The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-02-26
THE REYOLUrION CuRA.

classes, distinct and with no common
interests. So strongly marked are the
lines which separate these four classes
of the population OF the island of Cuba
that they might be called castles.
OF the white people, say two hundred
and fifty thOusand-and we purposely
give q generous estimate-are Span
iards, mere residents in a Spanish colo
NY. They are the merchants and plant
ers, who come to get rich, or the favor
ties of the home administration, sent
out to repair their broken fortunes.
The remaining half million of the
white population are the native Cubans,
the CreOles. These are the real produ-
GERS of wealth in Cuba-the planters
and merchants who nurture and de-
velop the trade and agricultural re-
sources ofthe island. To them by right
it belongs to occupy and possess, ana
for this they are warning. The pros
perity of the country-as we call pros
perity-its internal improvements, com.
nercial growth, the development of its
own resources, all depend on this class.
They have no share in the government;
they pay the taxes, but do not enjoy
them.
The military condition reveals the
collision of these two classes. All the
ports and the body of the Western De-
paItment, which is controlled by Ha-
vana through a network Of railroads.
are held by the home government: all
the Eastern Department and the inte-
riOr districts, where live the farmers
and small planters, are in the hands Oh
the revOlutiOnists.
The seven hundred and fifty thou
sand negroes and Chinese-the black
half OF the island-are, singularly
enough, divided in similar proportion
about quarter of a million fee and
half million slave.
ffTrf I0NN m
free negroes are by no means class 10
ne looked down on. They comprise
every shade of mixed blood, and are
largely mulattOes. QuadrOons and Octo-
rooms. Many of them are wealthy and
educated, as education goes in that part
of the world. Their sympathies and
influence and aid are unqualitiedly and
unreservedly with the Cubans.
The unity of interest of these two
classes gives the Creole cause the sup
port OF Just One-half of the entire popu-
lation of the island.
The last class-half n million of inn
bruted, savage slaves, wronged and do
graded as perhaps slaves never were
before-is the problem of the island.
50 fearfully deadly has been slavery In
Cuba, so literally has the gold of thel
SpaniRrd been drawn from the blood of
the negro, that it has required an an.
nual importation of nearly thirty three
thOusand-fifteen per cent.-tO keep up
the slave population to its present
standard; and to- day, of half million
negro slaves who work and die on that
fatal island, but one.sixth are females.
With the better instincts of humanity
and society desi gnedly crushed out of
| them, imagination shudders both at
the retributive vengeance which must
| fall somewhere.
So much for the field and the forces.
10 inh 10 n
| be gained and the wrongs to be reme-
died-which impel, and, five believe
in an overriding and intelligent PrOVi-
dence, will condition the struggle.
The Cubans, if we may credit their
own story told officially and from
| mouth to mouth, are fighting for
Representation,
Severance of Church and State, and
General emancipation
Cuba has to-day no representations
| in the Spanish COrtes, and never has
has had. She has not been offered even
that constructive representation with
which we were sought to be deluded III
colonial times. She has no voice III
determining the amount or the method
of collection of the taxes which she
must raise. These taxes, again, are not
invested nor spent for her benefit, nor
has she any power of any kind over
them. She is simply the Golfer of the
this disability are those which have al
ways followed it, and are not few:
A burdensome standing army weighs
down and impoverishes the island.
The rule of the captain general is alb
sOlute and arbitrary.
The exercise OF the right of petition
has been followed by eXpatriation and
| Imprisonment.
The corporate association OF the peO.
pie for the purposes of science, art or
commerce has been discOuntenanCed
and impedeG.
The ports of the island havo been
closed to foreign ships for the purpose
of creating a monopoly for Spanish bot
toms.
One form OF faith-that OF the Roman
Catholic Church-is the established re-
| ligiOn of Cuba. All the unexeCuted or
practically obsolete lava which have
made the English Establishment in
and humanity, are enforced in Cuba
with rigid and intolerant zeal. A man
may not hold worship in his private
house, unless according to the Roman
rites, under pain OF Imprisonment and
exile.
On the question of giving freedom to
the slave as fast and as fail as may be
possible the position of the revolution
lists is not equivocal. By official act,
and the stronger testimony Of private
deeds, they have declared their inten-
ton on this point.
Tho text of the proclamation OF eman-
cipation issue't on the Lwenty.seventh
of December from Bayamo-the provi-
sional headquarters of the provisional
gOvernment-is already familiar to
every general reader. Bearing the
impress Of an earnest spirit, and breath
ing the 1erVent faith, and at times using
almost the words, of the famous pream-
bic 10 the Pennsylvania statute of
emancipation, its terms are yet COndi-
tiOnal; and the freedmen of Cuba,
enfranchised by its operation, are for
the time TO be utilized in the service of
their country" Freedom is not given
absolutely, nor TO all.
A proclamation of emancipation has
gone forth in less than three months
from the hOiSting of the revolutionary
standard, granting freedom to the
slaves within the lines of the insur-
gents.
lutionists have held their ground with
credit, evincing great powers of orgnni-
cation and resource, and a military
vigor and efficiency which tell OF set.
tied purpose. On the eight OF last Oc-
tOber, Citizens Cespcdes and Aguilera
declared the provisional government
in existence, aud placed respectable
armed force in the field TO make good
the assurances of their prOnunciamien-
to. AT Guantanamo, Trapiche. Alta
Gracia, the troops OF the inst. gents
have fully proved their right to be cal
led an army. They have compelled the
caplain-Eeneral to hold negotiations,
and to treat MS prisoners of war any