The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-01-29

Of slavery would easily be substituted for that Of the
Spanish in Cuba.
But system OF slavery in the island as severe and
habaIous a. IL Is often represented 10 be Ia speaking
of the servile population OF Cuba the Cheyaer Lobe
with the experience of twenty vo years residence in the
island, says
The coalition present day inoowparab
i' ely better the colony had
oes before hs obvious interest which the master feels Ia his
introducing m brethren has resulted in the fact that the physical
condition Of the slave infinitely comfortable in Cuba,
humane IN fact than that enjoyed by white men 60 styled free
though they may be crowded IN The manufacturing dungeons set in
motion by steam, over the civilized world
This Is the testimony Of a European high public
iuuctionary in Cuba, and imbucd with all the preu
dices which may be egtmately ascribed to of his
class against the institution of negro slavery.
The inciior administration of the island inerposos
Slicaes TO its acquisition, but rather facilities Tor IT,
Tie administration of Justice at the present day
Is miserable farce. There tribunals 10 inquire into
the OF those who have the exclusive right Of
sorting TO them such the military. the provincial
militia, the seanen the officers OF tho sc the post of
hce the clergy the MOBILES and the individuals belong
ing I'D oaore, TO the royal household of Spain Thus
justice subseryent TO the titled and wealthy while the
obscure and INDECENT the victims of oppression The
power of the captangcneral also through all the
interior administration of the island During the period
of his authority he enjoys from Spain the rank of field
marshal, we'll the dignity of the vice royalty Con-
sequeny both the exchequer and the navy of the island
are under his CONTROL although there both an adj
miral and an intendant appointed nominay to manage
under him.
The central authority of the island is now but a mod
ihostion of what formerly the ancient Office of the
captain general, whilst his secretaryship has been
vertcd into real government machine, which extends
over the whole of Cuba In consequence Of this change
the civil secretary general is the soul of the great admin
sstatiyc institution whilst the military secretary who
formerly his superior in the official hierarchy has de ao
sunk below his conirere, and takes cognznce of
bus military affairs or of such directly connected
with his department
a. r.. AT
Rotary general is president eff the Cuban cabinet
having under his control the heads of divisions erected
into ministers for the various branches of the Admins
tatioa confded to them At the apex of this organiz
zion Is the captain general he supreme head Of The State
without whose positive will nothing can be decided and
nothing performed in the colony Like his sovereign
he has the right of pardon to feons &c. condemned by
the tribunals OF the country and of putting his o
such royal ordinances he deem detrimental
public interest Indeed, he is far and so thoroughly
the representative OF the sovereign power that he in
vested with the prerogave of the alter o and like her
Catholic Majesty the power of estoppng the
action OF the laws that control the Castian monarchy
whenever in his wisdom he may deem it expedient tenn
porarily to suspend their And yet if happen
to have the slightest difficulty with the nsular admins
ttation ii the innumerable abuses which daily grow
OF its action decisions should press upon honor or
our interests, this supreme representative of the supreme
authority OF Spain has power TO abate the abuse
guard the honor, indemnify the interests We have
nothing to do with this, is the given to Amer
eminent the Atlantic, through the ncaces the
delays and the suberfuges of foreign departments the
only resort left to for the redress of accumulated
wrongs.
Thus, the administration Justice confined To the
privileged and the hierarchy of power excludes the large
majority OF the natives from distinction aud authority
moral phaanx of opposition, consisting of the planters
and traders of the secondary rank and many of the ne
rior oice-hodcrs has thus been constituted powerful
through its numbers talents and energy, opposition
however, unuttered and uDspoken from the fact that they
cannot command the voice OF press comment on the
dongs OF superior authority, dark remorseless and
irresponsible the tribunal of the dreaded ten
within the limits of Venice These with the large body
OF the creoesthe white children of the soil who are
excluded by the iron policy and the hoay despotism of
Spain the white of the SOIL who doomed to live
undisngushed with brand and mark of nferioriy on
their brow, unless they have learned betray
are the progessyes and revolutoniss the island who
In bitterness OF heart and brokenness of spirit await
day Of deverance
But the administration of the island illustrates its on
pressveness most sgnay in the expenditures of the pub
lie revenue Authentic tables show that the receipts into
the treasury OF the island for 1s49 1885, 1851 and 1852
consisting of the and special deposits amounted
to the of $50, 99I,7l4 OF this sum- So PIG sgt
expended in the cost of collection 2l I67 ia the
cost of public Worship and~S626T13 the admnsra
tion OF justice while So 95l expended for the
support OF the army and 81 22 $40 that OF the navy
Can any look at this table Of expenditures and saw
that Spain holds Cuba otherwise than in the iron grasp of
power Her spies in almost every household catch
she nfst whfspeifnSs OF revolt and she has than
thirty thousand soldiers there to tread the people down
into sujecon This is tho administrative economy of
che island of Cuba. There is nothing then in the pop
ulaton or government machinery of the island TO Sc
riously embarrass its acquisition
Have we anything 10 apprehend from Great Britain and
FRANCE IN our efforts to acquire Cuba We can acquire
1T only by one of two modes purchase conquest If
Spain would sell the island the great powers of Europe
could not interfere. But will Spain sell Cuba There
is no probability that she WILL because Cuba is one of her
sources OF revenue especially for the maintenance of her
navy, the support of her colonial defence and the de-
fyal OF her diplomatic and consular service on the con
tinent of America. The great families of Spnin also
have large estates in the island and her beggared nob
W are sent there to repair their shattered fortunes You
must remember, too tho declaration of Izragn in the
Spanish Cortcs that Spain either ALLEVIATE or
sell Cuba under any conditions TERMS because such
gale would be tantamount to the barter of her honor
Against SALE also the traditions and the pride OF
Spain protest Protest those traditions still instinct
with the grandeur Of that period when the Spanish en-
prs was world that Argensoa in defeating his
splendid chronicles to the monarch, could with Justice,
say depGse this work at the feet of your Majesty
over whose dominons the never sets. Protests
that pride, as naughty the day when Grmadi
told the minister of victorious France urging Spain to
sell Louisiana to 'fThe King my master is accus-
toned to conquer and defend territories at the point of
the sword but to sell them never" No Cuba will not
come to us by purchase
Can acquire it ont of the condition of purchase
without with Great britain and France Thoy have
oompacted with Spain to guaranty and maintain her SOW
ercignty the territory of the island and the gather
ing Of their navics in the waters of the Gulf and West
India indicates disposition TO reccde from the guar
antee The proposition made to TO enter into this
compact, but il rejected by Mr. Firnores admins
tration In connection with this question we must also
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