BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-09-26

condition of the people of the Island
which allowed them to take that posi-
tion. If you take into consideration
thea circumstances surrounding these
three men; if you remember that in
the United States the great Lincoln,
three years before 1869, recommended
"a gradual abolition, with indemniica-
tion to the owners" you will duly
appreciate the civic spirit and moral
courage of these three Porto Ricans.
CASTELAR,, the great Spanish orator and
statesman, said, in his discourse deliver
ed in the Congress on June 20, 1870:
"The Commissioners from Porto Rico
made report that shall be placed
beside the Declaration of the Rights of
Man on the 9Th of August, 1872" And
again: "Allow me, gentlemen, to con-
secrate to those illustrious men a
eulogy in which every member of the
assembly will unite. Since the renun-
citation by tue feddal lords OF their
privileges in the French Constituent
Convention such a sublime abnegation
has not been seen. The colonial lord
ship does Dot offer in any part OF the
world such an example"
The end of this period was MAJ ked
by the deportation from Porto Rico OF
citizens of the Island sent to Madrid
to receive orders from the Government
The Governors were not hindercd in
taking this despotic measure, because
at that time the central Government OF
Madrid banished to Porto Rico the
citizens of the capital who were not
s.Percena grata" in the court of Spain.
In that way they sent, for instance, to
Porto Rico famous poet who wrote a
sonnet against the Queen of Spain.
The revolution in Spain in 1868
ended that period. The Revolutionary
Board of Madrid enacted declaration
according 10 which all the children born
of a slave woman after September 70,
of that year, were free. A decree Of
December ID, of tEe same year, cor
vened to the National Congress the
Representative of Porto Rico and a
ne " political life was opened for the
Island. Two political PARTIES we're
organized. The Libera.-Reforrnist ad-
vocating reforms OF a democratic nature,
asked for the extension Of tine same
democratic laws passed for the Spanish
Peninsula, among them the trial by
jury. The Conservative, mainly com
posed of Spaniards, advocated the
"stat,ls quoH
Since then both parties have divided
public opinion in Porto Rico until the
recent American occupation. They
could change the name and modify the
principles. but the fundamental charact
eristic position of both remained the
same. In the revolutionary period Of
1868 the Liberal party obtained SWEEP
ing victories. Section / of the Constit-
ution of 1869, which guaranteed civil
liberties, was promulgated in Porto
Rico. Provincial and municipal laws
of liberal character were passed G87o),
and slavery was abolished. There was,
also, promulgated in the Island an
electoral law which recognized the vote
of those who were able to read and
write, or who could pay any contribution
whatever to the state, provincial or
treasures Of the Island. The
Island of Porto Rico thus became or
ganized, SO far as to her participation
in the national sovereignty, as an equal
of the other provinces of Spain. She
sent t. the National Congress her
representatives., whose number increas-
ed from eleven in 1868, to sixteen
members of the House and four Senat-
ors at the last election, March, 1898.
The contribution necessary to be an
elector was also changed from any sum
TO SIS year, and afterwards was dec
reased to $40 and SIS.
To be continued to-morrow).