The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1855-06-29

shaving landed on a very dark night. the
became so terrified, according to the Spar
ish authorities, by the noise of the Ian
crabs, and the fitting light of the fire file.
which l1y took for an enemy in ambu:
cade, that they fled to their ships in tn
utmost disorder and confusion" Macaula
says that no man ever saw the backs of TN
Cromwelllan soldiers, but it seems from thi
story that they did "turn tail' on the fir
I flies and land-crabs of the tropics. Our val
liant cd'ntrymen will probably 90 to Cub;
-shouid they 60 there at all-better yerset
IN the natural history of the island.
| The buccaneers of the seventeenth con
tury-who were much more encouraged b,
the government of France and England
than the buccaneers of our day have beer
ny the government of the United States
were source of great annoyance to the
Spanlards of Cuba, and caused the Hava
mas Notifications to be greatly extended
Mdtanzas was founded in 1903. When
the Spanish empire passed into the posses
sion of the house of Bourbon, Cuba went
with the rest of "the Indies" In 1862 the
English sent great fleet and army to
Cuba, under the command of Sir Georoe
fecoke and the Earl of Albermarle. There
were quite number of Americans in this
force. The army was landed not far from
the Havana, early in June, after prelimi-
nary naval victory.
Although the Spaniards made a very
valiant resistance, and were superior in
numbers to the English, the latter succeed
cd IN all their operations, though not
without having experienced much loss.
lhey suffered, just as we have seen their
army III the Crimca suffer, from severe sick
ness; more than one-third Of their soldiers
being at one time unfit for duty, besides
several thousand seamen. On the 18th of
August, the Havana surrendered, having
stood siege of six weeks, counting from
the day that the besicgers opened their
batteries. This was better work than the
English Of our day seem capable of per-
forming, Judging by their conduct at Sc
pasiotnot- -W,ih tha-citv all the territory
hundred and eighty miles, was surrendered.
The booty of the conquerors was immense.
1t was of the value of about fifteen mill
ions of doarsE On the restoration of peace,
the English abandoned their conquest to
the Spaniards: An attack made twenty
years earlier had failed of success.
The Importance Of Cuba to Spain dates
from that country's loss Of her great colo
nies. Stripped Of everything in the West
except Cuba and Porto Rico, the former
Island is now to Spain what his last dollar
is to the foolish prodigal. Its value has
been greatly increased by circumstances,
and it is very natural that Spain should hold
on to it with all her might It's insular po-
sit;on is favorable to the continuance of
Spanish power there, and to that alone was
it owing that Cuba did not 60 the way of
Mexico, Peru, Buenos Ayres, and the rest
Of the great continental dependencies of the
Peninsula, in those days when Spanish A
merica sought to initiate the conduct of
British America, and to set up for itself in
the national line. 1t was for long time a
sort of place of arms to Spain in the West,
whence she could operate against the "reb-
els" of the mainland and it was from Gu
ba that the last expedition against Mexico
sailed, in the expectation of being able to
restore the royal rule there. But it was not
destined to be quite so successful as the
armament.that Cortez led against the same
country, from the same island, more than
three hundred years before; and in repell-
ing it, Santa Anna won his brightest lau-
rels. Spain has long given up all idea Of
getting back any of her old colonies; and
they are now in state of anarchy, which
they call independence, and which, after all,
may be better condition of national life
than that tyranny of viceroys and captains
general under which Spanish America so
long was compelled to exist.
We hear much about the miseries that
have followed the overthrow of Spanish as
cendancy in those immense regions that lie
between California and Cape Horn, but
how absurd it is to infer that things there
have changed for the worse? That ascend
ancy was fatal to all freedom of speech. Of
all the wrong that was perpetrated, the
world heard nothing. The crimes of tyran-
ny were perpetrated in. silence; but of the
errors Of freedom, or rather of her less, In
telligent, or more selfish disciples, all the
worlds papers furnish ample accounts.
What was then the character of govern
ment over the greater part of the continent
is now known in Cuba, and must soon be
essentially modified even there. The sway
Of the sword cannot much longer be main
tained in a country situated, as Cuba is, SO
near to free communities, whose example
must be&fatal to the brute-force class ,o
men, who alone seem capable Of rising il
spain.-NeU York Leader. -
Henry Ward Beeclier calls Garrison any
dear brother GarrisonS and Garrison pub
fishes . communication in his Liberator