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History of Cuba; or, Notes of a traveller in the tropics
History of Cuba or Notes of a traveller in the tropics Author:Maturin Murray Ballou Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. Armed intervention — Conspiracy of Cienfuegos and Trinidad — General Naroiso Lopez — The author's views on the subject—Inducements to revolt— Eno... more »rmous taxation — Scheme of thepatriots — Lopez's first landing in 1850 — Taking of Cardinas — Return of the invaders — Effect upon the Cuban authorities — Roncali recalled — New captain- general— Lopez's second expedition — Condition of the Invaders — Vicissitudes — Col. Crittenden — Battle of Las Pozas — Superiority of courage — Battle of Las Frias — Death of Gen. Enna — The fearful finale of the expedition. We have noticed in the preceding chapter, the anomaly of the political condition of Cuba, increasing in prosperity and civilization, imbibing liberal ideas from its geographical position, and yet denied" participation in the few shadowy rights which the peninsular subjects of the enfeebled, distracted and despotic parent monarchy enjoyed. We have seen that, in later years, the adoption of more liberal ideas by Spain produced no amelioration of the condition of the colony; and that, on the other hand, a conformity to the legal enactments of the mother country was punished as treason. The result of the movement in the western department, under Tacon, showed the Cubans that they had nothing to hope from Spain, while the cruelties of General O'Donnell increased the great discontent and despair of thepeople. They now became satisfied that the hope of legal reform was but a chimera; and a portion of the liberal party, seeing no issue from their insufferable position but that of revolution, boldly advocated the intervention of arms. In 1848 a conspiracy was formed, in Cienfuegos and Trinidad, with the purpose of throwing off the Spanish yoke ; but it was soon discovered, and crushed by the imprisonment of various indiv...« less