New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-10-31
COlOnies-TeXt of the Petit
ton for the Measure.

The following is a translation of the petit
ton for the immediate abolition of slavery
which has just been presented to the COrtes
by the Spanish Abolition Society:
To tie Senate:
The undersigned, President, Vice Presi-
dent, members, and Secretaries of the Execu-
tive Board Of the Spanish Abolition Society,
respectfully come before the Senate and
show as follows:
First. That the defnitive law of abolition,
referred to by the preparatory law of July
4, 1870, and which has been solemnly and
repeatedly promised BY the Spanish Govern
ment before the Chambers and to foreign
Cabinets, has not been promulgated.
Second. That the preparatory law Of 1870,
notwithstanding its urgent character, has re-
manned in suspense, so far as its principal ar
ticles are concerned, until the appearance of
the regulations published in the Gdcet0 de
Madrid August IS, 1872.
Third. That the regulations referred to not
only ignore completely the grave interroga-
tories made by the Captain General of Cuba
concerning the fulfillment of the fifth article
of the preparatory law, but also from the ma
ture of many Of these provisions render
necessary another new series of"eXplana-
tory" regulations, besides needlessly multi
plying administrative agencies.
Fourth. That these slaves also are of right
free, in consequence Of their manumission by
the Cuban insurgents, remain in slavery, al
though according to the fifth article of the
law of 1870, the State may not hold in servi-
tude the slaves which it now possesses
through confiscation.
Fifth. That the failure to execute the pre-
paratory law, followed upon the promise of
many Cuban shareholders to bring before the
Government a project of abolition, Gas APP
pears by official kilograms of July and Is,
1900 without the fulfillment hitherto of such
promise.
Sixth. That the Official gazette of Porto
Rico is constantly publishing notices of man
omission freely accorded by masters to their
slaves, and that The number of these has been
reduced from 43, 3Gl in 1868 to 81 ,O4l at the
present time.
Seventh. That the Cuban instruction has
caused the dispersion or death of twO-thrds
eastern districts of the island, which in 1862
amounted to about $50, 900 souls,
Eighth. That, according to official declara-
tons, the Cuban instruction is mainly sup
ported by slaves and fugitive Chinese.
Considering-First. That "slayery is an
outrage upon human nature, and a stigma
upon the only nation in the civilized world
which continues to uphold it," according to
the eloquent and manly declaration of the
Superior Revolutionary Committee of Madrid,
on the 18th of October, 1869.
Second. That the existence of slavery is
totally ncomprehensible in the dOminions of
a nation which, like the Spaniards, won "for
themselves" the Constitution of 1869, and
recognized the existence of the inherent and
inalienable rights of man."
Third. That as often as our Antilles have
been consulted on the subject, just so often
have these far-away SpaniaIds proposed to
the metropolis the abolition of slavery, as is
proved by the reports of the Commissioners
of 1866 and the bills presented and sustained
by the Deputies of the Island of Porto Rico
in all the Congresses to which they have
been called.
Fourth. That the question of slavery being
now question Of the rights Of men, the Min
listers and authorized representatives of the
great free nations have protested against it
| and against the course of the Spanish Gov
eminent, and that at the present time great
movement of public opinion against our atti-
tudc is spreading in foreign lands, whose re-
suit we should fOrcsee while protesting
against our national shame!
Fifth. That the ill-success of the prepara-
tory law need not and should not surprise
those who have studied the history of the
emancipation of labor, wherein it is seen that
such halfway measures have invariably
failed, and that the legislators have been
obliged to take more radical steps, as was
the case in Jamaica, st. Thomas, and the
French colonies, and as is to-day the case in
Brazil.
Sixth. That as the abolition of slavery at
the present juncture might be highly polite
measure to terminate the instruction of
Cuba, as its postponement would be fresh
motive for resistance, as in the Island Of San
Domingo in 1893 and 1904.
The Senate is, therefore, prayed to con-
slider and adopt defnitivc law for the mme-
date abolition of slavery in Cuba and Porto
Rico.
MADRID, Sept. %, 1872.