The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-12-08
CUBA.

We publish, this morning, aletter from our
correspondent in Havana, giving the aspect
of the situation at the date of writing. When
we say ''the aspect of the situation" we mean
the situation as seen by the government and
the partisans of the government for our cor
respondent evidently takes the ''trooly loil
view of the instruction which the Spanish
authority at Havana imposes upon the public
within reach of its power as test of "trooly
loil" orthodoxy. Hence, he undertakes the
extent of the revolt and the character OF the
persons who are at the head of it; and we
must entirely dissent from the reasoning
which leads him to the conclusion that the
Cuban people have no right to sever their
compulsory connection with Spain. Our
correspondent asserts that the insurgent
forces are composed entirely of the lowest
and most ignorant of the Cuban population,
led by Dominican and Mexican adventurers.
Whether this is true or not, it is undoubted
that the Cuban people of every class are desir-
Gus of independence and it is precisely on
knowledge of this desire that the numerous
movements toward that object during the
last eighteen years, have been based. But we
have reason to believe that our correspondent
is in error in this particular. All the trust
worthy information received from Cuba rep
resents that among the insurgent leaders are
many wealthy and prominent Cubans-gen-
tlemen of education and intelligence. This
fact does not rest on statements from the rev.
oluntionary side alone. On the contrary, the
public journals of Havana, anxious as they
are to conceal the extent of the disaffection,
have revealed the fact that it affects the sub
stantial classes, by their frequent reports
of the arrest of well known citizens for
political causes. Apart from this, all of our
advices from Cuba represent that the prisons
are crowded with captives representing, not
the ignorant populace, but the wealthy, intel
ligent and educated portion of the population.
Among these are lawyers, physicians, editors,
planters and merchants, who have been
incarcerated on suspicion of sympathizing
with the rebellion. This large number of
arrests of non-combatants, shows that the
government suspects the Cubans, simply be-
cause they are Cubans, and, to this extent it
is proof that the people generally are OPP
posed to the government, whilst the character
of the persons under arrest indicates that the
authorities, as would naturally be the case,
have much more fear of the wealthy and edu-
Gated classes than of the poor and ignorant
populace.
That the insurgent army is composed OF
what are called the GLOVER classes may well
be believed and admitted Poor people are
the majority in every community, and in
every army the vast majority is taken from
this portion of the people. That the poorer
classes of Cuba are less enlightened than the
poorer classes of the United States, is certainly
unfortunate for Cuba, but it is a fact that does
not affect the right of the Cuban people to
establish an independent government if they
desire it, nor is there any guarantee that they
will become more enlightened by remaining
under the dominion OF government separated
from them by four thousand miles of ocean,
and Jealous only to collect large revenue for
the support of an army of officials.