The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-12-04
CAN cUBANs GOVERN CUBA
MP. HALSTEAD ENDORSES GEN.
J0AN3ON'S VIEW.
VIII Not degenerate Into HaYii; For
Two Thirds Are White and
None Black.

| (Nfurat Halstead in New York Journal1
General Bradley r. Johnson has done
a public service of Importance in writing
his communication for the Journal cor
recting the statement that is the favor
tie expression Of hostility by the Spanish
party toward the Cuban insurgents
that they are engaged in converting Cuba
into a San Domingo, and that the rebel
lion il substantially negro revolt. There
is, / think, a large inaccuracy in what
General Johnson says about our Reyolu-
tionary war-that is, too sweeping de-
nunciation Of land holders and business
men-and a minor error or two, but there
is an excellent and most satisfactory
statement in general of the truth about
the racial question in Cuba l make
specification of dissent from part or
paragraph Of what General Johnson says
in order TO give emphasis TO the justice
that he has done a gallant and suffering
people.
/ especially desire To invite the public
attention to the fact that becomes of
moment in this connection, that General
Johnson is a Southern man. and, like
his friend with whom he spent some
time in ba--Consul-General lea
man competent, from his lifelong sur
roundings, to speak with force as To the
part OF the negroes in the war for hbcr-
". General johnson and General Lee
were extraordinarily qualified to give
just Judgment in respect TO Cuban af-
fairs First. for the reason that they
were SO far concerned in rebellion"
as to have no prejudice per sc against
insurgents in the field against an estab-
Hshed Government. The fact that the
Cuban people are fighting the Govern
ment does not excite against them the an
imosities Of Nirginians and Marylanders
who saw Confederate military service.
The military experience of Generals
Lee and Johnson enabled them 10 form
opinions worthy Of attention as to the sit
uation in Cuba, and TO approximate 10
the truth notwithstanding the fogs OF
falsehood both official and romantic.
And while these gentlemen are not
implacable on the mere matter of rebel
lion. we may be reasonably sure that
they would not countenance a negro
strike that was destroying a splendid
Southern civilization. General Lee prop
erly respects the etiquette Of his of
fetal position and is not communicative
so far as the public at large is concern
ed. He is doing his duty, also. no doubt,
in weighing the words in which he states
the facts Of the case of Cuba to the
President Of the United States.
Now the Spaniards, in their common
inyective against the Cubans in revolt,
and their cartoons in papers professedly
comic, but acutely malignant, assert that
the rebellion in the rich island is a black
mans affair, and essentially barbar0us,
and the fashionable cartoons represent
a burly black man whose toe nails are
| parted like the hoofs Of cattle, insulting,
stabbing vulgarly assailing a beautiful
| white woman, held to be the typical rep
resentatiye of Cuba There are a thou
| sand ways of propagating this infamy,
/ and General Johnson's response will do
great deal Of good, and ought to remove
| the apprehension in this country about
/ the struggle that is grieyously misrep.
resented as one to establish a larger
| Hayti.
General Johnson says: 1T is reported
| that Mr.. Cleveland has said that he will
not be a party to adding another niger
| State to the Union" and the General
| says the President need not be concerned
| about that. We presume and trust Mr..
/ Cleveland has not been talking about
''nigger States" We have no such thing
| In our system, and it is an error, as Gen
/ eral johnson shows, to hold that the
blacks are in a majority in Cuba. There
| are, to be sure, many people in the is
/ land OF mixed blood. The great soldier
/ Maceo is a quadroop, and there are aris-
/ tocrats on his staff-the "'best blood Of
| Cuba"-who have no racial prejudices
| that reduce their estimation of their
| chieftain's military genius.
/ / have made a close examination of
| the census reports Of Cuba, and asked
many intelligent Spaniards and Cubans
| as to the numerical division Of the races
and find that about one-third Of the
population are black and mixed-and two
| thirds white. That is, there are one
| million white Cubans, and half a million
black ones. If we are careful to count
| all the black octoroons and fine shades of
mixed blood as blacks, we may encroach
| a little on the white mass Of one million,
| and add to the return Of the blacks, but
| not materially.
1t is my opinion that if Cuba should
| become State Of the United States she
| might become as useful politically, and
| as healthy, as she is important geograph-
ically, and as for that, look at the map
and see how Cuba, with her westend be-
| tween Florida and Yucatan, commands
the American Mediterranean, and then
sweeps away like a mighty curved sword
southwark through the tropical seas, that
were for century the scenes of the CON
| fiict for supremacy Of Spain, England
| and France, then the great nations of the
| earth, for this was before the rise of the
| United States and Russia and Germany.
| But are these Cuban people capable Of
self-government? we are constantly ask
ed. 1t is question no citizen of repub-
lie should ever ask-for who in all history
ever governed a people better than they
| governed themselves? These people have
been taught in sorrow by misgovernment
to be good citizens Of the great Republic
That will be, l trust and believe, the con-
| summation of their freedom.
| CAMPAIGN SPEAKERS DINED.
: Reunion Of North Carolnians and Sound