New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-12-10
The King Of Cuba.

According to Mr.. Gallenga, the Captain
! General, who used to be so autocratic. has
almost ceased to govern at all. He con-
| tinues to reign, no doubt, as nominal vice
roy of the republic. but the actual sovereign
is a Ger tain Don Julian de Zulueta. Don
Julian is most remarkable man in every
| way. He is the son of lab0rer in the
Basque provinces He landed in Cuba pen
niless, and now the aggregate of his wealth
! of all kinds is enormous. He is the owner
| of four great sugar estates, one of them
| valued at 100000, besides MANY smaller
ones. He has great mercantile esta blish-
ment in Havana, is q chief shareholder in
| the principal joint stock undertakings and
| has placed money out at interest every
| where.
His influence is almost omnipOtent. Mr.
Gallenga assures us that he controls the
| municipality, the chamber of commerce.
the bank, the exchange, the hospitals.
| while. as we said, the Captain General dare
take no step OF Importance without his ap-
prevail or assent. How that comes about is
easily explained. Don Julian is not only
at once the richest and the most resolute
man in the island, but he is the chosen rep
resentative of the system that has made the
island so rich and of the ruling caste, who
have strength, courage and military force
on their side.
The whites are divided into two great
classes-the peninsulares. or native born
Spanish immigrants and the Creoes. or Ia
tive Cubans. The peninsulares flourish by
slavery. look upon Cuba as mere place to |
make money in, and without the profits of
slave grown produce it would not be worth
their While to remain in the West Indies. |
They used to act with the government aad |
take their orders from the Captain General |
so long as there was no talk of emancipation |
and the government was content to share |
r of ell Il Il
eminent has committed itself to abolition |
they act for themselves and their own inter |
ests and take their orders from Don Julian
de Zulueta.
The machinery at his disposal is very
formidable. In Havana and each of the
other cities there is a Spanish Club" where
the local heads of the party hold their con-
situations, and whence they issue their or
ders. The rank and file are all enrolled in
volunteer battalions, where they are fairly
drilled and very well armed These volun-
teers are said to number 10000 men, and
there is no other force able to make head
against them. They are prompt TO act on !
occasion, and as their ardor is quickened by
he llvelest self-interest, it needs rather to !
De repressed than stimulated.
Ii they have been comparatively passive |
If late. except when actually in the field
against the insurgents, it is only because |
heir enemies are thoroughly cooled in the
Meantime. 1t was the volunteer corps of
havana who compelled that horrible judi '
lal massacre af the Creole students charged I
With outraging tombs in the cemetery; and !
hat and similar atrocities have established
lasting terror. But they make no secret j
1 their intention of waging war to the 8
nife should circumstances render it desir- :
ole. nor Go they hesitate to avow their
onviction that they are strong enough to
the Creoles and blacks" $