The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-11-18

The Advance Of the Cuban ReyolutiOn.
Our Spanish and Cuban advices relative to
Cuban political movements are of great inte-
rest. The revolution is unquestionably one
long premeditated, carefully planned, the
result of patriotic effort and calculated to be
OF vast benefit to the future inhabitants of the
island. The fact that the leaders are among
the wealthy planters and best men, that they
are liberating their slaves to aid the in
surgents and freely giving their money to
arm them shows that the people who have
for years awaited the proper moment to strike
have at length caught the kindling spark.
Although the revolutionists have not yet
organized themselves into regular military
form, still they hold one-fourth Of the island,
have already in several engagements de-
feated the regular troops sent against them,
and are now maintaining q severe guerilla
warfare against which the Spanish regulars in
small numbers stand but little chance of sue
cessful encounter.
Well may Spain despair Of holding her
crown gem. 1t is quite useless for them now
to send General Dulce, however full his
powers, to crush the liberal movement. They
have no force at home which at this moment
can be spared for such purpose. Five
thousand troops, which it is reported are
to take part in the expedition, will be of little
value opposed to the rapidly organizing army
of Cuban independence. So near as it is
possible to ascertain, the insurgent detachments
already number some twenty thousand men.
By this time they are well armed with the ne
cessary rifles, which, in concert with the revo-
luton have been shipped to them from all
parts Of the world. From Peru, from Vene-
zuela and Mexico they have received many
military commanders, who are rapidly putting
the mass into more warlike shape. The
movement, too, is stirring the lethargic blood
of the other islands, which are lending all aid
to support the cause. We would not give q
feather for the revenue which Spain may derive
from Cuba after January l, 1869; and every
thing which she expends in the forlorn hope
of now trying to hold the island will be dead
loss to her and an addition to her already
crushing national debt. AS to tickling the
Cuban people with the idea that certain
colonial privileges will be conceded to them,
it is simply the old Spanish game of gaining
time which was played in 1910 upon the main
land while Spain was in liberal revolution,
and the colonies, through long misrule were
forced into the same track on their own ac-
count.
Cuban grievances are the same old story
over again which has characterized those Of
every colony Spain ever possessed. We might
copy some colonial protest of 1900 to 1910,
head it Cuba and wonder at its exact app.-
cability to this island-misrule, complaints
UNDECIDED, progress hampered, the last dollar
crushed out of the prodigal generosity of the
people by the Spanish crushing machines-the
Captain Generals education hampered, the
| liberal men driven to the mainland to escape
persecution, the whole island chained down
under the tread of from twenty to thirty thou
sand troops supported by the very people
whom they are placed there to Cypress. And
this is Cuba governed, or rather misgov
crned, from distance of four thousand miles
in contact too, with our own grand civilization.
| Only one hundred and twenty-five miles from
sharing in our progress by similar laws and
institutions which were wrapped in their grave
clothes and laid away by us three centuries
ago. The world receives its impulses by COM
parsons and the Cuban mind however
weighed down by Spanish oppression, is not
averse to creeping out Of dilapidated mo
narchial barn to step into the temple of Liberty,
whose doors are facing her and wide open to
receive her. Spain may as well try to hold
the moon as to try to hold Cuba any longer.
| The revolutionary movement is eliminating to
| success-Cuba strikes for independence, repub-
| licansm. Within q few months we shall see
her knocking for admttance into the nation
| atty Of charlottesville United States.
! General Butler on the Democratic Man.
ayers and Bondholders.
| We published yesterday spicy and inter-
esting conversation of General Ben Butler
with our correspondent. His exposure of the
tricks and objects of the bloated bondholding
democracy OF this city in the National Demo-
cratic Convention hits the nail on the head
and shows that he thoroughly understands the
scheming politicians of that party. He asserts
that it was the influence of the foreign and
native bondholdcrs, working through Mr..
Belmont and the Manhattan Club ring,
that threw overheard Pendleton and
the Western democrats in the Conven-
ton. Belmont, as the agent of the foreign
bankers, was acting for his clients in making a
dead set at that wing of the party which advo-
Gates the payment of the five-twonty bonds in
legal tenders; for if specie payments be
forced and these bonds be paid in gold that
will, as General Butler remarks, increase the
value Of the bonds held abroad about two