It is, however, at our door.
I can not doubt that the continued maintenance of slavery in Cuba
is among the strongest inducements to the continuance of this strife.
A terrible wrong is the natural cause of a terrible evil. The abolition
of slavery and the introduction of other reforms in the administration
of government in Cuba could not fail to advance the restoration of peace
and order. It is greatly to be hoped that the present liberal Government
of Spain will voluntarily adopt this view.
The law of emancipation, which was passed more than two years since, has
remained unexecuted in the absence of regulations for its enforcement.
It was but a feeble step toward emancipation, but it was the recognition
of right, and was hailed as such, and exhibited Spain in harmony with
sentiments of humanity and of justice and in sympathy with the other
powers of the Christian and civilized world.
Within the past few weeks the regulations for carrying out the law of
emancipation have been announced, giving evidence of the sincerity of
intention of the present Government to carry into effect the law of
1870. I have not failed to urge the consideration of the wisdom, the
policy, and the justice of a more effective system for the abolition
of the great evil which oppresses a race and continues a bloody and
destructive contest close to our border, as well as the expediency
and the justice of conceding reforms of which the propriety is not
questioned.
Pages:
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384