Washington sentinel., 1898-09-03
The Barbarous spAniArds

are resorted to by the latter in
their dealings with them. During
the t~-"r Of Office oil the Cap
tain General d. Miguel Facon,
many Cubans were compelled to
work on public buildings and
prom enades, says Antonio Con
zalo Peres, member OF the Cuban
Junta, in the MnsteeHtk Century,
and to assist in the construction of
fortresseS, prisons, and palaces,
without payment and without any
discrimination between rich and
poor; the purpose being TO remind
them Of their enslaYed condition
and the power and superiority of
the Spaniards. Those who were
unfortunate enough as to arouse
any Ill feeling on the part OF this
despot. consciously or uncon-
sciouslY, by commission or omis-
sion, were severely punished, and
more than one was publicly whip
ped in Havana CITY bV his com
mand. AT that time, as today, al
though in more disguised form
the inhabitants OF the island, the
natives. were obliged to perform
acts Of submission and servllity if
they would enjoy the favor OF the
authorities.
Yet, as the natural course of
progress cannot be stayed by the
vexatious restrictions of tyrants,
Cuba, IN spite Of the barbarous
treatment dealt out to her by Spain,
was growing daily richer and more
civilized. Modern ideas were
waited over the island from one
end to the other. These ideas,
rapidly assimilated by the quick
tropical minds of the people, ere.
ated new desires and aspirations.
The evidences OF a superior culture
soon became apparent. AS the
seed Of certain plants carried by
birds from far countries and drop
ped upon a congenIal soil will
originate a new and luxuriant veg
citation, to the aStonishment of the
owner thereof, so dId the growing
custom Of wealthy Cubans, who
early in this century began to visit
foreign lands as pleasures SSars,
returning with a store of new i'm
pressions, import into Cuba the
seeds Of that liberty-loving spirit
which, nurtured bY the blood OF
martyrs, was to manifest itself in
so gallant fashion in after years.
Of the Cubans prosecuted by
Spain on account oi their opinions
at this period (rS4o-5o) the most
illustTious were Saco, Heredia, and
Luz Y Caballero. This last was
perhaps the most popular IN the
island, owing to his denunciation
Of the Government and to his
teachings OF political emancipa
ton. He was the idol OF the peo-
pie. The appellation of"El Macs
tro" bestowed upon hir' by his
fellow citizens will show the gen.
eral love and reverence felt for
him, which feeling has descended
from generation to generation until
to- day. The hatred ofthe Spanish
to Luz y Caballero knew no
bounds, and even to. day the mere
mention OF his name will arouse in
them some expression OF this dis
like.
Saco was writer, and his "His-
toria de la Esclavitud en- Cuba" is
an excellent work. When in the
British Isles, he was the guest OF
his illustrious contemporary Sir
Walter Scott. Heredia was a great
poet, and his magnificent "Oda
al Niagara" will suffice to place
his name among the most remark
able of this century.
The infamous policy of General
Facon, in creating line Of division
between Cuban and Spaniard, re-
suited in the line becoming an
abyss as the years rolled by. En-
couraged by the Government, the
later, closely united, succeeded in
forming a dominant class, who,
actuated solely by the desire tor
gain, devised the most diabolical
schemes in order to appropriate to
themselves the immense wealth in
the Legitimate possession OF the
Cubans. These schemes were
coldlY and deliberately put into
execution from time to time. In
the year 1874, in conniVance " ith
the Government, they suppressed
a supposititious conspiracy called
the Slaves Conspiracy" which
as matter OF fact, was never in ex.
istence, except on paper, and 4.
only another instance Of Spanish
treachery. II was sim ly pre-