68 



HUMBOLDT'S CUBA. 



and her true interest demand she shall comply 

 with." 



As these articles were known to emanate directly 

 from the palace, if not from the pen of General 

 Pezuela himself, their publication caused the great- 

 est excitement among the black, and alarm among 

 the white inhabitants. In a few days they were 

 followed by others, in which the intentions of the 

 government were more openly avowed, and the 

 superiority of free labor to slave labor was asserted 

 and defended. The States of Kentucky and Ohio 

 were cited, where, it was stated, " a single glance at 

 the aspect of the streets of Louisville and Cincinnati, 

 reveals the different, and even opposing genius and 

 tendencies of their economical organization," 1 and 

 the duty of softening the " necessary transition " was 

 admitted. 



In the midst of this general excitement a novel 

 decree relating to the " emancipado " negroes was 

 issued, 2 which was soon followed by a new code of 

 laws, establishing a system of free labor, 3 and this 

 was succeeded by another decree relative to the 



1 Diario de la Marina, 18th December, 1853. 

 a General Pezuela's official letter to Count Canongo, 20th Decem- 

 ber 1853. 



8 Ordenanza. 23d December, 1852. 



