New Orleans Republican., 1873-06-21
NORTH CUBA INDEPENDENT.

The New York Herald is excessively for
tunate in the misfortunes Of its Cuban
commissioners. One now expiates his
curiosity in the prisons of old Spain.
another. not placing his trust in the pro-
lection Of princes or Presidents. goes
boldly, and in contravention Of the laws
of war. from the lines of one belligerent to
the other without pass or permit. This
last commissioner has performed his mis-
sion successfully. At the risk of the rifle
and garrote. he has brought the Herald late
and authentic intelligence from the seat
of skirmish and murder. This is much
better for the commissioner and the pub
lie than blazing article telling how the
dignity Of the Herald had been outraged
by putting its high commissioner to death,
with highly exaggerated wood cut, after
the manner Of Mast. showing the misera-
bic missionary as shot and carbonadoed in
the latest and most approved Spanish
practice.
The thanks of the republican world are
due the Uerald, however, for its enter
prise.
The news from Cuba is of the utmost
Importance. 1t is authentic, since the
trusted agent Of leading press Of neu-
tral nation states, from his personal OBJ
servation, the condition Of the republican
government and army. 1t is favorable to
belligerent recognition. for it shows a
persistent and permanent resistance to
the national government of Spain. From
the evidence it would appear that the
Cuban republicans have established
themselves within territory sufficiently
large to afford them abundant support;
that they are opening and cultivating
farms; that their frontier is guarded by
outposts, as the national party has pro-
tected itself with Chinese wall to keep
out these republican invaders. No gen.
eral engagement has taken place or seems
probable. President Cespedes holds his
administration in the heart of the noun
tains. as the Swiss republic does He
changes from place to place as did
the American Congress and various State
legislatures during our revolution, and
has sort of itinerant court and cabinet,
as did President Juarez when his govern
ment fell back near the American frontier
of the Rio Grande. Cuba, then, seems
fast ripening for the division of that island
between two governments, as happened
in the civil wars of San Domingo, and,
indeed, in one case in our own civil war
There is another feature in this division
which commends itself to the peope of
the United States. The Spanish govern
ment held palaver with our minister
and assured him OF immediate eman-
cipation Of all the slaves in the
Spanish dominions. As an earnest
Of what it means to do. the slave owners
of Porto Rico are thrown overheard. They
held very small proportion Of the colo
NAL slaves of Spain, and occupy little
island nearly five hundred miles away
from Cuba. This is an obvious sham. 1t
is the little boat or the barrel thrown
overheard to appease the resolute pursuit
of universal freedom. Free Cuba, on the
other hand, has liberated the slaves. and
even promoted them to military commits.
sions. 1t offers the same safe asylum to
the fugitive from labor that Canada for
merly did. That this offer is not insin-
cere, and this protection not inadequate,
will be seen from this incident extracted
from the report of Commissioner Millen:
Captain LATTE is secretary to General
Cespeaes. He is a noble minded young
man who has been educated in the United
States.
"Well. You see" he replied. when .he
revolution broke out l was home from
school. My father owned very large in
genios and many hundreds of slaves. The
family were in Santiago, near where our
principal :ngeniO was. So one Sunday l
went alone to the ingeniO. l assembled all
the slaves, more than 600. and said to them,
Look here. Up to this time you have
worked tor my father and for me; you have
not worked for yourselves; you have made
us rich; you remain poor. Now. from
this day you will work for yourselves: l
will make you all free like myself. A new
time is coming. and there shall be no more
slaves in Cuba.
You are free like myself. Come with
me and we will burn this ingeniO that YOU
have tOi.ed to create. and you will go with
me over the mountains to where our coun.
trymen 1.-THE Cubans! are fighting with the
Spaniard: there We shall all serve good
cause Well. the black people raised
their hands with astonishment and some
OF them began TO cry. After a while we
burned the ingeniO and went to the camp of
Genera! Narmol. now dead. He made me
captain, though l did not want the rank
tough. by him for six months. when l was
taken prisoner and sentenced 10 be shot in
Santiago. but my father, having much in
tluence, l was pardoned and expelled from
my dear Cuba. MY father sen. me to
Charleston. South Carolina. but l soon
stole of to New York. joined the first expe-
ditlon tor Cuba. and have Deen lighting
here ever since.
The nephew of Colonel Valerino. a Young
man named Ricardo Ealerlno. did the same
thing as Latte. and took with him 10 ne
groes when he Joined the cause OF his coun-
try. Some of these negroes l saw with him
as treemen on our trips across the Sierra
Maestro. Patriotism like this Deeds no
eulogy or comment.
With such facts it will be seen that.
while Spain has manifested no serious
to iberate the slaves within the |
territory OF what We shall call South Cuba,
President Cespedes has established free
dom in what we shall call North Cuba.
Let our government review these facts. |
To the well established insincerity of |
Spanish diplomacy let them add the well |
known fact Of Spanish inability to guar
antee any government, or any pledge to