The record-union., 1898-07-25
CUBA IN 1858.
Kimballs Account of It in the First
Number of Putnam'a Monthly.

In the very first number of Putnam's
Monthly Magazine" the date Of which
is January, 1853, after the introduction,
there is an article on Cuba. The SUBJ
ject chosen some forty-five years ago
shows how important it was then con-
sidered. The article is unsigned, but
it was written by Richard Burleigh
Kimball, the author of "Undercur-
rents of Wall Street Life" and Letters
from Cuba" Were the author of this
article alive to-day Che died in 1899,
he would see how prophetic he was.
Eighteen hundred and fifty-two had
been a year of turmoil. The Napoleonic
coup d'etat of 1851 had unsettled Eu-
rope. There We're the beginnings of
those troubles with Russia which
brought about in 1854 the Crimean war.
In his introduction to the article Gu
ba," Kimball wrote, I'VE cannot, if we
would, remain Indifferent to what is
passing in any of the civilized States.
One great effect of freedom is to fill the
heart with an earnest desire that every
living being should participate in its
privileges"
In 1851 the Lopez expedition had
made landing at Marillo. Lopez was
captured and garroted. During the
same year Colonel Crittenden was shot.
In 1852 first appeared a decided action
on the part of the President of the
United States, Mr.. Fillmore refusing to
join Great Britain and France in a
treaty which guaranteed to Spain the
possession of Cuba. In 1852 there was
a conspiracy in Cuba, and its leaders
were garroted, shot, or sent to prison
for life The article then in Putnam's
Magazine" was timely one, for Gu
ba then occupied public attention. This
is an extract from the second page of
the article:
There is almost within sight of our
own shores a province of one of the
monarchies of the Old World, whose in
habitants are suffering under greater
and more oppressive burdens and are
governed by a sway more absolute and
tyrannical than has ever been exercised
against Sclave, Magyar, Pole or In
dian. 1t is the island of Cuba
Mr.. Kimball describes the various
Captains General, and shows that on
the accession of Miguel Tacon there
began "a series of injuries, cruelties
and expressions against this unfortu-
nate island unparalleled In the history
of civilized communities. Ia
con possessed a jealous nature, was
short sighted and narrow minded, and
had an uncommon stubbornness of
character" And these are the true
Spanish traits of to-day-hat Is. of
the Iberian functionary. The Tacon
policy was about this: That the island
of Cuba can only be Spanish or African.
Describing exact conditions when the
article was written, Kimball writes:
I'VE have seen that the position of
the Creoles in Alba is that of an op-
pressed and degraded race, fully SEN
sible of their wrongs: that they now
regard the power which oppresses them
with Indignation; that, Notwithstanding
their earnest desire to be free, they
are kept under by the terrors of SER
vile insurrection and the fear of re-
lentless persecution. But do the Gu
bans despair altogether of liberty?
Have they no hope from any quarter?
or. if from any. from what quarter?
There is no doubt that they look to the
United States, and to the United States
only, as their ultimate hope and saliva
tion from the cruelties of Spain'
Then comes this remarkable passage:
What is IN the future? Cuba will
become a part of the United States
The how or the when 1t is useless to
predict. Political events have transpir-
ed so rapidly within the last few years
that
That of an hours age doth hiss the
speaker.
I'VE are borne onward by a force
which seems Fastening some great con-
summation. If all do not agree as to
the result which these changes are to