The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-02-08
The Empire CITY Affair. a.
LETTER from JOSH ELIAS HERDAHPEZ.

As every ere COZ nected Rish the scandaous i'm
~teiferegce of the Spanish government AVID lis officials
With my rerhsw and wsr5, Francis 20 f Herman
dez, has had his say in sbe daily prsss, and a.
my name has been much brough. in question. hone
may rely on your indulgence for the insarriap Of
these few paragraphs, which will, psrhsos, throw
as much light on the matter as the al ne, i,ns OF
Mr.. stoughton or Mr.. Csrnobsli.
The sympsthies OF my brosher Francisco Herman
dez and myself have always been known TO be hos
tile to the stupid and oppressive colonial despo.isca
tina. p~srsiyses the energies aud blights the dsstiniss
OF tte beautiful Island of Caba. My bro.he r, In
1852, sent his son, my nephew snd godson, tbs yoath
in question, TO this country t, be educated; II being
as IS well known, the desire Of the libsral CABIN, to
iDslil il to their children in early youth tho.e liberal
ideas that theg con get nowhere but here.
The boy returned to Cuba iu the summer of 1858:
he was then ff.een years Of oge; ard /. will hardly
be believed that on tho ridiculous and brutal acca-
sstion OF being engaged III carrying arms into the
island, he was at once seizsi and thro xn i1to the
prison Of Baracoa. His father was arrestsd ana
imprisoned at the same ii ne, according to the usual
tenderness manifested Dy the Cuban govefnmsn s for
its rrest and bravest children.
He and his father were at length liberated, and
tho boy Francisco was again sent to this ~coantry,
confded TO my care, snd at my expense his educa-
ticn was sgain resumed.
In the nean,ime, my brott or has once more bsen
brought under The maiign influence of the govern
ment; for o man once suspected there 10 never free
or safe afterwards; and by tie direct interference OF
the government, the boy Ia cent for under colo, OF
an order from his father; and the next chapter "a the
C~layeraek affair. %
What may be the object of the Spanish govern
nent in these extraordinary endeavors 10 get pos
session Of the boy, is to me a mystery. Whether it
is 70 throw him again il TO a dungeon, or whether to
obtain more control over his parents, by having
then beloved child in its clutches, or whether for
any other and darker purpose, I cannot say; but it
Is very plain that great Importance is attached to
the possession of the child, f,om the fact that q high
Spanish official does not consider it beneath his dig.
nifty TO play the part acted by Mr.. Stoughton at
Claverack.
You can then Judge as vel. as I can under what
Influences the alleged letter siguad by my nephew,
consenting to return, was written, II, indeed, any
such letter was written; and you will also probably
believe me when ! tell you that the boy looks on the
bare possibility Of bis recsrture by tae Spanish
government with the last degree of disgust and alb.
horrence.
Thus far l have bafled the malignant designs Of
the oppresscrs Of Cuba in this matter; and,G cd
wiling, ! will continue TO do SO. In the meantime
] win give Mr.. Staughton a public opportunity of
showing what sutho,isy he had for this indecent
interference with my ward. l will leave NO stone
nnturned to show the infsmy of the plot, s15 | will
omit no exertions to save at least one child Of CUBA
from the grasp Of Spanish misgovernment asd op-
preston. am, sir, your very ob't s~erv't,
JOSE ELIAS HERNANDEZ.