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protected by laws which enable him to apply his earnings to the purchase of , bis liberty . So soon as he can accumulate fifty dollars , his master is obliged to accept that sum , and to allow him a certain amount of leisure ; and , in fact , the indulgences granted amount to a sort of rough semi-savage familylife , and in some seasons of the year the negroes are required to work sixteen and ' sometimes nineteen hours a-day , and both sexes are included in this excessive toil . But the Cuban slave certainly enjoys many privileges which are denied to his American brethren . It is only upon the small tobacco farms that the hardships are intolerable . The owners of these petty estates possess little capital , and less mercy ; and they try to eke their means out of their negroes' flesh , on which also they vent the rubs of fortune that ruffle their own tempers . The real curse of Cuba is its own social corruption . The 350 , 000 slaves could not do half the mischief that the Spaniards inflict by their presence , by their tyranny , and by their low morality . Mr . Hurlbut is amongst those who look forward to the independence of Cuba ; and this , indeed , appears to be set down in the ordinary course of Spanish development . Spain is incapable of retaining her colonies . Her administration in Cuba continues to be so severe , and is so obviously a nuisance to the inhabitants of the island , that the shaking off of the yoke is only a question of time . There is but one alternative to separation—it is that Spain should completely alter her colonial system . But before she can do that , she must alter her domestic system ; and if Espartero could regenerate the country , of which Madrid is the capital , we might possibly look forward to her retention of Cuba . . ' Perhaps the most interesting part of Mr . Hurlbut ' s reverie on this topic relates to the p robable consequences of the annexation of Cuba to the United States . The tobacco crop might , in that case , be for a time increased ; but the sugar interest must suffer proportionately . The only States of the Union which can feel a practical interest in the annexation are Texas and Louisiana , to whom the prostration of Cuba would give a practical monopoly of the American sugar market . On the whole , our author inc lines to think that the annexation would not be greatly to the profit of the American people . He does not the less , however , go for it ultimately . Other than profitable considerations ought to animate the mind of right-minded Americans ; and Mr . Huribut is confident that the heart of Republican America would echo the brave words of the ' Imperial Roman law , that " It would be unworthy of men that liberty should be delayed by pecuniary considerations . " When we forfeit our claim to be proud of a Washington and a Franklin , we fling away our best birthright— " we come down from our high place ; we talce a vulgar station in the earth ; we invoke a vulgar fortune , and a vulgar fate . " Mr . Hurlbut is as likely to speak on this subject with impartiality as any American , not only from his position , but from his disposition . An American lawyer , he wintered in Cuba under the pressure of severe sickness . The beauties of the country endeared it to him ; he speaks of it in language-such as a lover uses to his mistress . The whole of his little volume shows that he possesses good taste ; his treatment of subjects like that of slavery attest his impartiality ; he sees clearly , and he makes one know that he speaks truthfully . One of the latest and most interesting chapters in the book is that on Cuban Literature . Considering that , before the time of Columbus , Cuba had no history at all , and that ever since its settlement the aim and end of the Creole mind seems to have been to fulfil the common duties , or rather to enjoy the common delights of life , one is surprised to hear that thinkers and artists exist in a land so indifferent to thought . If there are such monsters , it is natural that they should belong to the genus poet ; and such is the case . They have one incentive to poetry in the consciousness of oppression ; but the oppression is even stronger than the consciousness . It overcomes the power of utterance , and there appears to be really little left of the poet , except his sweetness . The language is melodious ; the luxurious climate tends to the production of sensuous images , but their value can only be estimated by those who can appreciate the miserable condition of a Cuban labourer . These native bards baptise their productions in a congenial manner . " Leaves of my Soul , " " Heart Beats , " " Passion Flowers , " will convey an idea of the titles of some of their works . The prose literature is not remarkable . Prose , in fact , usually deals with things as they are ; and where the facts must be kept down to a regulation control , the result is not very imposing . The nullity of Cuban prose literature is accounted for in the bitter remark of Jacques de Molay to his judges : — " How can we speak if we have no freedom to will ? for with . the loss of freedom to will , man Loses everything—honour , courage , eloquence 1 "
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1184 THE LEADER , [ No . 298 , Saturday
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MONT BLANC . On Monday lust , Mr . Albert Smith reappeared in public at the Egyptian-Ha . ll , with his room newly-decorated , with his old pictures of the ascent of the Mountain newly painted , and with some very beautiful views in Paris , now exhibited for tha first time . New characters were introduced into the lecture , and the visitors were brought home from their imaginary tour in the most attractive nunner possible , by way of the French Exhibition . The entertainment was as successful and as heartily applauded as in the earliest days of its appeal to the public ; and it promises to last at this moment longer than any of the newest rival sights that London has got to » how . We have heard many very good and very jocular reasons assigned for the unexampled popularity of " Mont Blanc / —but one of the main reasons , as it seems to us , has been overlooked . Mr . ALnnsirr Smith ' s entertainment performs , in every part of it , and in all the arrangements connected with it , exactly what it promises to the very least and lnst letter ' . In an ago in which moat public amusements arc , in a greater or less degree , nothing but public pretences—in an age when men profess to net--and don ' t act ; profess to write plays of their own—and steal them from the French ; profess popular instruction—and perform nothing but clap-trap—in an age when the pleasure > seektng public pay genuine money , in nine cases out of ten , for ¦ pufious ainutement , tho success of Mr . Albert Smith is a necessary
conac-, quence of his giving people , down to the smallest detail , everything , that he leads them to expect . His rare power of amusing his auditors in the most genial and natural manner has done so much for him , that some of his more homely recommendations are in danger of being forgotten . The British public likes its pennyworth for its penny — and gets its fullest measure , upon the whole , at the Egyptian Hall .
