Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1859-01-19
s.B row. EDl1oR ASp PRopR1EToa
cLEARFIELD. PA. JAN. 10, 1889.
AcouIs1rIos OF cUBA.


ing considerable attention. The proposition
Of Senator Slideli 70 place thirty millions OF
dollars in the hands OF the President, for the
purpose of negotiating for the Island. is IN
derstood to be in accordance with the Presi-
dents views. This snug little sum is doubt
less designed as corruption fund TO secure
the influence and assistance of Spanish Off
Gals. The proposition is abou. as unbIushing
piece Of GOODNESS as We have lately heard or
for il is well known that not only the Spanish
Government is averse 10 selling Cuba, or 10
sing it in any other way, but the people of the
island have expressed their disappEoba;ion of
President Buchanan's message, and declared
their firm and mistaken loyalty towards the
Queen and the mother country.
Our object, however, in this article is not 70
discuss the prscticability OF inprscticability
of the Cuban policy of Mr.. Buchanan and his
friends; but it is to give. rery briefly, an in
sight into the character and condition Of the
population of that .'gem OF the ocean," upon
which they cast such Eistful glances. We
fnd in late number OF the N1fioaGE Iafslli-
geRcsr, q conservative but reliable paper print
ten, as it says, by "a distinguished scholar
and citizen Of the South, who has recently
visited the island of Cuba, for the express pur-
pose of studying the civil institutions and So
cial habitudes OF the people," After travel
ing through the country and getting all the
Information he could procure, he comes TO the
conclusion that the Cubans are 'degenerate
Catholics suffering s.under all the evils of
corrupt ecclesiasticism''-tha '.for genera
tions hundreds of wealthy Cubans have been
sent out to France and returned with exquisite
manners without, and sad infdeiity and scep-
ticism within''-that they are ssemphaticalIy
bad citizens" being sTreated at best as useful
serrants"-and that having forgotten s.the
line, drawn alike by nature and history, be-
tween the children of Ham and Japhet,' - they
have become hybrids, and therefore ssdoomed
to social ruin.''
After describing the whites, he goes on 10
give vivid picture of the condition of the
black population. He says ssthe slaves of Gu
ba are vastly inferior to those OF the United
States" s'The negro of our State. bears even
IN his features the marks Of ciyilizing and re-
fniDg influences OF his intercourse with white
men, but .sthere the slave, as you see him in
the bohea or amid the cane-feld, bears still in
feature and in gesture the stamp of thirs.
for blood and of faith in Obi,'' and withal is
heartily in his habits. The writer then refers
to their religious privileges, the system of
manumission that prevails in the island and
concludes his article as follows:
"Under masters, therefore, undesirable and
dangerous as fellow-citizens, there live in Gu
ba some seven hundred thousand men of de-
graded and debased nature, unfit companions
for the least civilized of our slaves unsafe
nurses OF our children, and ineligible servants
of our ripper years. From the abominable ns-
ture of the slave trade they have not one-fhird
of the women required for the number of
males, and hence they lack all the benign in
huences of the sex Woman's sympathy does
not console them, the overiowing affection of
children does not soften their hearts; they are
beyond the reach of the blessings of home
Their fierce passions curbed by the LASH
but not subdued by faith their savage in
stincts are ever revived and rekindled by the
captives of theiI home who come year after
year to share their bondage and bring with
them new idols and new horrors. Their near
est associates among the whites are kind but
sometimes ignorant priests, seen on great fes-
tive occasions in gold and scarlet afar ofi or
brutal low men, whose debasing example en-
courages old wickedHess and teaches new vi
ces- We think every conscientious man Of
the North and South viii shudder at the idea
OF leavening the Christian population of our
Union with such elements. We know that
the true Southern planter loves his servants
too well, and values the virtue of his children
ana the purity of his home too highly, not 20
shrlnk from bringing even his slaves into con-
tact with their unfortunate brethren in Cuba.''
This, let it be remembered, is not ssthe rant
of a fanatical abolitionist''-it is the testimony
CT ga distinguished scholar and citizen of the
South" and is therefore the more forcible.