Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1856-06-19
Mlisfellaup.
From the Rural Intelligencer.
A Voyage to Cuba.
LETTER III.
Caba.

-Ho a voyage to Cuba.
LETTER iii.
yF a Cuba.
Another remarkable feature which attracts
our attention, is the prevalence of the military.
Almost every other man we sec is an officer or
soldier Wherever you go, in the streets, along
the wharves, in the public gardens, and on the
Paseoes, you will see men-at-arms, dressed in
the unbecoming grey striped cotton uniform of
the regulars, shouldering their muskets and
walking guard, and mustachioed officers in dash
ing uniforms, with glittering swords drawn, and
ready at any moment, at every corner, to order
youto stand this way or that and, should you
be travelling, you meet them ut the door of the
ticket-ofice, requiring you to show your pass
port.
Besides on immense number of these regu-
lar soldiers, whom we SEQ posted about every
where, or idly loafng at the drinking shops,
there are troops upon troops of volan teers, who
are recognized, when not on parade, by the
bulge upon their Panama hats, which is the
uniform here of most of the soldiery. These
new troops have been raised by order Of the
Captain General, and you would suppose from
the alacrity with which the citizens have COM
piled with the order, that general mania for
soldering had taken possession of the people.
Every afternoon you will see them drilling on
the Campo Marte and almost every man you
meet has the little red and gilt badge upon the
side of his hat.
What all this means, what all these volun-
teers are for, or whero they would be found in
case of an insurreotion? are questions which
have been asked without being answered =! Do
the people hug the chains which bind them 3
Are they 80 in love with despotism as to be
ready to shed their blood in its defence! Has
the mother country been so kind mother to
theml Is the Spanish yoke 50 light that they
have no desire to throw it off! Or, rather,
whilst they are determined to protect their
country against marauding bands of needy for
eign adventurers, upon whom they look
with about as favorable eyes
As Gabriel upon the Devil in paradise,-"
are they not willing to learn the art of war,
that 50, when " the hour and the man" shall
come, they will be ready to mark out new
path for themselves
The hatred of the Creoles for the Yankees is
about as strong as was Red Jackets for =" mis-
sionaries and cold water - and the probabilities
OF annexation to the United States are not seri-
ously entertained in any well-informed circles
but that the Creoles desire to be freed from the
Spanish yoke, there can be no doubt and had
not Cuba been the impotent child cf on imbc
cile mother, she would long ago have assumed
place among the nations. There are many
shrewd observers here, who say that the houl
has we'll nigh come, and that destiny is pointing
her finger to the man. But gnessers are apt t.
predict what they wish for.
There can be nodoubt that there is some oh
ject in all this military preparation-and ther
they have swallowed the pill. Should tney at
tempt to suck of the sugar, they may find it t
stick in their throats! Can the tool of Span
ish Despotism become the pliable instrument 9
free people! Or would Cuba be any more
democracy under President Concha, or Empero
Concha, than she is at present, under Captain
General Concha! And are forts, and batteries
and muskets, and bayonets the school house
and instruments by which a people are taugh
to be free! If so, then is Cuba ready for til
experiment of self-government.
There are some here, however, intelligent me
and men of standing, who say, at the Dime
table, that Cuba is not ready for republicanism
that the generation is yet UNBORN that is to Sc
her emancipate and free. We need not perhaps
look that far into futurity to see her regener'
tion, but it is very certain that the schoolmastt
is not abroad in this land, and that he will ha,
to begin his labors early ifhe wishes to do muc
with the present generation. There is one thin
which may be stated as an axiom, and that j
that the STAKEHOLDER cannot himself be fir,
man. While Slavery exists in Cuba, she wi
ever remain untitled to enjoy the blessings
republicanism and though che should be non
inally joined to our confederacy, she would
none the more free by reason Of the union, al
we would be only the more degraded and e
shaved.
Another sight which strikes you even mo
disagreeably than the last mentioned, in Il
streets of this island city. What is that clan
ing of rons that falls 50 dscordantly upon OF
ears! And that fierce, sharp crack, accomp
MED by the loud tone of angry command Ii
the poor chain-gang There they go Gin
clank, as they walk awkwardly along, imped
in their movements by the heavy irons fasten
to their ancles-the miserable band of conyi
street sweepers or laborers--their naked bac
exposed to the strokes of the heavy lash whi,
their brutal driver is constantly plying. In {
most every street, and wherever any pub
work is being executed, there will you see o
or more of these gangs Of wretches, whose crir
in many instances is only the color of their ski
for they are mostly refractory negroes, who a
put in the gang for correction. Their emaciat
bodies, which are very much exposed, attest t
severity Of their service, and their SCARED bac
show the terrible torture of the whip as an
strument Of punishment. The drivers, in nd
tion to their long whips, are armed with swo
and pistols, and seem proud of their brutal
fee, which they exercise with disgusting {
play of rigor. Notwithstanding what you II
have heard Of the evils and concomitapts
Slavery, you cannot but be taken by surprise
such sight as this in the public streets of
enlightened city in the nineteenth century
Your flesh creeps, and your blood mounts, WI
the needless throng pass on, oallous and ha
ened to the .inhuman scene; and you "bl