The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-02-15

lave thus Ear spoken sir Of the beneficial results to
humanity arising irom the acquisition Of Cuba in the
double aspect OF the preservation OF the island from
lapse INTO thc barbarisn and state Of the other
Antilles, AMI of regard its miserable labong popu-
ation. What would be lis effects the superior
the white natives OF the slnd numbering nearly
three quarters Of u miilioni
In spite OF pro t0rHel petitions recently forwarded from
havana under the orders of the captain general the ar
dent aspirations vi the Cubans for release from the grind
Ing tyranny under which they langush too we'll
known ior eonoe,nent will not appeal 10 knowledge
ess'nat to ns all l VIII not rely ON the fact that
amongst the numerous Cublns with whom have oppor-
tunity OF conversng the subject, never YET have
found one-no, not onewho did not pant for the hour
OF freedom who not ready To strike for his liberty II
the fenotes prospect OF succor could bc held out o him
viii appeal to history and leave its teachings 10 the a
probation OF candid world My sketch must be rapid
AT the close of the last and the commencement of the
present century Cuba WAS prosperous and happy Sub
ected to colonial system identical with that then gcner
ally prevalent amongst civilized nations il her
Was restricted by the monopoly established in favor of
the mother country, her own nt,rnai administration WAS
conducted by wise rulers, guided hy paerna Interest in
ssa ~euarcs. Sins shared the political benefits conquered
by the Spanish people and when the constitution Of 1912
WAS established. Cuba reapcl It's advantages When
the death Of Ferdinand the W. Queen Chstiana threw
herself into the of the liberal party in order to insure
the triumph of Queen Isabella the petensous OF
Don Carlos the royal statute proclaimed in both Spain
and Cuba and the latter represented in the natoa
Congess ad enjoy ed the liberties accorded by that cele
Visions the Junta de Fomento established in Havana
with branches in all the principal cities OF the island
When in 1896. the revolution of la Granja placed the
party of the Progcsssas in power subverted the royal
statute and proclaimed the old constitution Of 1872 the
Queen Mother then Regent, in convokng the Cotes in
cluded the deputies from Cuba in the call
In the time however, the example Of the other
Spanish American colonies which had succeeded in
blishing their independence had not been without its
effects Cuba In 1926 the liberaor Bolivar, offered
TO aid the patriots by an invasion of the island Numer
societies formed under the title OF the ocs de
Bolivar and everything prepared for secondng the
invasion which might very possibly have proved success
fu but for the intervention of government,
which dssusded the invasion ee letters OF Mr. Clay
to the ministers of Columbia aud Mexico December 20
IS25 The knowledge Of this eervcsence of the public
mind induced, on the part of the Spanish King, one Of
tho most extraordinary acts which emanaed from
despot He gave the captain general by ordinance Of
the 2s OF May, 1928, all the powers granted 10 the
governors of besicgcd towns or, in other words de-
clared the whole island under al 1C with full power
in the captiingeneral the lives fortunes and iber
ties of the people, and with the right of suspendng all
laws and royal dccrees at his pleasure,
This would appear scaeely credible; but desire to
read passage from this ordinance of 1925 Of the Span
ish King find it fortunately translated here in little
book called Cuba and the Cnbans - which would
recommend to the pcrsal Of gentlemen who may desire
additional fa Is in relation to the condition OF the
island
y 1926 royal orli ance addressed TO
the Captain Of tnba declares has pasr his Majesty
clency, fully investing yop with the whole which
By !sya n" nsrso a"s m z @ d = ass % n
aaoix eSocl.eacy m the island such per
patton work class in ne be- whose residence
believe 10 be prcincl whose public rivae
Miaty Also sasy..i De qf rha,srer
niaiaro or q any pan ehe a. your ercey mv hiak
dacirst, ue yoyrI 'errice. i' f
We told that under this system Of government the
whites conencd, Why sir, independent of the
fpl have in
again in 1926 another conspiracy broke ont and ijs chiefs
wGrc arrested and Sanchez and Agcro executed
Port Prince; and again, at later day, the conspiracy
called the conspiracy OF the Black Eagle broke out and
again rcpresscd and those engaged in it executed
cxilcd ar imprisoned The different conspaccs that
have existed of late years are familiar to us all the
rious expeditions Of Lopez and his companions and the
last of which have any memory, or at least authentic
detail is that OF 1851 when few Cuban patriots worn
ont disappointed refugees, still had courage to meet
together the 4th of July, 1851, and declared
the independence of Cuba. Here il their declaration of
Independence / going to ralur to tis not SO much
for the purpose Of showing this fact not much FOR the
purpose of calling attention to the signatures including
names of this family Of Asuero that seems to have
distinguished itself in behalf Of the betics Of their
try but because there is list of grievances in this dcc
ration of independence to which now desire ia oa,i the
attention of the Senate, and which viii lay before it,
asking eyeiy who hears IT, il it be possible that hui
man beings subjected to grievances like these can be con-
tent be willing to kiss tho rod which smltes them
They begin, sir by stating the horrible cruclties that
exercised upon them 1t Is In Spanish will read it
well it will be probably somewhat imperfect
in the translation. They state that they supposed the
world would refuse crccnce to the history of the horr
bic niIutes which have been perpctlacd in Cuba, and
would consider, with reason, perhaps, that there
listed monsters capable of committing them il Is not
ceiyable that there should exist who for long
time had submitted to them but il those persons
few who reach the truth of particular facts by reason of
the means of which tho government dsposes to obscure
and disre them nobody resist the evidence of acts
that are public and official Therefore, they go to
late il was publicly, and with in his hands that
General Tacon despoilcd the island OF Cuba of the consti
g,on Of spain pFosimed by all The PAYERS OF the mon
afchy and which these powers had ordered to be
was publicly and by theact of the courts that Cuba was
declared to be deprived Of the rights which al aanars
enjoyed and which naturally conceded to persons the
least civilized 1t pnblicly that the decree is
sued which deprived the of Cuba of all right Of be-
ing chosen to occupy public Offices of employment in
the State 1t publicly that ono,i modal faculties
granted to the captains general of Cuba who may deny to
those whom they desire to have punished sentenced
by the tribunals even the form of trial before the
courls, g shl
Publicly prominent in the island OF Cuba, are still
those military commissions which, in other sountiies the
law permits only in extraordinary during time Of
var, and then only for orenoos against the State Pub
ficly has the Spanish press threatened Cuba with tearing
from it the property in its slaves Of converting the island
into rnnand ashes and Of dsenchanng against 1t all the
hordes of barbarous Africans which exist within it,
Public is the continual increase OF the army and the
tion of mercenary bodies which, pu,cs pretext of
asnenng the burdens that lie upon Cuba and of
cising with greater veSaoD tue system of subordina
tion and espionage its inhabitants. Public the
obstacles and difficulties which placed in the way of