24 



humboldt's cuba. 



advancing interests which are in every sense opposed 

 to their own. Thus Spain imposes taxes to support 

 a large army and navy, the principal object of which 

 is to prevent any expression of the public will on the 

 part of the people of Cuba. Another class of impo- 

 sitions have for their object the diversion of the 

 trade of Cuba to channels which shall increase the 

 profits of the agriculturalists, and mariners of Spain, 

 without regard to the interests of the people of the 

 island. Whenever any of these burdens become so 

 oppressive, or ruinous to the island, that the court 

 cannot avoid taking cognizance of the complaints of 

 the people, the necessity that it must be replaced by 

 some new tax, which shall immediately equal it in 

 product to the revenue, is made the immutable con- 

 dition of relief. In a word, the increase of the reve- 

 nue, and the advance of the industrial interests of 

 the people of Spain, are the guiding principles in 

 the political economy of the present government of 

 Cuba. 



The civil administration of Cuba is of the same" 

 antagonistic character. We are relieved from 

 extending our remarks on this point, by the full 

 elucidation of the subject in the " Essay upon the 

 political state, &c, of the Island of Cuba," published 

 by General Jose de la Concha, in Spain, after his 

 return from the post of Captain-General of the 



