The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1869-04-03

cultivated on a small scale The Cuban
lands are superior to those of the other An
TILES for producing sugar cane, but there is
great irreguiarity in the extent of the cult
walton and yield of this staple, depending
on soil, weather, condition of plant, etc.
Sugar estates, called ingeRios, are the
largest agricultural establishments on the
island. Many produce from 8 900 to 5000
boxes of sugar. From 1858 to 1853 about
750,000,000 pounds of sugar were annually
exported from Cuba. Most of the tobacco
is produced in very few districts The
best lands for the plant are near the west
ern extremity of the Island Competition
of Brazil Java, etc, and duties have mate
rally decreased the production of coffee
though that grown is of a superior quality.
Maize produces two crops year. and Is
grown nearly everywhere. According to
population, the Cuban foreign commerce
probably exceeds any other country on the
globe. The valuation of yearly exports
since 1850, has annually ranged from
$27 ,000,000 to $32 600 600; imports about
the same average. The rule In the custom
house is to understate the former and over
state the latter The tariff Determinations
are strongly in favor Of Spain. About one
third of the exports is taken by American
vessels, and despite all restrictions, one
third of the whole commerce is with the
United States. According to United States
Tresury report, the balance of trade against
the latter amounted, from 1851 to 1856 in
elusive, to about $I0,000,0O0 yearly, and
in 1857 to over $30,000,00O In 1857 there
| were 397 miles of railroads in Cuba. The
first was opened in 1897, and ran from Ha-
vana to Bejucal, fifteen miles. The common
roads in Cuba are very bad, and in the
rainy season frequently impossible. The
electric telegraph was introduced 1852, and
the lines new extend to all the important
points. The circulating medium of Cuba
is chiefly metallic, though in 1887 the Span
| ish Bank commenced issuing paper. The
island is pretty we'll supplied with schools
| The revenues are maritime and inland, the
! first comprising customs and lighthouse du
| ties, ship visits, etc, and the second various.
La 1857 the treasury receipts were from
customs, SIC, 1853 81; taxes, $685.
S89 Y; lottery, Sl,68l,4 u; total,
| 2l7 1868. 538 81. A large armed force il
constantly kept by the Government, varying
in extent according to necessity. Cuba was
the first land of Importance discovered by
! Columbus on his first voyage This was on
October %, 1892 He arrived at HavUi
! December 9th of the same year. The first
settlement by Europeans was made at
| BaracOa, near the east end Of the island, by
three hundred men under Diego Velasquez
| in 1911. In 1914 they also founded Santiago
and Trinidad. AS early as 1884 the officials
applied for 1000 negroes, that they mig hit
! become Injured to labor before the
Indas ceased to exist. The anti
slave trade law was enacted in 1915, but lit
tie attention has been paid to it. in 1913
| President Polk authorized the American
! Minister at Madrid to offer 100000, 600
for the g ever faithful isle" 1t was most
! peremptorily declined. 1t was in IS49 that
! Lopez and the other revolutionists were
compelled to fly the island. They then
collected recrBits at New Orleans and else
where for descent on the island, but vigi-
lance Of the Cuban authorities, frustrated
the scheme. But in August, 1851, Lopez
sailed from New Orleans with 500 men.
They landed but were soon made prisoners.
Lopez was garroted IN Havana, August Is ;
1 some of his comrades were shot, but the
majority were pardoned The disposition
on the part of the Creole planters to throw
off the Spanish yoke subsidized after the fail
ure of Lopez In 1854 Messrs. Buchanan,
Mason and Soule American Ministers at
| London, Paris and Madrid, held confer
enee on the subject of Cuba at Ostend and
AK la ChapeIle, and drew up a statement
of their conclusions, popularity known as
the Ostend Manifesto. They argued that
the island should belong to the United
States, and that, in certain contingencies, it
should be acquired by force. During the
session of 1859 it was strongly urged in
the United States Senate to place $50, 000,
600 in the hands of the President with a
view to the acquisition of the island but
after debate the proposition was withdrawn
by its author, Mr. Slden, of Louisiana.
Since that period the acquisition Of Cuba
by the United States has been a popular
project, but is only since the formidable
revolutionary outbreaks already alluded to
that any serious discussion OF the question
has taken place. 1t is known that repre-
sentatiyes Of the Cuban insurrectionists are
in Washington in the hope of obtaining
recognition of independence; and every
movement on the surface of the "gem OF
the Antilles is now watched by our politi.
clans with deep interest.