Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1873-11-24
THE SITUATION IN CUBA.

THE SITUATION IN CUBA.
The bloody butchery of the Virginius
company, which has turned all eyes to-
ward Cuba, also calls for information in
regard to the present situation in that
unhappy land For four or five years
we have had vague and unsatisfactory
dispatches about the Cuban troubles,
but few readers have had interest or pa
thence enough to follow them. The is
land of Cuba has an area of about IS, 900
square miles, which does not vary mate
rally from that of the State of New
York. 1t is some $50 miles in length
and 1877 miles is its greatest breadth.
1t has nearly 1000 miles of sea coast,
with numerous capacious harbors A
chain of mountains runs through its en-
tire length, rising, in the eastern part of
the island, to 5000 and 5000 feet in
height. A large part of the land is fer
tile, bearing large crops of tropical pro-
auctions, of which sugar, tobacco, coffee,
cotton and tropical fruits are the most
important. The population of the island
is estimated at l 100000, of which less
than one-half are of pure European stock,
and about one-fourth are slaves. More
| tbo, half Of tho 10 bor or, tba leland &c
done by free white men. The exports
of Cuba amount to about $5O,O00,O00
year and che imports to about 100000
900. More than one-third of Cuba's
commerce is with the United States,
about onc-fourth of it with Crvut Drib-
ain, and not more than one-eighth of it
with Spain. Duties are levied upon both
exports and imports, and Cuba has gen.
orally yielded to Spain for many years
revenue of about $2O,OOO,OOo, besides
supporting voracious army of Office
holders sent over from the mother coun-
try to collect the taxes. The government
of Cuba for many years has been despo-
tic. The Captain-G General has exercised
the power of the governor of a province
under martial law, and the ill-advised
attempts Of several filibustering expedi-
tions have only served to fasten the
chains of tyranny more firmly OH the
limbs of the Cubans. The people them
selves have been FESTIVE under despotic
government and ready to rebel whenever
= a chance for success should appear. The
standard of revolt was raised by Manuel
de Cespedes in September. 1868, and
though the patriot cause has had a
checkered experience, the standard has
+" never been permanently lowered. The
insurgents have government, Cespedes
being president, but its legislature was
:, dispersed by Spanish troops at its last
q session. The war has been waged lrreg
y ularly but very bitterly for five years
= When it broke out there were 10000
Spanish troops on the island, and the
relnforcements since have amounted tx
y about 100000 This great army has beer
y melted away, chiefly by diseases Incl
W dent to the climate, and the Spanish
: Government of the island is overaweC
% by the volunteers, composed of Spanish
Il immigrants. Again and again these vol
; unteers have committed outrageous butch
~ eries-at one time firing indiscriminate
> ly into theatre audience at another
~ firing into fashionable cafe at anoth
- er, numbering party of medical stu
y dents and now, the wholesale slaugh
y ter of the Virginius company caps tn
- climax. The present Spanish Govern
u ment, at the head of which is the elo
- quent Republican, CASTELAR,, cannot jus
~ tify this cruelty, and we see no reason
~ for a war with Spain. But if Spain i
a powerless to check the inhumanity com
81 mitted under her flag. it is the duty o
Il every civilized nation, and PARTICULAR
. of our own, to protest, and make tina
y protest effective. Boston Herald.
i. OUR NAvY.-The Chicago Tribune
l. which is printed on the shore of tn
n 'unsalted sea, !" and has hayseed anon
bit its types, has riddled the American ma
d. Wy worse than ever it was riddled b
IS foreign foe. 1t says that of the five first
IN rates the Niagara is rotten; of the THU
in ty-three second-rates five are rotten o
of the stocks, two have been sold, two ar
ed old paddle-wheel steamers, unfit for az
We ton, two are rotten in the water, an
er the other twenty-five can be made read
at for sea inside of six months. The thirc
lie rates are gun-boats the fourth-rate
We are paddle-wheel dIspatch-boats. Of th
We iron-clads all are monitors, and laid vi
et except one never yet launched, nor like
of ly to be. Five, with two guns each, tw