CUB& TET 1897.
{"newspaper_name": "The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware advertiser.", "edition": "01", "page": "p1", "byline": "From the Neu- York Daily .7irertisef.\n\n\nLETTER XIII."}
{"character_count": 2966, "word_count": 534, "ccnet_language_score": [0.9704999923706055], "ccnet_perplexity": [1103.4000244140625], "fasttext_language": ["en"]}
With respect to the slave population, It
may be remarked that it has greatly chan
yed its character within few years, SO tar as
Havana and Matanzas are conccrned,and al
so in other places of any magnitude. On the
plantations there is nece ssarily, from the situ-
alton OF the slaves, but little improvement.
There is an air of independence, manliness,
and sclf-consequencc about the negroes


which have never seen in my own coun-
trv. At the same time the laws OF Havana
or. such. that if a negro raises his arm 60
strike n white, the latter may Kill! him with
;mnnnitv. In confirmation of this opinion


would remark. that the same opinion comes
almost irresjstablv on the mind OF every TO-


r.;rncr the moment he touches the mole at


Havana. | have frs iuently seen negro
stop gentleman in the street, ana request
ncrmi,sion to light a scgar by one winch the
gentleman was smoking; and what surprised


me more. was. that in all cases the request
was granted without the least hesitation.
have as often heard gentlemen make the
same request of the negroes. inquired oi
Young Cuban if such things were not OF re-
cent date, and how it came to pass re re-
plied that until within few years 1t was
not known; that it had become necessary %
he more civil to them than torhefiy; tnat
he himself possessed Al slaves, but thae ne
wished the island might be free notwith-
standing. and added with much emphasis,
"manana, manana," tomorrow, tomorrow.


The soldiers form part of thepopulation OF


Havana distinct in feeling from the others :


,,o,, occasion to converse with them on the out
nosts. in order to ascertain their feelings to-


wards the king, and the government OF the ISL
! and knowing that from the officers their true


onin;ons could not be learned. One young


soldier of % ears told me, that he had been


fnrced into the army when quite young, and
that subsequently he had been seht to Cuba
fo,, a term of six years, but added, "oix


means twenty; have but little hope OF re-


turning, and the greater part OF the oattaiion


are in the same condition" AS the news OF
tbe war between Spain and Portugal, had


arrived but short time previous. and Mr.
Canning's speech was published, inquired
,f him what he would do il the English
came to attack him in the Nero! "Would
that this might be SO. tor then should re-


,,,rn the sooner" Another soldier made the


s,m- remark. and used the same word i'll


reference to the English, (oxaia! oxalaD-
These small things, together with others o.
=, a kind, served to show the feelings OF the sol


diers. -, =,
1t may be remarked, with regard to tht


different classes, it is very difficult tor for
eipner to distinguish between the negro anI
! white population. Cubans in. general ar


darker than the Spaniards of the mothe
5 country. Indeed there is no standard; TO
: the grades exist from the light brown to th
Goa, black of Africa, and the extreme hea
/ Of Cuba giving the curl to this hair after