The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-09


tinued possession OF the Queen Of the Antilles.
There is in the way of candid discussion of the
social and political questions afectlng the interest
OF Cuba punctilious pride that will not allow
! itself to be even touched by common sense.
! THE SPIRIT OF HIDALGoIsM
Is asride or its hobby horse and 1t Is to be feared
that it will not come down until the rotten frame
work is Knocked to pieces. 50 much the worse for
the riders. II people will insist on keeping alive
the pretensions Of a dead past in this practlcai
age they must be prepared to be trampled under
the feet OF the progressive and advancing miinons.
II one could photograph the thoughts OF the apies'
spirits who are defending the existing INSTITUTIONS
the fear OF this aggressive liberal spirit would be
found to hold prominent place in all their calcu
Iatons They know that slavery per Sc Is inde-
fensible and that the old speciOus plea which
would persuade us into the belief that the
slave is happier than the free laborer will
no longer DC listened to by the civilized world. or
course there is the despotic theory, (which claims
that Spain as an Independent aud sovereign state
mas right to do what she pleases withinYher own
dominions, and may "1arrup her own niggers" IL
she is pleased to do SO. The conscience of the
civilized world has, however, revolted against this
atrocious doctrine, as 1t has revoted against the
divine right Of the puppets we call kings 1t is
now an accepted rule that neither an individual
against humanity 80 long as there is power in
others to punish the offender. II Spain could
DEFY the world her pretension to be above
the law OF civilization might have to be
respectedi but az things are, those who have
the power have the right to insist that she shall
maintain no institutions within her boundaries
which offend the conscience and ideas Of right OF
the rest Of mankind Az Spanish constituencies re-
fuses to give me facilities to examine thoroughly
into the state OF the instruction l intend to ex-
tend my inquiries into the social and political state
OF that part OF the island under the undisputed
sway Of Spain. To my mindit is a subject of inf
nitey more interest to the general conscience OF
mankind than whether Cespedes has five thousand
or ten thousand men In the field For about him
one thing Is certain-tne movement with which he
OF the Spanish authorities
UNTIL THE QUESTION OF SLAVERY HAS BEEN SET
tiled FOREVER.
In view of possible contingencies In the fulflment
OF the mission have undertaken, intend to leave
some contributions to this question to be remem-
bered by. Whatever comes from my pen will have
at least one rec0mmendation-tO wit. dspassi0nate
truth. 1t does not require any very deep penetra-
ton to perceive chat there is enough that is start
ling to the minds OF men habituated to freedom Of
thought and action, to the dispensation OF equal
any appeal to sensationasm quite unnecessarily
am tempted even to say, supernuous.
/ The CUBAN question has 80 many sides and pre-
sents such mass Of entangled interests that only
q mind perfectly impartial could give anything
like correct picture Of the exact state OF things
existing here or Of the causes that led to them.
When we examine disputed question closely and
impartlally experience generally shows that some
right exists on both sides. With my present infor
nation it would be preposterous on my part to at
tempt TO dogmatize or to pretend to give more
than cursory sketch OF some of the causes which
render solution of the present trouble so difficult
While abhorring slavery from the depths OF my
soul, am not prepared to look upon all who differ
from my views in theory or in practice
as necessarily bad men. So much depends
in questions of this nature on the training and
education as well as tse association OF men, that
1t would not be just to demand universal accept
ance Of any set of opinions on the subject. Although
slavery threatens to become source OF danger in
the future IL has had little to do with bringing
about the present state Of society here The pride
and haughtiness Of the Spaniards in the first in
| stance offended the amour propre of the Cuban
| population until the discomfort Of the latter
| reached the point where they wished for separa-
ton and independence. At first the Cubans
sought only for reforms, but as these came
being constantly exploited by needy Span.
ish adventures the discomfort deepened
into an absolute disloyalty, which eliminated
in the present instruction. The Cubans were, up
to that moment the chief shareholders, and 1t was
not until when, by the act OF instruction, they
had forfeited their property by law, that the
lutionists proclaimed the freedom Of the slave. 1t
Is needless to recount how the instruction failed
almost from the beginning on account OF mlsman-
| agement, but chiefly for want of the support of
the strong hands and bold hearts of an Industrious
population. The Cubans were brave enough and
| rich, but they were unused to labor and
| UNEQUAL TO THE HARDsHIPs OF SOLDIERS LIFE
II they had had vigorous and hardy population in
| sympathy with them 1t is impossible now to say
| what the result would have been; but they were
wanting In this essential condition OF success, be-
| cause the slaves refused to fight on either side
unless when they could not help 1t. Like their
brethren in the United States they stood by while
| the white men were killing each other fully con-
| vinced that the more were killed the better 1t
would be for them. Unfortunately for the success
OF the movement the Cubans raised the cry ns,tera
| Espd5sd death to SpainD and the Span
ish residents, becoming alarmed formed
themselves into those corps OF volun.
teers which have hitherto preserved the
island to Spain. Much Jealousy has for years ex-
listed in Cuba toward the Spanish immigrants on
account Of the industry and success OF the latter
While the natives passed their lives in amusement
the new corners were in nearly every instance
thrifty and Industrious people, who only sought to
make enough money to enable them to return rich
to Spain. BY the aid Of their own energy, and the
superior confidence with which the foreign mer-
chant treated the immigrants as class, they
thrived so well that the nativeborn people began
to regard them with dislike and aversion. The re-
suit was the growth Of feeling
ANALOGOUS TO 'NATIvIsM" IN THE UNITED STATES,
which alarmed the Immigrants and separated their
interest from that Of the native-born Inhabitants.
1t was . most unfortunate circumstance fer the
Cuban cause, because it forced int opposition the
mass Of industrious and enterprislng spirits who