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. THE THEATRES . A translation from the French , in one act , called £ 5 Reward , has been produced at the Olympic , in order to continue the exhibition of Mr . Robson in a state of chronic terror , to an amused and amazed audience . The farce being French , it is needless to mention the plot . —The husband is afraid his wife will suspect him of having a mistress —or the wife is afraid her husband will suspect her of having a lover . Within these two categories the literature of " Young France " is now confined with almost incredible exclusiveness . Novels , dramas , comedies , farces—they must all circle more or less closely about the great central altar-fire of Adulterj' —or , apparently , the French will not have them . Comic unfounded suspicion of adultery makes a farce — dismal ascertained certainty of adultery makes a tragedy . When will " our lively neighbours " j ^ et tired of this ? " We hear dreadful hints of two new pieces , produced in Paris , which have shot so far a-hcad of adultery , and have plunged into such unfathomable further depths of moral atrocity , that the virtuous British critic cannot so much as . refer to them . This is serious . If the fashion spread , what is to become of the English dramatist , and the English stage ? M . Alexandke Dumas , Jun ., can ' t be adapted already on any terms—and the two new pieces to which we have referred , exhibit a state of criminal progress which leaves him nowhere in the race . What , we repeat , is to become of the English stage under the circumstances ? If we were connected with the " national" drama , we should begin to tremble . We must not forget to record another novelty at the Olympic ; the Jealous Wife , in which Mr . Wigan acts his very best , and is well supported ( making due allowances for the peculiar manner ) by Mrs . Stirling . We hear rumours of a new and really original play to come out at the Olympic . Can this be true ? Have we got such a thing as a national dramatist left ? In the meantime , the Spanish dancers are helping the national drama over the stile , as gracefully and charmingly as ever , sit the Haymahkbt ; and exqui > ite scenery and Mr . Phelps ' s wonderful performance of Bottom , are helping the actors through the Midsummer Nig / it ' s Dream at Sadler ' s Wells . The IIaymarkjet , where the ghastliest apparitions of pre-Colmanite comedy " walk " rather than run their nightly course , is still worth a visit at some time of the evening , if you can manage to drop upon the Little Trrasure , with Miss Blanche Fane in the principal part . That this young lady should have called forth praise of the highest kind from critics like the writer in the Times , is no more than we should liave expected ; but that she should he popular is a fact which we regard as even more creditable to audiences than to herself . So refined , so exquisitely truthful , an actress , need not have despaired if she had missed the applause of the many . In gaining it , she has achieved a triumph the more complete because not purchased at any sacrifice of true art to falsely-dazzling effect . This Little Treasure is the happiest adaptation from the French stage that we have seen for a long time . It is played well , without a single exception , by the Hajmarket company . We presume that the story of the piece is , by this time , familiar to most of our readers . The plan formed by a warm-hearted girl to reconcile her father and mother , who have been separated since her infancy , is the motive power ia the plot . At the mere suggestion that her marriage would be the surest means of bringing about an interview between her parents , she throws herself on the goodnature of a modest captain and cousin , already more than half in love with hey . Having gained her real object—the reconciliation of her father and mother—she thanks the gallant Captain Walter Maidenblush , and observes that she need not trouble him with matrimony . He will not , however , be dismissed , but resumes h is suit , and is accepted in earnest . The ingenue is not new to the liritish stage , but it is rare to see the character well supported . The most memorable part of Miss Fane ' s acting is in the scene where Gertrude stands before her father , and is mistaken by him for a protege ' e of one of his bachelor companions . The gentle , half-reproving tone in which she corrects his mistake , the growing agitation of her voice up to the point when she proclaims herself Ins child , and the flutter of emotions while she sits at his feet , laughing aud drying her eyes , and telling her simple story , make this situation complete in its dramatic effect on the audience . We have intimated that all the parts in the drama arc well performed . We would especially mention Miss Swa . nbobouoh ' s graceful representation of the wife , estranged by mischievous influences from her husband . The part of Captain Mavlenblush is one of the most successful ever assumed by Mr . Buckstone . During a provincial engagement , it has been filled , in his stead , by Mr . William Fauhen . Incident ia tha forte of the Incuuald school t and , shorn of all superfluou s dialogue , such plays as Every One has his Fault , may do well enough when novelty is not to be had . The revival of this " comedy , " as it was called in its day , and is called in the bills of the Pjuncicss's , though we should rather designate it a romantic drama , serves to show Mrs . Uhablkh Kran to her greatest advantage . , . , At the A d e lphi , Mr . Webster has resumed his part of the dissipated hero in Mr . Bouucicault ' s painful i » nd protracted melodrume , Janet Priae . The relief which Kkeley ' s acting affords to those three or four hours oi general distress entitles him to a testimonial . Oxbni'OHw ' h excellent met ; of Twice Killed comes after the tragedy , and brings out both the Kkelkyb in the greatest force . * Mr . E . T . Smith , the Barnum of Drury Lank , has p roduced , by way 01 counterpoise to the intellectual attractions of Nitocris , an exhibition »<> ' V . " known to Greenwich Fair . The enterprising manager offers his patrons n noble spectacle of a woman in a cage with lions , lionesses , a bear , and n u 0 »' In the deepest spirit of disgust , though in ihe language of juvenile innocenc » wo beg to ask this question— " Please Mr , Showman , which are the bensts
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 8, 1855, page 1184, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2118/page/20/
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