The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-12-02
The Cuban Negro
Not a Menace.
Ex-confederate Officer on the
sNagro Supremacy" Scare
Raised by the Spanish.


dNagro Supremacy" Scare
Raised by the Spanish.
Gen. Bradley 7. Johnson in N. Y. Journal.
It has been the persistent policy
fo- the Spanish organs. official, and
of the press here, in Cuba and 10
Spain, to represent the present upris-
ing of the people of Cuba against
the misgovernment of their island
ana for the rights Of free men as
mere free "uigger rebellion" strike
Of idle lazy. semi civilized barbarians
against property, religion and indus
try. Rebels are always depicted
thus by the loyal. Ia the American
rebellion the clergy of the Church OF
England, the great landholders of
New York and Pennsylvania ard the
e.business men," the traders aud ex-
changers Of commodities everywhere
were opposed to the rebellion
They represented to the govern
ment and people .sat home" that the
rebellion was merely an uprising OF
the Glow Irish" and lower orders
against the gentry-the rich people
OF the day aud it took four years of
war and all the power of Edmund
Burke to convince the loyal English
men that it was really areyolution of
the people-to defend their right of
liberty Inherited from ten generations
OF free ancestors.
So il is more generally accepted in
the United States that the war in
Cuba is negro strike-like San Do.
mingo aud Hayti were-with the
same horrible massacres that branded
those social cataclysms. It cannot
be 100 often repeated, nor too much
impressed on the American people.
that this is an utter misrepresentation
j and Misrepresentation
The negro in Cuba fills very i'm
portans part in life Of the island, but
he can never fill any leading part.
His numbers are too inconsiderable
to give bim any predominating
weight. By the census of 1887, on
the authority of Mr. Cahera, the best
J. Informed writer on the economics of
Cuba, tbete were 100000 whites
and 485, 600 blacks or mixed races !;
these figures vary from those recently
published by me in the Journal. but
those were given without the record.
This statement by Mr.. Cahera is in
Gunton's Magazine for October. and
/ take for granted is reliable
rs There are therefore nearly four
white men to one colored man in
Cuba It is impossible to get any
seort of accurate information abo:::.
the Cuban Ar.y Of Liberation, as
the call it, but alloting the facts as /
could collect them from all sources,
Gubans. aud Spaniards, | think that
Gomez has about $4,000 men in the
field, of which a Spanish general
told me that he thought that 80 per
cent. or $4,000 were negroes, and 60
per cent SO 900 were white men
The Caban slave owner has been,
since 1865 urging immediate emanci-
patton on the Spanish government
The Cuban rebellion of 1868 pro-
claimed, the emancipation of. the
slaves. aud by tie treaty. between
the rebels and the home government.
ia 1878 the freedom of those who
fought in the revolutionary ranks was
proclaimed
But the Cuban shareholders insist
ed on general emancipation, which
was accomplished in the Spanish
cortes in 1886 on motion of Cuban
deputy, Don Miguel Figueroa. In
two years the sugar crop increased
SO per cent.
The Cuban negro. slave snd free,
has distinguished himself by an in
tel!ectual force, a mental vigor, greatly
superior to thai Of the American ne
gro.
Antonio Maceo, who is attracting
most attention now. is q quadroon
He is the son of mulatto woman by
a Spanish officer, as she is the daugh.
Ter of a spaniard of rank. Maceo's
white blood shows in his face, his
figure and his achievements He is
the guerilla chief of the war Gen
eral Weyler is now undergoing the
fate of most generals. Peope at
home always clamor for victories in
the field John Mosby starting with
Is men III 1868, gradually collected
800 in 1868 81, and be kept 10000
Union troops chasing him he never
vpas canpht. nor cornered, and | shall