Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1869-11-09
Correspondence
For the Newsdealer.
CUB A---NO. 2.
A SKETCH OF ITS HISTORY.

n piNhtN'' VI 80 Ai'S-pN's
In an article published last week we
defended the position that the United
States ought to recognize the insurgent
Cubans, as belligerents, and as ground for
argument referred to the history of Cuba,
as proving that she has received from
Spain only the protection the vulture gives
the lamb. Here then we give few facts
gathered from authentic sources which
bear upon the case. ..
The island of Cuba was discovered by
Columbus in one of his exploring voyages
The original inhabitants were a mild, in.
offensive race, rot acquainted with the
arts of war, though exceeding most of the
aborignes of the continent in intelligence
Soon after its discovery by Columbus the
island was cobnized by Spanish fron St
Domingo
We call attention to the first point o.
the record. The CuJans pcere soon ub
iected By The a9arlike ineadsrs, pho re-
duced them 10 state of slarery.
But this is not the worst. 1t was not
mild patriarchal form of slavery thar
Spain instituted, but the most grinding
oppression. The poor oyerworked Cuban,
being unused to the severe tasks imposed
upon them, died in scores, and acere j,
process Of lime nearly erterminated. Only
small remnant Of them was left.
This fact speoks for itself.
1t was q wrong and an outrage upol
humanity, wbicl could not be atoncd for
But there was yet more 10 come. Hay
ing almost depopulated Cuba, the bes
Spain could do was to leave the countr,
and permit the natives To occupy it one
more. But instead of such a course, sh
blackened her record by an act of infamy
compared with which her former treatmen
of Cuba was velial offence.
Without q reference to facts it woult
be difficult for Us to conceive what Spail
could do, that would be more unjust am
cruel than her previous line of conduct
She had no trouble however in finding some
thing to do, tina, would b. an outrage no
only upon Cuba but directly upon the hu
man race. Finding that her stock 0
slaves was nearly gone, she sent to Afric
and imported a supply of negroes, to worl
the plantations of Cuba, -thus initiating
the African Slave Trade in America an,
maintaining her hold Of Cuba, which, with
out slaves, would have ceased TO be prof
liable to her. She continued her import
ation of foreign slaves until she had es
tablished The 7SaGm upon firm foot
hold.
Cuba tber became the headquarters o
the Spanish power in the West, formin,
the point Of departure for her ihilitnr,
expeditions. 1t was hence that Corte
marched to the conquest Of Mexico. rh'
Aztecs were treated with the same iuhu
man forocity, that attended all the con
quests OF Spain. The wild and warlike
the indolent and the semi-civilizedj tn,
bloody Aztec, the, inolIensiye Peruvian
the fierce Araucanian, all Jared alike" a
the hands of Spain. Says Edward Ev
erett, "thc horrid atrocities practiced a
home and abroad, not only in the Neither
lands, but in every city Of the Northern
Country, cried to Heaven for veugeanc,
upon Spain nor could she escape it
She entrenched herself behind the eterna
Cordilleras she took to herself the wing
Of the morning and dwelt in the uttermos
parts Of the seas; but even there the arm
Of retribution laid hold of her, and th,
wrongs of both hemispheres were avenged
by her degeneracy and fall"