The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-01-17
The Cuban Question and tAe Cuban Invasaoa.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD.

WASHINGTON, Dec. ~, 1907.
In the recent debate in the United States Senate
on Mr.. Masons resolution, the expedition for the re
lief Of Cuba under General Lopez, and what Is term
ed nlibusterism, was denounced as dishonorsbe and
for robbery and plumber and numerous etterwriter.
and DISCLAIMERS indulge in the strain Of vtupera
ton-indeed, it is quite the fashion to rail against
filibusterism and class it with robbery and piracy
This defames the dead and is unjust to the survivors
Of the most gallant and glorious expedition of the
age.
1t is false in fact There was not one Of the $50
men who embarked with General Lopez on the Pam
pero who did not believe that he was going to aid
the people of Cuba in noble effort to throw of the
tyranny and oppression of Spain. The heroic Lopez
thought so. 1t is well known that such was his ar
dor and sanguine belief in the Of this combi
nation to produce general rising throughout the
island that he expressed to his friends that all he
wanted was to be landed with twenty men and place
himself at the head of the revolution.
Indeed, to land with $50 men was just as certain
destruction to land with twenty men, if they were
not assisted by the people of Cuba and he well knew
that mercy was not for him. He sealed bis faith
Did this gallant $50 men contemplate robbing and
plundering an island with million Of inhabitants
and twenty thousand soldiers in garrison when they
landed on strange coast and IN fi.een IN, mp pa
pero steer for the homes they had left and vanish
rom their sight?
When, without transportation for even their ammu
nition and abandoning their surplus baggage, they
marched into the interior did they think they could
carry the plumber Of the Queen Of the Antilles in
their pockets, and wade back to the United States
with their booty?
No. Their hearts were not contracted with the
mean and groveling lust of gain but were expanded
by the novelty of the scene the thirst for enterprise
and the generous hope that, when they reached the
mountains, they would join hands with the sons Of
Cuba armed to assert their liberties. Say that they
were msled and deceived that is no reason why
their motives should be impugned, and their deeds
dishonored.
1t is easy to say that the Cubans did not wish the
aid of Lopez and his companions, and that they did
not join him. 1t must be evident that this assertion
cannot be refuted by showing when, how, and
BY whom the conspiracy was conducted, and
how far it extended. But this much may be stated
for is no news to the Spanish authorities, that
General Lopez, before he left New Orleans, on
the 5th of August, 1851, fully expected rising on
the west end of the island; and that on the 18th all
his principal adherents were arrested the roads
patrolled, the villages and towns garisoned and
rangements made for the quick transmission of in
telligence and then false information was sent to
meet General Lopez near Key West; that the Vuelta
Abaja was under arms, and thus he was deceived,
and the dungeons, and guardrooms, and two thou
sand prisoners, and the panic OF detected consp-
racy, fully show why no Cubans joined his standard.
A government with which suspicion is conviction,
cation, the dungeon, the garote-aye, and torture
as its agents, is a-powerful to defeat conspiracy.
Notwithstanding all these disadvantages and the
loss Of the lamented Crittenden and his massacred
companions, the brave old general, with force re-
duced to less than three hundred and fifty men, de-
feated, day after dax the thousands Of the regular
troops of Spain, and finally, when attacked by the
cavalry on one side. and the infantry the other
repused both attacks, drove the enemy before him,
and slew General Emma, the highest military COM
mander on the island. For seventeen days this little
band kept the enemy at bay-they killed and wound
ed upwards of fifteen hundred of their assaants,
and, still unconquered in any fight, they COM
PEELED TO surrender when their ammunition was ex-
hausted and the heavy rains rendered their muskets
unfit for service. Robbery and plumber do not
do these extraordinary and glorious deeds.
One fact characteristic Of General Lopez should be
recorded as stated by youth of fourteen years Of
age, who was in the expedition. 1--WE had been
marching" said he, 'for day or go, without being
attacked: we saw no one, but occasionally we would
find bullock tied to tree by the road side; about
the fifteenth day we found a beef in grove and i'm
medately prepared for dinner. We had not been
long before |, who had been sent out as vidette,
saw large body OF cavalry approaching rapidly.
tried to fire my musket but it would not go off but
by running and hallooing gave the alarm. just
reached them, our boys had seized their arms, and
as the cavalry charged every man fired, and the
enemy were repulsed-but they had rushed nearly on
us; as they fell back, General Lopez dashed into
their ranks and seized Spanish trooper and dragged
him into ranks. From him he learned that
just over eminence in our rear. Immediately the
old General led us in full run to reach the hill which
we did before the Spaniards: we fired and rushed
them and drove them before US. 1t was here we
killed General Emma have copy Of the general
order of march of the Spanish army, in five divisions
at that day. The fall Of General Emma paralyzed
them the double repulse checked them, and if on
that day five hundred well armed Americans had
been landed at Bahia Honda under dashing Amer
lean officer, in week the whole Spanish army
would have token refuge under the guns of Havana,
the country would have been cleared, the Cubans
would have focked TO the standard Of freedom, and
the revolution would have been accomplished.
They ought TO have been there.
II may suit the policy Of European despots to try
and becloud this most unparalleled achievement OF
American arms by opprobrous epithets, and by say
ing that LopeZ's men were armed with superior
rifles and Colts revolvers Such Is not the fact
They were armed with two-dollar muskets, and but
very few had rife or revolver, and they were
scanty supplied with fixed ammunition.
But, certainly it does no honor to any American,
however high in station, to calumnlate in so I'M
founded manner the sons Of our own soil. They
should bear in mind that they are outraging the com
mon sense and generous impulses Of our whole peo
Pile and, further, that one hundred thousand bold,
energetic, intelligent, and enterprising men, will
mark them for all time to come. The Masons OF the
revolution, and the Colonel Cas- OF 1872 would have
scorned the defamation OF bold and gallant young
men, especially at a time and in manner which
savours more OF heartless intrigue for selfish pur
poses than high appreciation of national dignity
and honor Is it that General Cas-, who has mounted
every hobby warhorse for years past without much
success now wishes to try his luck on hobby mule
Or il intended to embarrass the incoming admins
tration in relation to that most delicate Of all sub
jects, our foreign relations?
But probably those denunciations are intended to
deter the exied Cubans who have sought refuge with
US, and those who are supposed to sympathize with
them. We know but little Of the. designs OF the
Cubans, either at home or among us.
But OF this gentlemen may be assured, that there
N not one connected with any movement in the
future who does not believe that the Creole Cubans
~ mosse, and many Of the Spaniards identified with
the island anxious to assert their liberties and
will do whenever they can obtain assistance
enough to cut the cords with which their arms are
bound. But when those cords are cut, all know that
the Cubans themselves must fight the battles and
maintain the That they will do 80 have no
doubt.
In addition to the general belief that Cuba is ripe
and ready for revolution there other ope
rating on the minds Of many which did not exist