold sla-
very in Cuba. will then be recalled ard the creole
population uf more than halt Il million will then
lie the dependence for maintaining slavery. But
that population, never having possessed political
power, and therefore ignorant how to use 1t, having
strong sympathies with the quarter vt L million of
free blacks, both FROM Icing legally iu'ermarricd
with them to 4 considerable extent. and from hav-
ing but little moro Intelligence. (tor the free blacks
have schools and also from other causes would
be but a poor dependence for maintaining slavery.
Indeed, where have Spanish rreulcs proved their
readiness and ability to uphold slavery? Certainly
not ia McXico and the South American States.
There they proved themselves to he ahulitipnists,
after they had ESCAPED from the control of the
Spaniurds. The truth is, that tie Spanish crcoles
are too nearly on Il level with the free blacks. i'll
point Of circumstances and intelligence, and there
fore Of power, to he relied on to uphold slavery.
There must in some important respects, lie Il wide
space between masters and slaves, or the slaves can
not be kept in Subsection.
81. Cuban slavery is so different a thing from
American slavery, that it cannot coexist with 1t,
unless brought into conformity with it. But to at
tempt the conformity would he most strongly to
invite an instruction. The Cuban slave has the
right to 20, every year, in search of q new master.
Moreover. it rests with an cficer of the Govern
mcnt to fix his price, in case of disagreement on
that point. lie has the legal right to buy himself
to buy himself all at once or in parts-a quarter
at one time and u half at annther-as is most con-
venient for him. Then. again, il the siave-mother
shall ray n small, sum Il believe but twcnty-6v,
dollars before the birth of her child, the chile
shall be free. Now, will the slaves-will the free
blacksmith the creoles-suffer these merciful fea
lures to be lie expunged from the system of Cubar
slavery Certainly not, until much blood has beer
split. | add, will the free blacks suffer thei
schools to be closed ?-for the closing of them vii
be an Indispensable part of the conformity of Gu
ban slavery to American slavery.
4th. But it will lie said, that it a standing army
of twenty or thirty thousand Spanish tr0ops cal
maintain slavery in Cuba, 50 also, can Il no greater
standing American army maintain it there. a
several times greater army than this will he re
quired to sustain the attempt to inpart to Cubar
slavery the absolute character Of our slavery
Arouse the hostility Of the free blacks, anon;
whom are men Of genius and education, combin,
with them the nearly half million of slaves til,
very large majority Of whom are from Africa, and
are rs barlnrous rs when they left her shores, and
the victory to be achieved by our standing army
would be no easy one. A bloody grave for slavery
did these men dig in st. Domingo, and "a no les,
lloudy one may they dig for slavery in Cuba
Moreover, that grave may he capacious enough foi
the whole of American slavery. Let our iniaiu
aieI slave power get Cuba, if they can. / greatly
Inistake, il when size shall have added these ele
mentS II cur population, she does not find that sh
has got more than she contracted Tor. Ere leaving
this head, | will say that. to propusc, in the even
OF the annexation of Cuta, II staid.ng army fol
the maintenance "f her slavery, is sheer nonsense
The days Of our slavery, if not indeed Of GU
republic will he numbered. whenever we shall
adopt the policy Of u standing army for upholdin;
slavery.
5th. HAVANA is Cuba, as emphatically as Pari
is Frame. Admit that quietness-though 10y tn
way II is an ever fearful and anxious quietness-i
maintained here We should, nevertheless, rt
member, that it is maintained only by means
such II strict and stern police, and such an irU
despotism as would be impossible, amidst tho il
stitutinns and Influences of oar republic. lmpos
only republican restraints upon HAVANA, and Al
arehy would quick spread through her, and thr
the island.
9th. Let it not be said that because the slaves
louisiana and Florida passed quietly into our p
ltical jurisdiction, the slaves of Cuba will, ais
Not to speak Of essential differences in their ci
cumstances, the former slaves were u handful con
pared with the latter.
| say no more of the annexation Of Cuba Viii
hcpe it would help work tie o,eIthr,w Of slave
without violence, ] am confdentit would help VOL
1t in some way.
SLAVERY IN JAvA.-Last Wed lesday we wei
witness to a touching scene. In the market pla,
of Griseo a slave family, consisting Of fathe
mother. and eight children from three to fourtee
years Of age, were to lie publicly and unreservedl
sold by auction. They had been the property Of
deceased Dutch widow Lady, who had AWAY
treated them with the greatest kindness thu
they were deeply grieved ut being Obliged to pas
into the hands of II new master, and they gave eI
preston Ia their great afa:ctiuu by tears and sob
The public orier PIT them up ut 6,OO0 form
Though a crowd Of people had assembled, the
kept a profound silence. The crier gradually h.,
cred his price to . 900 forms, but none would bu
Then the father Of this slave family, availing hin
self of the privilege granted by law to slaves p
up to sale ut pubic auction. offeIed himself f.
forms, and, ut the same time throwing himself
his knees he besought the ~ ectators not to nal
"A higher bid. Not n word was spoken n silen
OF a few minutes ensued. and the entire fami
H~e.s aifniva1 m have honn nnrasarXedly snld M