Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1869-08-26
Cuba and 4Esc Guhans--sOursc
Of tire Government.

OF tire Government.
There is great interest in the Gu
bans, their Instruction, and the
course Of our Government, especially
in the Atlantic States. 1t is well
known to all the world that We
Americans are on the side Of every
rebellion, ercept oar o,rn. We are
like the Irishman who landed in
New York, and being pressed to
know what party he belonged to,
said: ooh! Pm on the rebellion side,
indade.n We are all on the "rcbcl-
lion" side, when it don't touch our
own interests. So, Of course, we are
on the side Of Cuban insurgents. Par
taking most fully of this American
sentiment, we yet thought it best to
make some little inquiry. What is
the instruction for? What are the
wrongs which it proposes TO remedy?
And how? Among the wrongs which
the Cubans suffer are these: First,
they are forbidden TO raise grain, be-
cause Spain wants the profits Of the
monopoly. Next, the taxes arc
farmcd out tn snecnlatnre, "":!!::1 I'D
pose little on one man and great
deal OH another; and thus the taxes
are not only not uniform, but they
are grossly unequal and onorous.
notwithstanding this, Spain has act.
ualIy received about six million dol
lars per annum from the Island OF
| Cuba. This is an enormous drain
from an island of only million and
a half of people. But we need moi
enquire any more. The prohibition
Of raising grain is enough, in our
opinion, to constitute gross and III
sulTcrablo tyranny. We therefore
think the Cubans justified in attempt
ing to revolutionizc their Govern
mcnt If they can do 50 with any pros
pect Of success.
In order that this subject may be
better understood, ! will sketch the
position of the parties in Cuba AT the
present time. The Island of Cuba is
about 700 miles in length, and mid
way about 50 miles in breadth. Its
surface is equal to that Of Illinois,
and is generally well adapted to the
production Of sugar, coffee and tobac-
co. At present it contains /, 100, 900
inhabitants, Of whom 100000 are
colored people, and of these 100000
slaves. The whites number 100000,
Of whom nearly 100000 are supposed
to DO in the instruction. At least
600, 600 are what arc caIled "Cubans."
From what has been said of the inn
mensc drain made by Spain on the
Island, we may infer, what is the
fact, that many Of the Cubans are
very wealthy, and many of them are
well educated. It Is curious fact,
that while the Cubans are educated
abroad, scarcely moro than one in a
hundred are educated in Spain. Near
~ half are educated in the United
States, many in France, and some in
Germany. Hence we may infer that
there is II strong dislike among them
to Spain, although the mother coun-
try, and that, the education Of the
principal men being foreign, the
ideas of the Cubans are foreign also,
and that they will very willingly
throw off the government of Spain.
In regard to the instruction, the
situation is this: The insurgents oc-
cupy the eastern end of the Island,
extending beyond the middle, and
have sometimes approached Matan-
zas. But they have not recently
aimed at advancing further, or break
ing out at new points, on account Of
their crops, which, especially tobacco,
theyare gathering i'm. The ports are
in possession of the Span'ar and
the insurgents have not attempted to
hold them.
TO look at the other side--there are
100000 whites, at least, on the side of
the Government, with a regular ar
my Of 10000 men. 1t is said that
Spain can send no more troops; out
the Government has what are called
the Misunderstanding the volun-
tcer militia of the Spanish pcpula-
ton Most Of the Spaniards are art
isans, traders and adyenturers, such