PRELIMINARY ESSAY. 



69 



u emancipados." 1 The unnecessary ostentation, and 

 exciting language of all of these official documents, 

 greatly increased the alarm of the white inhabitants. 

 Coincident with these measures, the press announced 

 that what the government " had in view is to make 

 a transition from labor that is entirely compulsory, 

 to the organization of labor under a state of com- 

 plete freedom ;" 2 and the fact is officially acknowl- 

 edged in General Pezuela's Circular 3 to the local 

 governors and lieutenant-governors of the island. A 

 secret consulting circular, which soon became public, 

 was also issued by the government, announcing its 

 intention to permit the introduction of a large num- 

 ber of free negro apprentices from Africa. 4 



The excitement among the black population of 

 Cuba, but more particularly in the capital, caused by 

 these publications, and the accompanying measures 

 of the government, was intense. Numbers of 

 negroes promenaded the streets of the city, taking 

 the wall from the whites, for the avowed purpose of 

 exhibiting their sense of their expected new civil 

 rights; while others, more bold, sought the prome- 

 nades and places of public resort, where they asser- 



1 Ordenanza, 1st January, 1854. 



3 Diario de la Marina, 26th December, 1853. 



8 Gobierno y Capitania General Circular, 23d December, 1853. 



4 Marquis de Pezuela, Circular, 18th January, 1854. 



