The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-07-30
THE REPUBLIC.


The accounts of the recent outbreak in the
Island OF Cuba are of such contradictory char
acter that il is very hard to determine what is
the true state of the case. There is little
doubt, we suppose, that the authorities of Cuba
will endeavOr to allay the excitement as much
as possible, and to throw discredit upon every
attempt Of the insurgents while, on the other
hand, those who favor these attempts at revo-
luton, whether living in Cuba or in the United
States, will naturally magnify every small ad-
vantage of the insurgents and everv disaster Of
the authorities into very large ones.
The New York Epening Post of Monday
says:
eve cannot but attach some importance to the
news received from the Island of Cuba yesterday
and what follows by telegraph this morning. After
making every reasonable allowance for the unre.
liable sources whence it comes, it ia difficult to
doubt that there has been revolt and an engage
ment. 1t is probable, though by no means certain
that the insurgents have had triiing success.
We put no faith whatever in the reported numbers
Of killed and wounded. Both parties were 80 GER
tain to exaggerate the losses Of their antagonists
that considerable deduction would need to be
made from the reports ofelther."
The New York Commercial advertiser takes
the following view Of the matter:
''With all the accounts before us, and after
carefully examining and deliberately weighing all
their statements, we judge the following to be
about the actual condition Of things in Cuba The
Isabel left Havana probably the 23d, four days
later than the Falcon and, by tho way, the news
brought by her affords striking illustration of the
IifyIa ~
in private letters. One of these brought by the
Isabel, dated July %, says that the patriots 'at-
tackled Colonel Cont, who was rafting his troops
across river near Puerto Principe, killed three
hundred, and took the colonel and other officers
prisoners = whereas, if the telegraph be correct.
the regular papers by the Isabel say that the
troops attacked party from his forces,
consisting only of thirty and nine officers,
who were taken prisoners at Port Principe by the
insurgents; while passengers by the Isabel unite
In saying that the reported successes by the nsur-
gents are greatly exaggerated.
THAT there has been considerable local disturb
ance in the mountainous district in the neighbor-
hood of Puerto Principe there be little doubt.
Thither certain parties fled when in danger of ar
rest Tor being engaged in conspiracy against the
government. and their impunity from further pro-
ceedings on the part OF the government probably
encouraged others to join them. These formed
Themselves, it seems likely, into small guerilla
parties, and, by occasional and sudden descents
from the mountains upon the government troops,
obtained temporary successes. 1t was probably by
such maneuvre that Colonel Conti's thirty men
and nine officers were taken prisoners. But we
have no idea that this amounts to any thing more
than local instruction. The mountain fast
nesses will probably afford the guerilla parties
shelter for some time to come, and we shall hear
more of their proceedings. The reports that nu-
merous companies of the government troops had
Joined them, and that the movement was spread
ing, do not at all agree with the report in the same
despatch, that 1T premature, and had failed for
want of arms Both statements cannot well be
true, of which, would suppose, the intelligence
OF the reporter should have apprised him.
alt is by no local guerilla tactics-by no assem-
bling of men in the mountain fastnesses-that Cuba
is to be released from the Spanish yoke Yetsuch
we apprehend 10 the true character of the present
disturbances. The averment that the nsurrection
had spread to Matanzas and Santiago is not con-
frmed by the Isabeps later news. On the contrary,
she brings word that the government at Havana
was prepared for any emergency that measures
were taken to suppress the instruction, and that
not the slightest uneasiness alarm was felt about
the issue. We well believe this to be the case
One fact mentioned in the Isabels intelligence ia
alone sufficient 10 convince any rejecting person
that the movement is not considered formidable
deemed to pRrtake of the true character of
revolutionary movement. sThc markets at Ha
vana remain unchanged "