The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-11-13
THE REVOLUTION IN CUBA.


endeavored to suppress the truth regarding
il so far as the control of the Cuban terminus
of the Gulf Cable enables him to do SO. The
movement, though not general, seems to be
pretty extensive in its ramihcations, but the
principal scene of the actual revolt is the
eastern district of the island, where insur-
rection has assumed an organized form, and
where it finds leaders and supporters
among the most wealthy and respectable class
of the population. The operations in the East
are, however, directed and controlled by a
Revolutionary Junta at Havana, which has
issued an address to the entire people of Cuba,
calling upon them to unite their energies for
the purpose of attaining delverance from the
despotism which has hitherto ruled the island
with an iron hand. To appreciate Alright the
character and aims of this sudden revolt, it
will be necessary to consider the nature of the
relations hitherto existing between Cuba aud
the mother country.
TIE GOVERNMENT OF CUBA,
Although one of the greatest cOlonizing
powers OF modern times, Spain has never sue
ceeded in binding to her, by the ties of a loyal
and afectiOnate attachment, any of the nums-
rOus dependencies she has owned in the New
World. Once the mistress of Louisiana aud
Florida, of Mexico, Of the whole of Central
America, and Of nearly two-thirds of the
southern half of this continent, besides owning
large part of the Antilles, her rule in the
Western Hemisphere is at present confined to
the two islands of Cuba and Porto Rico, with
their adjacent isets. And, with the exoep-
tion of Louisiana, she lost all these splendid
possessions through revolution provoked
by oppression-by system OF government
which, lamentably short-sighted and intensely
selfish, exacted everything from the colonies
il the shape OF contributions to the wealth of
the mother country, and gave nothing back
to them in return for the riches which they
poured into her lap. Untaught by the lessons
of bitter experience, she has continued to
pursue the same course towards Cuba which
led the people of the continent, from Chilli to
Mexico to strike for independence in the ear,v
part OF the present century. In her govern
ment OF Cuba, Spain has shown little or no
regard for the true interests of me Cnbaus.
except in so far as the prc,notion of thor,s
interests might indirecL..,,y contribute to the
PRO prosperity ana salth Of ths parent land.
Ihe ,, claims .. the Cubans to be placed upon a
EIo'iDp ! :, ur equality in their own country with
We sons of old Spain. have been systemati-
cally ignored by the Spanish Government.
Every office of honor and emolument in the
island worth having is, without, exception,
filed by native-bOrn Spaniard, and vast
sums of money are every year drawn from the
colony in the shape of taxation not one dollar
of which is spent on internal improvements in
the colony. The Government of Cuba costs
$33, 0O0, 600 per annum, of which the sum of
$S,000 900 is set down under the head of
sCourt perquisites" s"-that is, this sum is ap-
propriated by the Spanish Government, or
rather was appropriated under the old regime,
for Court peIquisites. The whole of the
$33, 600 900 is spent without the slightest
accountability for its disbursement to the
people from whom this immense revenue il
raised.
The Government Of Cuba may be described
as military despotism. For civil and mill
tary purposes the island is divided into three
provinces, each of which has Governor, who
is appointed by the Home Government. The
supreme authority is lodged in the Captain
General, who, besides his fuRctions as such,
is Governor of the Western Province. He is
the representative of the Crown, to which he
is exclusively responsible, and is President Of
the Royal Court of Judicature, Superior Com.
mander of Marine, Superintendent of the
Treasury, and Vice-Regal Patron and Vice
Regal Protector of Public Instruction. The
Governors of the other provinces have iude-
pendent civil power, and are responsible only
to the Court Of Spain. Cuba has no popular
Representative Assembly; the press of the
land is subject to rigid censorship; the lib
erty of public meeting is denied to the people,
and religious liberation is unknown.
THE PARTY OF INDEPENDENCE.
The state of things being as we have de-
scribed, it can surprise no one to be informed
that there is a widespread spirit of disadec
tiOn to Spanish rule among the Cubans, aud a
very strong desire to shake off the yoke Of
Spain and establish an independent govern
ment in the island. Nor are these feelings Of
recent birth. They existed as far back as the
period when the continental possessions o
Spain in America rose in rebellion against the
Spanish crown, and succeeded in achieving
their independence, and for the last forty OIL
fifty years the idea of liberation from Spanish
domination has never been absent from the
Cuban mind. The Cubans have made severa
attempts to get rid of their oppressors
but the military power of the Govern
ment has always proved too great fo
them. nsurrections have been repeatedly
planned, but have been invariably nipped il
the bud. Movements for the overthrow of the
Spanish power in the island were organized il
1923, 1880, 1850, 1858, and 1854, but eact
time the designs of the patriots were thwarteC
by the prompt action OF the Government. Th'
Inflated expeditions of Lopez will be remem
bered as among the abortive attempts to wres
Cuba from the hands of Spain. Lopez himsel
was an enthusiast in the cause of Cuban indie
pendence, and although the plans by which h
attempted to achieve the end he sought, il
making the United States base of operations
were open to the gravest objections ON ground
of international law and public morality, We
there can be no doubt that the unfortunat
adventurer only too faithfully represented tn
sentiments and wishes Of very large proper
tion of the people of Cuba. Filibusterism failed
as it deserved to fail; but the idea in which
had its birth was precisely that which ha
moved the Cubans to raise the flag of revol
under General Lersundi's administration.
THE PRESENT OUTBREAK.
II appears strange, at the first blush, that tn