The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-24
RECONSTRUCTION IN CUBA.
THE EXPERIMENT IN POPULAR SUP
TRACE IN CUBA A FAILURE.
rne Elections Carried by POrCs and
Fraud-A Negro InsurrectiOn
Threatened.


moe a few months since has come to o most
impotent conclusion, ana tho paGlhGat'o1 ~
tho island Is apparently as far off as ever ~
the Inrfzon equalization In March m,St ~
cannes stipulated for certain political re-
forms, among which were the abollJlni ~ ~
very and the introduction 81 q ImitNi SUI
Trape throughout tho island. ~ nlhM'lS
payfng 81 annual tax were w ~ tiltI.'n a ~
vote fnr municipal officers. ana ~ PAVING r12
annual ~ were 10 vote for members Dl lile
SPANISH House ~ Deputies one n'pnty pihg
annortionpd To every i1WO lnhlleh V"hiS
The elections ~ m"fhn'rS ~ wv ."lonS
foltns rIacn in January. those Inr M
,iai,,al councils have Just been h"lh.
WI tba result has been an over
whnlming Government victory, ~ was W
H. aypprtnd The elections Wernh complete
farne The Spanish party, which rules
avarvthing here including the Governor Gen
araI conducted tho elections, and ~ lntml-
tjation. corruption AMI government influence
kept thousands away from we p"lls ana
elected nearly all tho government rhhhnaI'S
ON the plea IF threatened disorders, tr"op9
were moved about and posted ~ aS w. over
awo the people IN every doubtful district. as ~
vnur Southern States during the reronStruc-
ton period Then most shameless bllb"ry was
committed everywhere and tho influence 81
Government patrDnags was used 10 an extent
That would astonsh oven american non,
ffcjans The leaders of tho spanish party
made loud threats that nlnnh Wouid now
If the Cubans succeeded In the clec-
fions on the eve of the elections they
waited on Gov Gen Campos ana succeeded
In fliphtening him into compliance WIN th"lr
arbitrary schemes. lhny m''nhhneu 'ho SUP
nression Of the so-called Republican or Lib
eraI papers. and accordingly, on the day Tor
fine election n decree WIS issued Suppressihg
The newspaper called La Llbcrtnf, the last o'
fhe Republican organs. The result 81 these
measures was the overwhelming defeat OF the
Cuban party at the polls. The Spanish party
or e constitutional Union rs 1t is called. ear
rfed all the municipal councils IN every Guy,
town ar village SO far as heard from, all over
Tho island Out of thirty membersof munich
nal olIIcps in the capital. the constitutional
Union elected twenty-five by very large ma
iorifies. and almost % clean sweep elsewhere
In the interior. -,,
roraah.,oyys the result of the coming elections
for membprs Of the Cortos. With n more re
tstririad suffrage and the prestige ot THIS pre-
Iminary success in crushing ont ioca' sehu
fupnt II Is easy to SEC that inc EoVeihnent
marty will send a solid delegation to Madrid.
As II Ia make 1t absolutely certain that Cuban
sentiment shall have no weight III the gen
pral legislature the nutni'ef OF SenaIofS from
this island and Porto Rico (Which are ap-
polntcd by the Governor GenhrhD mas peel
Increased within a month to sixteen, which
will equal and probably exceed the number OF
representatives sent-oSt"nSlbly-by tlle tu-
Inn ppople to the lower house. mus mo shihii
influences of our ten or Twelve eiecteu uepu,SeS
In n house of 400 members Will TOO moro tfhf,
,,varbaIanced by the increased goVerninenliii
rapraaentation IN the Senate, even u tho
1,nhans were 10 win the coming elections,
which is out Of the question .,
Tho complete failure Of the first experiment
in popuIar suffrage ever tried IN the island
hag aroused much feeling against the gov
crnmrnt and this, rompllcatol VIII tho agi-
fation for the abolition 81 slavery mas
trndurcd n ynrv threatening state 81 alialrS.
fTha negro slaves, who constitute tho bulk 81
fhe black population, have heard much q
freedom. and been Id to believe they wnr"
IL liz freed Rut the Moret law, under when
tho abolition IA dccreod to take place, pro-
yidpa for the 4lowcst Kind ~ emancipation
hy birth and Oil age. Every negro porn
since 1869 II free and all over sixty years q
age likewise. Tho former arc 70 ne SUBJECT ~
q sort Of tutcagn until the age ol bWehIy Ivy
wears 10 provide for this, and Tor carrying
out other details Of emancipation, freshmen
h,lraauy have been formed throughout lne
island. and they have been conuucten w tlio
same way as your own institution OF the Same
name. with The addition Of extortlon from
the masters to the list 81 cnrrupIions
YOU are familiar with. Al these CIR
pumStanrea have bred great bltlclhesS AIMING
the negro population 1h@ young hhd nlh,
dte-aged slaves. who are III no way pohehpu
by the su-ralled abolition OF slavery, are
greatly disappointed: and the Tree negroes,
who form n large portion ol the population Oh
the cities, agitate the question among tneh
and have wrought them ny to a polhI 81 re-
hnllion The patriot leaders, anxious Tor
allies have also wrought on the negroes anu
promised to back them in an attempt 10 iree
themselves hv force. On many plantations III
tho interior the negroes have demand" 10 pe
liberated on the LIST of January, and threatened
fn rise and massacre their owners and devas-
tate the country If their demand IS not com
piled with This movement Is general
throughout tho interior, and there Is every
indication that general lnshrrectlon VI ho-
oroes and their white allies Is imminent
The state of affairs in the eastern depart
mont is very favorable to instruction. Two
or three insurgent bands oil ABOUT i"o men
each are still at large, committing depieia
fiouS on the estates OF Loyal planlotS anu
amhllscading the isolated bodies OF troops
sent in pursuit Of them. The country Is very
favorable to this kind of work. For tho past
ten years the insurgcnt districts nave 'eeii
growing Int an immense Wilderness hGfl-
tulture has been abandoned; the roads hayo
been oblterated in the rapid growth OF the
forests and old landmarks have diSappeared
TO such an extent that adventurous neW-Cotn,
ers have, in many instances, occupied Clle lituu
,fe moro. cleared ii and fixed new boundaries,
as in newly settled region. me spanish
troops are at great disadvantage In the klnd
of warfare thus imposed on then'' anu Suhci
great hardshipS and many slight ptio nai ass
snp reyarSeS. At present their numbers pre-
vent serious fighting, but in ease OF gcnefai
rising the u GOO or 3l.WuN men the Governor
General can put into the field would be ehor-
mously outnumbered by the hordes OF negroes
acting with the Insurgents, anu uhder inc
command of their leaders.
Tho situation is full Of danger, ana the
events Of the next four weeks arc anxiouSly
awaited. Gen Campos is reported 70 % com
nletely dsheartrncd at the failure Of the pol
lev 81 cancellations" He il known " have
sent III his resignation to tho Madrid govern
mpnt conrcssing hls inability to control the
military posts here and further conciliato the
Cnhans Adyccs from spain state that INC
government has under consideration the NJ
ceptancc Of it, and the ministry are II daliy
conference with Gen. Qur-ada, who y cam
pos' successor In the apparently impossible
task nf restoring peace 70 the island, ana pre-
serving il to the crown