The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-12-27
.Ihs Blood Dren1hed Pearl Of The antilles.

| Mora and the Purta which are still In ex-
istence
| In 1889 Havana was made the capital OF
| the island. Until 1850 the colonists had de-
| voted their attention TO raising cattle,
| and efforts to persuade the natives to EN-
| brace Christianity and show them where 10
rick up nuggets OF gol and Jumps of Sill
yer. Thumbscrews and the torch were the
fayorte arguments. AT this period tue
cultivation of sugar cane and tobacco was
begun and the woes OF the natives In
creased. They were unused TO toll and
their Spanish masters exacted more from
them than they could give.
Under a system Of cruelty and oppression
essentially spanish the gentle aborigin,s
diminished in numbers so rapidly that ne =
gro slaves were introduced. and that
eventually led to the internecinc strife
which has made one of the falrest spots on
earth the home OF pestilence and crime
and savagery in warfare, the contemplation
OF which sickens a civilized world,
From 1000 till after 1850 the island was IN
constant fear Of invasion by the French,
Enplish or Dutch or by the pirates Of AZ
nations, who infested those seas, About 1913
the construction Of the walls 81 Havana W9s
begun. In 7t2 Lord Albemarle command
Ing an English fleet, consisting 81 700 Nea-
sells. carving 14.oii men, took Havana from
a SPANISH garrison of - Gl0 men. II took
from .iNne u VII july ~ W 'ulAhi' '''i'
Castle. and the town held out till August
II The spoils divided among the cap.ors
amounted 20 c726 1876. BY the treaty OF
Paris in 1868 Cuba was restored TO the
Spaniards.
From the restoration Cuban writer's date
the beginning of prosperity in the island.
The fear OF invasion was practically ended.
Piracy was on the wane and the autonomy
of the new world had defined itself The
game of grab all you can and hold all
you get" played by representatives Of Eu-
ropoan States was at an end and new ma
tive population had sprung up in place OF
the gentle. but incompetent Indians.
In 1920 Las Casas assumed con-
troll as captain general OF Cuba. His
memory is revered by Cubans to this day.
He was an indefatigable worker, and seems
to have been a man of heart as well AS
brains and energy, combination so ;are In
the rulers of this unfortunate isle that 1t
is worthy of note. His predecessors we're
distinguished for rapacty and cruelty lie
promoted series of public works Of the
first utility. introduced the culture oil IN
digo ond extended the commercial mpor-
lance Of the island by removing as far as
his authority permitted the traIhmels I'M
posed upon ii by the old system Of pfNll-
eyes and restriction. lie even tried TO e.
feet the emancipation OF the enslaFtd rem
naut of the native Indians. But great ana
good man as Las Casas certainly Mas ne
could not change the Spanish natures Meth
ing but the demand OF an Irresistible to'ce
has ever induced Spain to remove shhchle
J 4. hat che Inns Eflp kNplInn "A
still Las Casas' efforts preserved tran
quillity in the island during the revolution
in San Domingo. though historians clam
that there was a conspiracy among the
free negroes and the creoles OF CUBA 10
rise against Spain at that time
During the first third of this century Don
I Alexandra Ramirez undertook TO regulate
| the revenues of Cuba and Francisco de Ar
ranio secured freedom of commerce for the
| island DE Arranjo was native CUBAN ana
a patriot. 1t was during his years OF activ-
! ity that the Cuban constitution was framed.
That instrument was produced by tne depo-
sition of the Spanish sovereign in 1903 The
Cahildo. or local government, declared al
legiance TO the deposed sovereign and war
against NAPOLEON, In 1872 Cuba was first
represented in the general cortcz, or parlia-
mont. at Madrid and De Arranjo was the
delegate IL was then that he succeeded In
opening the ports of Cuba to the world ana
gave her commercial importance
That the resultant prosperity was not
permanent Is because of successive out
breaks. beginning with the conspiracy OF
the BLACK Eagle" in 1929. These insurrec-
lions have been caused by the tyranny OF
Spain and the rapacity OF her represent
atives There has been long line OF cap
tains general. With few honorable eA-
ceptions Las Casas leading the list these
rulers have had no purpose except 70 LA