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do so much for its people, notwithstanding the destruction of the great staple industry of the island, causing large losses to the owners of great sugar estates. But even sugar appears to be looking up, and would be a very profitable crop if our country would consent to receive it freely in exchange for articles which we could sell there to the advantage of our own citizens.

THE NEGRO QUESTION IN THE UNITED STATES

If the statesmen of our reconstruction period had taken a yachting cruise throughout the Caribbean Sea, they could never have committed the terrible mistake, or offense against nature, of attempting to place a superior race under the domination of an inferior one.

Lincoln said, September, 1859:

"I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about, in any way, the social and political equality of the white and black races; I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, or to intermarry with white people and I will say, in addition to this, that there is a physical difference between the white and black races, which, I believe, will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality."

After the close of the war, after the South had laid down its arms and had elected National senators and representatives, it was found that the dominant party might be unable to maintain control of Congress. Then Garfield, in urging the passage of the Act of 1867, a bill for the extension of suffrage to the colored race in the late Confederate States, said:

"This bill sets out by laying its hands on the rebel governments, and taking the very breath of life out of them; in the next place, it puts the bayonet at the breast of every rebel in the South; in the next place, it leaves in the hands of Congress, utterly and absolutely, the work of reconstruction."

The result of this policy is not a pleasant subject to discuss. But those who have had opportunity to observe the material and social ruin wrought in some of these islands by political equality and unrestrained intercourse between the races, followed by the supremacy of the lower race, are bound to bear their testimony, now that the question has again come up in our country as one of pressing importance. An unknown author, quoted by Marcus Aurelius, has said, "He who fears to speak freely is a slave." The noble work of Booker T. Washington and

others will prepare many negroes properly to exercise political rights and privileges. But where negroes are in the majority in communities in our country, to encourage them to attempt to rule white men, must, I think, prove dis

astrous.

CUBA

WE had light winds most of the way from Jamaica to Cuba. One night the calm was so absolute that the reflection of stars in the water exceeded anything of the kind I had ever seen.

Early March 19th, we arrived at Cienfuegos, a great and perfectly landlocked harbor that would hold all the navies of the world. It has a deep but narrow and crooked entrance. The mountains to the eastward are fine. Westward from here the great agricultural country of Cuba is mostly flat.

I sent the Sea Fox on to meet me at Havana, and went by rail that afternoon to Santa Clara, the following day to Matanzas, and the next morning to Havana, where I found that friends I had expected to meet had had to return home. The yacht was nearly four days going from Cienfuegos to Havana. Yachtsmen should re

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