Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-02-04
Abolition of Slavery in Cuba.

After checkered history the bill for the
abolition of slavery in Cuba, which had al
ready passed the senate, has finally passed
the lower house of the Spanish cortez, and
has already been proclaimed in Madrid. 1t
will speedily be forwarded to Havana to be
put in execution.
1t is unfortunate that, in the adoption of
measure of such magnitude, and so vitality
affecting the pecuniary and social condition
of so large a number of her loyal subjects,
the home government should not have
framed measure more acceptable to those
most Immediately concentration neither
the planters nor the truest friends of manu-
mission seem to be satisfied with the pro-
visions of this bill. 1t DEGREES the gradual
emancipation of the slaves in Cuba in 1886,
1887 and 1883, thus guaranteeing an aver.
age term of seven years of provisional SER
vitude with their present masters. Under
these regulations the planters complain that
the larger part of their property is confis
Gated without any adequate returns; while
on the other hand the friends of the manu-
mitted class point to the terrible abuses of
the apprenticeship system which have pre-
vailed wherever and whenever that system
has been adopted.
1t seems strange that so little should be
learned from the experiences of other ma
tions who have had to deal with this deli
cate and difficult subject. The history of
emancipation in our own country fails to
furnish an illustration in point, it being
here adopted as a war measure, and the
question Of compensation not being raised
at all. In the French colonies the pro-
visional government abolished slavery in
lS4S without allowing any indemnity what
ever to the masters. By the so-called man.
omission law, adopted in Brazil in 1871,
comparative few were liberated at once, and
still larger number at the expiration of
seven years; but to the great mass the boon
of freedom was confined to those born after
the enactment of the law. 1t may well be
added that the regulations to secure free
born children from i'll treatment at the
hands of their masters during their minor.
ity have proved to a large extent abortive,
as might have been expected. The Brazil,
ian scheme, it is now well established, is ab.
solutely the worst ever adopted as human
itarian measure.
in the West Indies furnishes the best ex-
ample. The original act, passed in 1888,
provided for an apprenticeship system of
six years and partial money compensa-
ton to the masters from the national treas
ury, amounting to sl00000,0O0. But the
predictions of oppression and bad faith on
the part OF the master were so fully realized,
and the complaints of cruelty so frequent
and well founded, that in the case of certain
islands the local legislatures voluntarily
abolished it. Finally, in 1888, two years
before the time of its expiration, it was
brought to an end in Jamaica by an act Of
parliament. During the history of this
struggle in the British house of commons
the inherent evils of the apprenticeship sys-
tenn were so fully brought out and estab-
lished as to place it under the ban of all
civilized countries, and led to its summary
rejection by France and other European
nations.
Nevertheless, what has been done for
Cuba is a step in the right direction, and
we confidently predict that, long before the
stipulated seven years shall have elapsed,
under a more liberal government, the feeble
slaveholding tenure will be "cut short in
righteousness"