Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-12-03
Watchman s. Journal.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER Q, 1873.
TtRvs-tlOo per year, strictly In advance or $3.50
u not paid within three months.


" not paid within three months.
The Island Of Cuba.
In our judgment the late Intelligence OF
an amicable settlement Of our difficulties
with Spain comes far short Of insuring
peaceful solution Of the question, Not.
withsianding the terms agreed upon may be
all our Government would be justified 10
asking, aud admitting that the home gov
eminent Of Spain may attempt to carry out
the agreement in the best Of faith, we
nevertheless believe the terms agreed upon
will encounter the bittercst opposition in
Cuba, rendering it utterly impossible for
the home government to execute the terms
Of settlement. Under these circumstances,
no alternative will be left but for our gov.
ornment to teach the rebellous aud naughty
Cubaus the lesson Of obedience which the
mother country is now powetless to do.
This, Of course will result either in the 10.
dependence Of the Island or its annexation
to this country. In this view Of the case,
any facts relating to that Island will possess
fresh interest. From the peculiar character
Of its government, and the consequent con.
dtion Of the people, comparatively little is
known Of the Island or its inhabitants, eS
cept that which reaches the outer world 10
the form Of reports about the civil wars
which have prevailed there, with but little
intermission, for half a century or more.
The Island is the largest aud most fer
tile Of all the West Indian group. In
length, It's about 759 miles, while ia breadth
it averages but about forty miles This
shows that it contains about 10000 square
miles being about equal in size to Tenncs.
sec The inhabitants are estimated to num-
Der about one and half millions, though
no accurate aud reliable census has ever
been taken OF this number, about Que.
half are colored persons, and at least three
lourths Of the colored people are slaves.
1t is stated that the natural resources of
the country are such that even civil war
has not operated 10 prevent the increase Of
its important exports. The annual amount
Of receipts and shipments is given at $780,
600 600 aud SPANS revenue from the Is
land is placed at $50 100000. Even now,
under this long protracted struggle, the ag-
gregate value of sugar and coffee produced
on the Island exceeds fifteen millions of
pounds sterling per annum. Under proper
cultivation, 10 genuine Yankee style, the
Island Of Cuba could be made 10 yield vastly
more than is now produced from its exceed.
iugly fertile soil.
Cuba has been appropriately named
Queen Of the Antilles, and the Island was
described by Columbus as the most beau
tiful land that eyes ever beheld," while a
modern admirer has pictured it as 1.-THE
garden of the West, gorgeous with perpet.
ual flowers aud brilliant with the plumage
Of innumerable birds, beneath whose glow
ing sky the teeming earth yields easy and
abundant harvest to the toll Of man, and
whose capacious harbors invite the COM
merce of the world" 1t is about the last
link of old Spanish power remaining to con-
meet her former glory aud position among
the first powers Of the world with her pres
ent weak aud quite he pess condition.
1t would be interesting and yet painful,
to follow the history Of Cuba through all
its turbulent career, for the ocean by which
it is surrounded has scarcely been more
restless than the political elements of the
Island. For more than half century, the
people Of the Island have warred against the
mother country, one instruction scarcely
being suppressed before another would
break out, rendering it necessary for Spain
to keep comparatively large military
force upon the Island and strong naval
force in its harbors The most noted Of
these outbreaks occurred in 1912, 1920,
1923, 1899, 1888, 1886, 1914, 1913, 1850,
1855 aud 1868. These dates, show the
time of the most prominent instructions,
and clearly indicate the constantly disturbed
coalition Of the Island. The present out.
break dates back to 1868, but in reality it
might date its origin at 1912, or, perhaps,
far back of that. Indeed. civil war is the
normal condition of the Spanish people, and
had they really been fighting people,
there could scarcely have been drop Of
Spanish blood above ground to-day. But
their fighting is not bloody, and its greatest
damage is to the morals and business of the
people