The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-01-27
CUBA.

DIPLOMATIC GOSSIP ON OUR RELATIONS WIT
spa1N-THE TRUE POSITIONS OF THE Tw
NATIONS IN REFERENCE TO CcBA-wILL 1
PAY THE UNITED STATES TO OWN CUBA
The special correspondent Of the New Yor
Herald, writing ON Washington under dat
Of January q, relates the result of CONVEX
sation with diplomatist, whose views ar
considered of some weight in reference t
Cuban affairs We make the following ex
tracts, believing that they present novel ant
interesting view of the question:
"It is useless to expect, as Mr.. Fish appa
rently does, that Spain will make any re
forms in Cuba, or restore the island to peace
except by abandoning it," said gentleman
who has been more than once a member o
diplomatic corps and who knows Cuba and
Spain extremely well and long. "The strug
gle will 90 on, as it went on for so many
years in the Spanish American colonies
More and more Of the cultivated parts Of the
island will be destroyed by the insurgents
last year they devastated over forty planta-
tions. Within six weeks they have laid waste
several. This is their true course, and they
will pursue it, for the Spanish forces can not
prevent them.
our globe; its | SOC, 900 Of people-not all pro-
ducers by any means-turn out an export
every year of from 500, 600 900 to Sl2O,OOO,-
600 in value. You in this country seem to for
get that this is the product Of slave labor. |.
is remarkable that, with all the destruction
worked by the insurgents, the island has not,
until the present year. yielded much less than
its average product during peace. AS the
rebels advance the planters have drawn their
slave gangs back; they have more energetic
ally and skilfuliy cultivated narrower area,
and there is no doubt that they have
made great deal Of money in spite OF the fact
that they have had to submit to the exactions
not only of the Spanish authorities on one
hand, but of the insurgents on the
other, to whom many planters secretly
pay heavy tribute for the privilege of continu-
ing their industry. Unless | am much mis-
taken the next year will show large deer ase
in the product of sugar. The destruction
continues and increases the exhaustion of
heavy exactions begins to be felt, and there
will come day-no one can tell how far it is
the Spanish proprietors will try to
sell out and 60 back to Spain. This was the
course OF events in all the Old Spalish-A Amer
lean colonies. Spain can not prevent it. She
loses, as one of the Captain Generals told me
himself, seventy-fve per cent OF the soldiers
their arrival, and assertions are constantly
more numerous. 1t is a fatal land for cam
paigning, as you will snd if ever an Amer
lean army is sent there"
"But do you not see that the moment an
American force lands in Cuba you ut erly
disorganize and stop all productions Sugar
and tobacco are grown in that island entire ly |
by slave labor. Your first act must be to free !
the slaves, and, as they are mainly savage |
native Africans, if they are free in that tropl-
Cal land goodby to the sugar crop
There have been at different times in |
Madrid, he continued, "persons not without |
who suggested that in the last resort
it might be possible for Spain to set the island |
free on the condition that the President of the
United States, who has so long taken such an
interest in its fate. should agree
70 guarantee such part Of the Spanish debt as
Cuba might be made to assume. There are
Spaniards who would think it good bargain
thus to get rid of part of their troublesome
national debt, and the creditors of Spain
would never think of discouraging the idea
II ever such negotiation begins it will re-
'eivs the favor of some Spanish public
men, but | should think it would hardly
Jet much favor here, except among annexa-
ionists and spectators, and | don't believe
|
$50 long as the production of sugar con-
inues in the island and remains profitable,
o long the planters, the volunteers of the
'asino and the officials will unite to urge
pain to prolong the struggle. That is the l
hole situation. When it is no longer profit +
BILE, and very profitable, to produce sugar
nere-profitable, l. mean, not only to the
lanters, but to the officials who live on the
lanters then the struggle will draw to a q
lose. Now, this may happen in one OF two =
ays-either the insurgents may advance and
estroy SO large part of the cultivated area
the island that the remainder will not Weld .
surplus, for the Spaniards, or you, who are by
r the largest consumers of Cuban products,
lay buy elsewhere. Suppose the President =
lou recommend to Congress to adopt
eavy ditferential duty against Cuban and
ave-grown sugar and in favor Of the sugar
Mexico and Central America, grown by
ee labor? Those countries can undoubtedly q
pply your demand with but little en-
and you have besides, in your
vn territory, in Louisiana, Texas and ~
orida, very great area OF sugar-producipg
nd. II your Congress adopted such a
'licy Spain could not complain. 1t would =,
form Of Intervention not hostile, and con- I"
nant with your national policy, which en- 81
urages free labor and would not encourage :
Q semi-bondage in which you live to
Q slaye-grown products Of Cuba, 81
ID, what seems to me of phio- -
phcal Importance, you would not be
mpted TO interrupt struggle which, for the n,
od OF the Cub rs themselves, must, ] -
ink, 60 on until they win their own indie.
ndence, as they surely will in the course of
ne and events. II they themselves gaia 1t n
ey will be strong enough to keep it. II
u, by intimidation which must lead to war,
cure it for them they will be children on =
ur hands. Finally, you ought to discourage
very and you ought to encourage your tree
ighbors in Mexico and Central America IN
40 offer you, if you only would take it, a
lndred-fold greater market for your own
oducts than the little island of Cuba, and Je
supply you with all the tropical products
u require, grown by free men, your natural
les" A.
Here the conversation ended.
n.
Washington letter says: Sc 1t has been a
Tar If batl l.