Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-04-14

I
| Terra del Fuego.
1t is true that To. priests often ala
| their best to mitigate the inartyrdom
| Of the plantation slaves. and gucceeded
IN converting and bsptizine thousands
| OF Indian youngsters, but even on the
mission farms those converts had to
| pay a tuition Zee in the form OF hard
labor. and the artist OF the Truthsecker
| graphically sums MP the history OF the
native Americans in two cartoons, one
representing the unclaimed savage, a
shubby urchin In a hammock, Graded
by the breezes of sylvan lake; the
other, the convert a living skeleton,
wearing fifty-pound ball and chain
and swallowing a dose Of dogma, while
the instructor Keeps business grlp IN
the pupils hair.
The warliie Carlbs defended their
homes with the courage Of despair. but
their valor was unavailinE against
the advantages of their steel-clad ag-
gressors. ana some OF the moro pro-
tractc1 MananZas involved the loss pf
several thousand human lives. The
history OF PurtO Rico Is an epitome of
the whole chronicle OF the West Indian
murder campaigns. Al the time OF its
discovery, In 1909. tho island with an
area OF $500 English square miles, had
a population vurlously estimated at
from 200, 900 to 100000 But even on
the basis Of the lowest computation
the cNtermlnution OF the natives by
OverwOrk. starvation and direct muir
der must have proceeded at the rate
OF 1900 n year, for IN ljjS-i. e., less
than fifty years after the arrival OF
tAe first colonists-the race OF the
aboriginal midas had become wholly
extinct.
In 1866 the population consisted Of
about 500 whites, $50 halfbreeds and
some $500 negroes altogether less than
5000 or hardly one human being per
English square mile. Ton years after
the importation OF African slaves be-
gan in engnest. the cfenpness OK land
attracted settlers from Cuhu and
Hnytl, and the population then rose TIL
IN 1855 IL attained It's maximum Of &C.,
600, though large tracts Of fertile land
ON the east coast have never been cult
waited since the massacre Of their orig
iual owners, The upland valleys have
been likewise neglected. and there Is no
reason to doubt that under happier
auspices the population OF the island
exceeded 100000, and that the work
Of munslaughter. direct and indirect.
must have been carried ON at The rate
OF 10000 n year.
The negroes OF san Domingo were
only saved by the transfer of the island
10 the colonial possessions OF France.
There Is no doubt that the new gov
eminent was more than once inclined
10 suppress rebellion at the price OF
every Insurgents life, and the secret
instructions OF Governor clarke secm
10 imply that the trst Consul had made
up his mind To- sanction a policy OF that
sort. But the Freuch man-hunters
lacked the qualifications OF their Span
ISM eNemplars, aud the war Of races
ended with the victory Of the accll-
mated darkies.
Tho negro lnaurrectlon recently re-
ported from Santiago de Cuba is not
the urst rising OF that sort which the
spanish slave holders have coutriyed to
quell by methods OF their own. How
can we expect I'd poor district like this
20 furnish oats enough Tor the support
OF our cavalry % French officer asked
Marshal DlyOust In Northern Poland.
"l don't expect It myself" confessed
the rlolshar but It is a good plan TO
demand the impossible To- insure the
performance OF the practicable" In
a similar spirit of bravado the COM
mluders of the Spanish Cuban troops
ordered their men TO turn the lands
OF the rebels Into "a desert and thus
bulliel many OF the insurgents to ac-
cept the terms Of subsequent offers Of
compromise. Besides, Instead, of hid
Ing their barbarities, the Spanish cam
paigners took care to give them the
utmost possible publicity, or even eN-
agBernted them in bulletins Intended
10 ltll into the hands of the rebels. ON
the plan recommended by the Duke of
Alba I'm his plnu fGr, Inc st,t,,r.ssi,, ~
the revolt In the Netherlands.
In 1875 the population of cuba had
already been reduced two thirds, when
RING charles V. published an edict
prohibiting the Col0ulsts' practice of
taking the law into their own hands
and ordering that Indian dosorters
and insurgents should thereafter be
tried in due form of law, after having
been regularly indicted and committed
10 prison.
But the result OF that well moant
ulSuse was only n modification of tho
customary sentences Of death. I'm m.
foul atmosphere OF the prisons the ma
had formerly died In tho camp Of the
as IL the entire race Of the American