History of Cuba; or, Notes of a Traveller in the Tropics: Being a Political, Historical, and Statistical Account of the Island, from its First Discovery to the Present TimeBallou, Maturin M. (Maturin Murray)
History
History of Cuba; or, Notes of a Traveller in the Tropics: Being a Political, Historical, and Statistical Account of the Island, from its First Discovery to the Present Time
Ballou, Maturin M. (Maturin Murray)
Cuba -- Description and travel; Cuba -- History
A gentleman residing in Cuba writes: "No one can be here, and watch the
progress of things, without being convinced that the ultimate object is
the emancipation of the slaves of the island transported subsequent to
the treaty of 1820, which will comprise four-fifths of the whole number;
and no one who is an attentive observer, and with his ears open, but
must be satisfied that there is some other powerful influence brought to
bear on the subject besides Spain. Take, for instance, the late order
for the registration of the slaves. The British consul openly says that
the British government have been, for a long time, urging the measure.
But it is not only in this, but in every other step taken, that the
British finger is constantly seen. A thousand corroborative
circumstances could be cited. Cuba is to-day indebted to Russia for
being free from this calamity. But for the emperor's obstinacy, there
would have been an English and French fleet that would have enabled them
to carry out all the measures they have in contemplation."
With relation to the intermarriage of blacks and whites, our informant
says, "Many marriages have been performed since the date of the
circular,"--that of the Bishop of Havana to the curates of the island,
by the authority of the captain-general.
"The captain-general," says the same authority, "is now exerting his
influence for the admission of blacks into the university, to prepare
them for clerical orders. Should this system be adopted, I fear it will
lead to bad consequences. It will, of course, be strenuously opposed.
The indignation of the Creoles has been difficult to restrain,--at which
you cannot be surprised, when their daughters, wives and sisters, are
daily insulted, particularly by those in uniform. I fear a collision may
take place. If once commenced, it will be terrific."
The decree authorizing the celebration of marriages between blacks and
whites has probably produced more indignation among the Creoles than any
other official acts of the captain-general. It was directed to the
bishop in the form of a circular, and issued on the 22d of May. On the
29th of the same month, the bishop transmitted copies of it to all the
curates within his jurisdiction; and, as we have seen, many of these
incongruous marriages have been already solemnized. Notwithstanding
these notorious and well-authenticated facts, the official organ of the
government, the _Diario de la Marina_, had the effrontery to publish a
denial of the transaction, asserting it to be mere idle gossip, without
the slightest foundation, and ridiculing the idea in a tone of levity
and _persiflage_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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