The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1872-01-12
SLAVERY IN CUBA.
Shocking and Inhuman Decree by the
Captain-General of Cuba.

SLAVERY IN CUBA.
e shocking and lnhuman Decree by tn
Captaiu-General of Cuba.
81 The important event to announc,
: in this letter is the issue of Cuba
stern, harsh, and cruel Captain Gen
: eral, of another cruel, unjust au(
shocking decree The poor Chinese
, or ColonOs AsiaticoS, as the Spaniard
, term the sons of the Celestial empir,
now here, are this time, however, the
objects of Count de Valmaseda's rig
or, and not the Cubans or insurgent,
in arms. By the decree a new census
of all the Cinnamon in the island is or.
dered for the furtherance of Especial
measures''-nedids specioles-some Of
which are mentioned and others prom
ised hereafter What is given amply
suf1ices to establish that the real aim
of the decree, plainly and briefly told,
Is the reinstatement and debasement
OF hundreds if not thousands, ,ot China
men, to the enrichment of many very
loyal Spaniards. i suppose your rea-
ders are aware that the Asiatic colo
nists,so called,a are brought here under
indenture for eight years Ia sort of
limited slavery, ami at the expiration
OF their term of service are allowed to
remain in the island under certain con-
ditions. Most of the Cinnamon do re-
main, their eight years of bondage
over, complying more or less strictly
with the vexatious terms imposed up
on them by the Spaniards. Now, the
decree attacks all of these free China
men, and returns them for indefinite
periods TO the bondage they had de-
parted from; for it provides that all
"colonists" found by the census takers
to have accomplished their term of
service, and not 20 have contracted
anew, 'shall remain undert the tutelage
of the person or persons employing
them at the time of the census taking,
notwithstanding they may be working
for their own accounts. Those not
found IN the above situation, ,insomuch
that they are not employed upon plan
tations or farms, or in workshops or
private families, but labor for them
selves in some occupation, trade, or
pursuit, shall be Immediately sent to
the municipal deposit (the common
jaiD of their jurisdiction And then
by further disposition these Cinnamon
may "choose TUTORS" or become gov
ernment hands, since, says the decree
with admirable candor and shameless
cruelty, "the objective point of this
law is that the colonists whose terms
of service have expired. and have not |
recontracted or are dellnquents, shall
from the present be placed under the
referred to tutelage or in the munich
pal deposits mentioned"
Amcng the very bad features of the
Infamous decree is the provision that
the poor Cinnamon thus so unceremo-
n;ously re-enslaved without their con-
sent shall not work but for their tu-
tors or deputies. and never for them
selves. And, worse yet, the tutor
shall be responsible for only s12 per
month of each Chinaman's wages,
only 81 of which shall GO to the China
man. the other ss to be kept 'at the
disposition of the government" all
above $l2, whether in money or SER
vices, of course to inure to the benefit
of said tutor. And from the small
pittance allowed the China
man, all expenses of sickness, loss of
time from absences, "&c.," are to be
deducted the &c" given by the de-
cree and Lot by me), so that it is easy
to predict that the re- enslaved China
men will very seldom receive cent
Of compensation for the very hard
labor they will surely have to perform
The decree also provides that all the
Cinnamon now under indenture, sure
ly over 20, 900 in number throughout
the island, shall not be discharged
from service (bondage) their contract
ed eight years over, but each, at the
must recontract with his
owner under the terms of his first
or enter the municipal de
posits" This, bluntly and plainly
told. announces tc 10000 or more
Cinnamon that the plighted faith of
Spaniards to them is not to be kept,
and that no other alternative is given
them but to remain in lie-bondage
with their owners, or at the termina
ton of their contract become slaves
More cruel, perfdious, and shameful
it is surely almost impos-
sible 10 embody in a decree. and one
must come here, in the land governed
by Bias Villate, Conde de Valmaseda,
to see such things decreed The ex-
ecution of the law, and fulfillment OF
its provisions, is confided to a COM
mission of thirteen members, named
by the Captain General, and at the
head stands, for chairman, Julian
Lulueta, a famous ex African slave
trader, and of the other twelve men,
bers, no less than five are also ex
African slave traders. OF course,
thus headed and compos-
ed, will have the law executed in all
its Iigors, adding to, instead OF sub
tracting from its many hideous fea
lures, and will truly make the lot of
oour Johnny Chinaman in Cuba ahard,
hard one indeed.