Shreveport semi-weekly news. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1865-18??, 1865-08-26
American Settlers in Cuba.

IcIp!i tile tS@apIlSHiHt!at 81 lpItlSH~
"rs in Cuba; and though the set le-
ment of Americans has been con-
nived at. out of respect to the laws
the settlers We're supposed, by a cu-
rious fiction, not to exist. Henc.
the exemption.
This immunity" says Mr.. Mad
den, " drew great numbers Of set
tiers to Cuba, from the Southern
States of America: so that some
districts on the northern shores Of
the island, in the vicinity, especial
ly, of Cardenas and Matanzas, have
more the character of American than
Spanish settlements. The prosper
ity of the island has derived no
small advantage from those numer-
Gus American establishments Inn
proved modes of agriculture, Of fab
rication, of conveyance, We're intro
duced by the Americans. Several
railways have been made. In the
course of ten Years, no less than ten
have been carried into effect. Al
the opening OF the first, from Havana
to Guines, in 1887, | was present
TO American enterprise and energy
solely, have reason TO know. this
great undertaking was indebted
The loan for it was made in Eng
land; but the projectors, the share
jobbers, the engineer, and the over
seers. We're Americans. 1865. Cuba.
ever sine ! knew it, has been slow
ly but steadily becoming Americana
lied. | pestered my superiors with
my opinions on this subject in 1886
1850. LtberGci aninsam n2eam
might be fairly said by me, it the
star spangled banner were floating
tomorrow on the Moro Castle, or
Haunting in the breeze at St. jago
de Cuba. In the course OF seven
years feeling, strongly prevalent in
the colony, in favor of Independence.
has been changed into desire for
connection with the United States.
1t is needless for recent political WI
ters on Cuba to deny the existence OF
a strong feeling of luminosity to the
mother country, and longing desire
for SEPARATION From my Own init .
mate knowledge of these facts, | .
speak of theireXiSt"Hce. II England
could have been induced, in 1887, to
guarantee the island of Cuba from
the intervention of any foreign pow /
er, the white inhabitants were pre-
pared to throw off the Spanish yoke.
There was then Spanish army nom .
inally of twenty thousand men inthr
isla d, but the actual number of M
tive Spaniards in it did not exceed
sixteen thousand. The leading m-n
of the Creoles had then little apprr-
hensous of the result Of an effort for
independence A liberal allotment
Of land in the island, for the soldiers
who might be disposed to join the
independent patty, was a prospec.
it was expected, which would suffice
to gain over the army. ...,.. l. is
not England, now, that the white
natives Of Cuba look for aid or coun
tenance in any future effort for in
dependence. 1t is to America that
they now Turn their eyes; and Amer
lea takes good care to resp nd to the I
wishes that are secretly expressed
in those regards.
These are the opinions of a man
several years resident in Cuba, evil
IDENTIFY shrewd observer, and who
eau hardly be suspected of misrep
resentation on this head and we
do not hesitate to place confidence
in them in preference to the rose
tinted accounts Of the Madrid Her.
aldo, and other official prints, ac-
cording to which the present happl-
ness, prosperity and loyalty OF til"
Havaneros are such as were never
surpassed in the annals of colonies.
Mr.. Madden, we have seen, is OF
opinion that the Creoles and resi-
dent Americans, if guaranteed from
foreign intervention, are OF them
selves match for Spain, and could
throw off her yoke and defy her et-
forts to reimpose it. What, then,
would be the state of affairs, if three
or four thousand yankee volunteers,
who, by themselves, we suspect,
could give occupation to all the ais
possible part of the SIXTEEN thousan nd
Spaniards in garrison, We're sudden
ly to drop upon the Cuban shore, by
preconcerted arrangement with the
disaf1ected In 1919 this has been
within ali ace Of occurring in a fu
ture year. not very remote, 1t may
actually occur. What would Spain
do, when news were brought her
that the red and yellow banner was
replaced by the speckled bunting of
the States Would she declare war
against America, on the strength of
the war steamers she has lately been
building with her creditors money {
Brother Jonat han, we suspect, would
chuckle at the notion, and
seize Puerto Rico, and
make n dash at the Philip
pines. But the Spanish government, :
loud as they can buster when sure of
,,,,nitx- >v,,,id arr ly repIpr hem