The New York herald., 1870-04-04
HfYANA. March 26. 1aso.

~ fHb CDfIUk OF TIM HERALD.-
An Associated Press telegram which appears In
your issue Of the 26th ult., and which, originally
placed in the Eagles mails. has Just arrived here
is calculated 10 create o wrong impression, and
gives color Of truth to tho charge of General webb
that the press agent in this city engaged in sys
temac attempt to deceive the American people. Tho
telegram reads % follows: 1.-THE Captain. General
has issued an important decree 1t grants liberty to
over 1000 negroes, prisoners Of war, who had been
hired out to labor by the government, with the un-
derstanding that they were to become slaves after
certain date" This statement argues great Ignorance
on the part OF the author or wilfu perversion Of
facts. The decree OF the Captain-G General ss 1t ap.
peared In the Gazette, Is as follows:-
SUPERIOR POLITICAL GOVERNMENT OF TIE PROVINCE
D.snr.sy virtue 2, lie tsssl.l.. with which
os.oss q extend my s:sTs:
a'o
sonado csSan.s TO- Cabanss IS, Csbanas San Diego ds
In consequences thereof the employers 10. posrore who
s s% :
monih sier he usual som S S %aS
receive their letters Of exemption.
Ss
holder; e these smancpado thy SsprS; aisss gsor
HAVANA, Feb. "a, 1870.
AS can be seen from the tenor Of the decree itself
1t is no new thing 1t is n keeping with the royal
decree OF tho 2sth Of October 1865 made by Queen
Isabella, and t Ia to be carried out with the 'usual
formaites" In order to proper appreciation OF
1t and to show that 1t IA In IAN initiatory
step toward the emancipation OF the coored peoples
few facts are recited In reference to these "emanc
pados." The character Is peculiarly of the law Of
this island. Tho term is applied to those Africans
taken from captured slave ships and which, in con-
travenon Of the spirit OF those treaties for the sup
y,rac nj Sla fro IA tntn hv
with the civilized nations OF Chrlstendom, have
been practically enslaved here Owing TO the great
want OF labor On the Island these unfortu-
mates, on their arrival here, have been hired
out by the government to the planters for
four dollars per month. THIS once done the negro
was In q much worse condition than the slave him.
self for while tie latter was privileged TO buy him.
self at any time when ne was Ablc to change his
master for such price ss might DO fixed upon By
arbiters appointed by law, with other guarantees
for ais protection, the poor emsncipado became
thrown around his release were such as TO render
an ATTEMPT at It hopeless and only when the First
@ 9s q a. ,dc 70 1s use MS ksspns
restored that liberty which was his inherent right
and OF which he had been most uujustly deprived
by the representatives OF Christian spain. It will
| and certainly there was no understanding that he
case Of = Certain emsncpado is we'll Kaown here
ana often rcferred 70. He drew Sl2.50o IN
name ma man imnsdls1ety sss about Obtaining % nis re-
lease or discharge. bat suoh were the difficulties
Which which 10 encountered % Of the start that no was
drawn from the lottery was at his disposition
complaining the object and. for all that is known,
the man is stili serving, uness, happily ne belongs
decree. ~ O-'''o'-' ''''''''N - '''0 -0''"
Al with every affair OF this island, fraud and COR.
ruption from thu stare entered into the hiring OF
emancpados Under the card they were to Do lot TO
those planters who had not sufficient capital TO buy
n dQ0d tar
saraed sa" e :. cap'us soassna S oa. was
1t II known that one lieutenant governor In the
central part or the island made $4,000 out OF
expedition by receiving from the planters q d0uCeuy
OF from twenty to thirty ounces for each negro Tne
buying and selling Of these was ss openly carried on
and as wei! understood M by tue people and govern.
Also be mentioned here. Upon estates whore eman-
cipados were employed no slaves were ever reported
dead. II perchance one died he was given the name
Of an emaucfpado, who immediately assumed hts;
consideration was givon 10 the cellado. or sucn
ocial as had cognizance Of the DEATH and the poor
victim became slave IN reality only he had been
compelled to assume personality not hts own. In
no aua ls
Herein have but glanced at this system OF eman-
cipados. II would require columns OF your vaiua.
bio paper to give frll knowledge OF us frauds and
the Captain General has freed slaves. has taken
doubtless for moral effect In the United States he
would be happy to create such an Impression
through his agents here and elsewhere.
In reference to the number released by the decree
Il is grossly exaggerated IL my memory serves me
the expeditions referred to are all Old and It is very
probable tnat comparatively few OF the negroes
brought by them remain alive on tile reports After
consulting with those familiar with such matters
measure being warmly applauded by the liberal ana
progressive party there remains the important fact
name The truth IS no one houe tSe d. docres
the slightest Importance, save to the few upfortu
nstea seected by 1t. II indicates nothing.