New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-03-03
Negro Slavery in Cuba in 1872.

EFrom the Baltimore American
Reaching the plantation after such feasts
OF beauty. the visitor sees many things sOon
enough which call his mind back from the
enchanted region. Mans inhumanity to
man is practically illustrated before his
eyes, and, if American, he sees at once the
great difference of slavery as it existed be
fore the war in the South and here. You
miss at once the nicely whitewashed little
houses, with their verandas in front stand
ing in rows close to the masters dwelling;
you miss the gay laughter and innocent
merriment of those little black urchins
tumbling about i'll the dust, looking at You
with laughing eyes, very often inter
mingling in close intimacy with the mas
ter's children: and when you inquire here
where the negro quarters are, they
point out to You an uncovered space
fenced in similar to the baracoons |
have seen negroes confined in on the coast
of Africa previous to their shipmen t to the
West Indies or Brazil. When the hours of
labor of slaves are past they are driven into
these Enclosures ike 80 many cattle, the
gates are closed on them and they are not
allowed to pass out without special permits
siOn-watched during the night by armed
white men and !heir savage bloodhounds.
As for the children being allowed to play in
idleness. your Spanish planter knows bet
ter. They arc all put to work. If too
young and weak to carry sugar cane. they
must carry bag0:o-ground cane which is
used for fuel hele-to the sugar house and
if too young even to do this, they are en-
ployed turning tue baga-o over while it is
spread out to dry in the sun.
If ever l felt like committing a murder, it
was when, stO. ping one of the little curly
headed blacks to speak to him and to give
him diiue the Oversecr came along and
gave him IA savage cut with whip, telling
l.; 4 hn
Though the poor little fellow received the
blow, l saw in the savage expression of the
brute,S face who committed the outrage that
it was me he intended 30 hurt through the
body of that poor negro boy. When show
ing us everything about the plantation the
proprietor, u wealthy Spaniard. stopped
before the place his DooGhounds were kept
i'll and pointed oct perfect specimen offs
kind-large, powerful and t,ger-like in bis
slow movements. He told us that to him
that dog was worth mere than his weight
Ill gold; that once upon The trail OF a negro,
nothing but utter eNha u.,tion or death could
stop hun; gifted with an instinct above com
mon animals. and endowed Will acute keen
senses. he invariably was successful in his
search, no matter what devices the negroes
took to hide or destroy iheir trail The PEG
pie are very hospitablr, ANA do their utmost
to make your stay pleasant and agreeable,
and SIMPLY do not understand you when You
express your SORROW for the hard life of the
field hands. They are 50 accustomed to COZ
slder the negro Int as SoH.e inferior animal
that they think it nonsensical TO express re-
greet Tor his condition. and. indeed the lite
the latter leads day after day soon causes
everything that is human about him to dis
appear. Even the Chinese, with whose
clean aud neat appearance YOU are much
pleased when you meet With him as ser
want in the city. and who shows intelligence
and brightness there, whcu sent on panta-
ton as Il held hand, tollin9 day after day IN
hot sun, under the cruel whip of savage
overseer, deteriorates rapidly. and in the
course OF a few years is no better than an
animal, showing very often no more intell-
gence than a horse or q dog. caring only 70
get food and drink enough TO appease BIZ
hunger and thirst, and sleep to recruit hs
exhausted body