National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-11-20

that all great reforms, although often In
augurated by single man, are OF the peO-
pie, by the people, and for the people.
Neither oratory nor poetry nor philosophy
can put great idea into humanity. All
human truth is common inheritance, ana
Is, therefore, homogeneous. II the poet
sing sweetly, II Is because he has sought
his idea IN the human heart. He strikes
the Tyre aud all hearts thrill with eCstatic
emotion. The orator and reformer origi.
nate nothing new, they simply
look down into the human heart and dis
cover some great sorrow and voice a felt
need, and men and nations follow them to
the contamination Of some noble work.
Spain knew that the days Of slavery in her
American colonies were numbered, and
those OF her statesmen who would not lead
were compelled TO follow, though never so
far away, movement that was to triumph
for God and humanity. 1t requires time
to solve great problems, and happy
are those who believe in the divinity
of right. IL was a long, fierce struggle
through which Spain passed In order to
secure the result which we commemorate
to night. The pathway Of this noble re
form Is red with the blood OF patriots and
strewn with the official heads Of men who
were recrcant to the trusts reposed In them
and false to tie highest claims Of humanity.
But as often as the standard OF human
Z
until at this moment the Spanish ensign
waves over g eat empire that can at last
proudly boast there is not Il slave on Its
soil In l17l there were III, 500 iDhab
jtants In the Island Of Cuba, OF whom
30, Si7 were free negroes, "A, 1873 slaves, and
the remaining 06,440 white persons.
In less than a decade-eighteen years-in
1TD2, the population had more than doubled.
/ At this time there were 1873, 553 whites, 3D.
$50 free blacks, and "a, 45G slaves. During
I the quarter of century from lT02 to 1917
the population almost doubled. In 1917
there were 216,2S9 whites, 1921 free
blacks, and 290,G9l slaves. But in the next
two years the entire population sustained
| a decrease. There was u loss OF rs, $50 to
the whites, 22,22l to the free blacks, and
23,4Dl to the slaves, making total loss Of
/ S2,hTl in three years. At this time the
! United States navy was policing the seas
and driving slavers from American ports.
At this time, also, under the adminstra.
/ ton Of James Monroe, Liberia was being
/ opened to the free negroes OF the United
States who desired to emigrate In honor
Of the President, the capital Of the new re.
public was named Monrovla. Doubtless
the determined efforts OF the United States
government to put an end to the slave
trade, and the moral effect Of the agitation
Of the question OF freedom IN England and
America, did much to demOralize not only
Cuban slavery, but caused many emancipa-
lions aud the retirement of numerous slave
holders from that island. But the iniquity
soon began to grow, and during the eight
years between 1919 and 1897 the whites
gained Tl,22l, the free blacks 0,40I, aud the
slaves IO,739, making net gain of l5l,'
i5i. In 1871 the population Of Cuba
had reached l,007,62i, and the slaves
were lS,20i In excess OF the whites,
while the free backs had increased to 49,
S3S. Between 1871 and 1855 there was a
decrease OF over 100000 in the population
and fluctuations from year to year In 1861
the whites were 422, 1871 in excess OF the
slaves, from which II may he inferred that,
notwithstanding the gallantry Of the people
Of southern United States, many OF the
more conservative citizens Of that section
preferred Cuba to their native soil during
the late unpleasantness And II Is re-
markable that In single year, from 1860 to
1861, the free black population Of Cuba in.
creased 42,6i5. This increase came largely
from the influx of free negroes from the
southern states. They knew that war
would not be likely to enhance their com
fort, and, therefore, went to Cuba. so near
and easy Of access
The free population Of Cuba has always
desired the Spanish crown to grant them
local government. The Cortes has denied
this request for manifest prudential reasons.
In order to compel the home government to
accede to their demands the Cubans have
kept the island In a state Of revolution for
years. The don. slaveholding whites nat
urally desired home rule and appealed their
question to the court OF civil war. In such
a struggle they confidently called upon the
slaves to fight under their standard, with
the promise of freedom. The slaveholding
planters, officials, and the troops Of the
crown rallied to maintain and enforce thu
mandates from Madrid. Thus the island
was In state Of perennial revolution. The
crown warned the revolutionists that unless
they refrained from exciting and melting
rebellion, their prayer for local govern
ment would not be heard. This was
In itself a covert concession to the
men who led the revolutions; for the
government at Madrid had demonstrated its
inability to restore order in the island, and
virtually said: Bring your revolution to u
close and you shall rule Cuba by popular
government. File on the Spanish statesmen
who, seeing that emancipation was inevi.
table through revolution, sought to post
pone the event by the tempting offer OF
local rule Home rule might never come
to the island, but freedom to enslaved
humanity as surely as heat follows light OF
the rising sun So God works wOndrously
for His creatures; and when the titled vas
sails of an earthly court refuse to march al
!
forced by necessity to walk as cravens al
the chariot wheels of reforms, tending u
re establish the rights Of the human race.
There was another pressure brought tC
hear in behalf OF Cuban emancipation. ThI
United States felt Inundated at the sight
, OF her next door neighbOr weighed down by
chains, and the success Of the great military
struggle, which secured her own deliver
ance from slavery, touched the national
heart into a sentiment Of pity for unhappy
Cuba. Although the moral influence OF
the nation was against human bondage Ia
Cuba nothing was ever done, however III
violation of national comfy or dignity
1mpulsive tllibusters from the United
States often threw themselves into the
Cuban revolution with perfect abandon
but never with the sanction of the United
States government. Liberty is inviucible
however, ana her allies are earth, sky, fire
water, air, and all moral forces Of organ
lied government-for these are at enmity
with bondage. Homer says "Whatevei
day makes man a slave takes half his worth
; away" and II this be true the damage tC
the STAKEHOLDER was much more extensive
, II was the moral effect of slavery upOr
= society and political government that the
good and wise men at home and abroad
deplored. Truth is never so potent al
when filtered through human experience
aud of experience with slavery the Amer
lean people had had surfeit. From til,
planting Of the British Colonies down Il
: the war Of the rebellion slavery had been
veXatious problem There was no interes
IN state or church that 1t did not affect. II
hampered national prosperity, controlled
courts, influenced legislation, and threw III
, dark shadow against the otherwise brigh
sky of a great republic. And, at last, men
acing the life of the nation, 1t plotted trea
son aud sought the destruction OF til,
United States government The way tC
national freedom lay through the red SCI
i, of Il great fratricidal war. With the re
suits Of that war fixed In the constitution
, us living, legal verities-the deductions OF
war; aud with the appreciation of the Eng
lish speaking and Germanic nations OF Flu