The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1869-05-10
THE CUBAN REBELLION.

rse,iou from its inception to the present
time: 4 SN sAg f
Little more than six months ago, Car
ras Manuel Ctspedes, a native Cuban Of
good education, great nc'ivity and energy
Of character, aud wild daring. and per-
hups desperate spirit Of adventure, eam-
,unnc.d at fara, in the Eastern Depart
ment of Cuba, upon the alleged ground OF
inlolrrable Spanish oppression and ty-
rnnny. ,he instruction which now sxsites
~ much Of the attention Of tie civilized
world. M sooner did he raise the stan
dard Of revolt and call Ills coun,rymen to
The rescue than they gathered around him
With alacriiy aud in numbers which inli-
Gated that he had struck in the depth, Of
sheir hearts a chord that had long been
ready to give forth its rchms to the touch
Of master hand. The Spanish autlori-
ties could not afford to disregard, even for
a day, the movement ofsheinsurgents, for
they had long expected mud had long had
reason to expect it They at once took
as vigorous measures MS they could for the
suppression OF the revolt, knowing all the
time that they were operating in the mids,
ola population generally hottie to them
and to their designs of subjugation,
The Spsniards have made three distinct
and separate movements for the suppress
sion of,hc revolt, neither Of them com.
ple,c failure and neither Of them any con.
siderable success. The first was in the
Eastern Department. under Valmascda,
who was sent out' from Havana to take
possession Of Bayamo, then the revolu.
tionary headquarters. After encounterius
many hnrdsi,irs, vast difficulties aud Oh.
struc,ions. and heavy and damaging Losses,
he got to.thc place Of bis destination, but
only to find it bluckcnsd and blasted
ruin, the insurgents having SC, fire TO i,
with their own hand. before lis arrival,
lie is still at Bayamo, and keeps bodies Of
s:oop, at points around to a distance Of
. thirty or forty miles, bnt the insurgents
( continually in arms on all sides. harass:ng
and cutting of hi. de.achnen,s aud sup.
plies, and he can 'utjusats the people only
at the immediate points which he is able
. to keep garrisoned lie infc,s some in.
, jurie. and .uHcrinss, and !, said TO endure
quite as many. Still he undoubtedly
needs only the necessary troops to accom-
plsl whatever lie wishes to accomplish, 10
the quarter Of the island where be is.
The ne.t movement was that Of lcsca,
who marched from Guanaja to relieve
Puerto Principe in the Central Dep,r,.
ment, where the Spanish garrison, which
had been stationed there for considerable
time before the breaking out of the insur-
) rcc,ion. wa, threatened and besiescd BY
the insurgents led by Quesada. The re-
suit was to Il considerable extent like that
experienced by Valmaseda. I.csca's
whole march was through aregion thickly
: bsset by effective gaerrillas. and. after
! having lost thir,y.one officers, six hundred
). soldiers killed and wounded, two-tl,irds Of
bis ammunition aud provisions. and all his
money, hc:t last entered Puerto Principe,
already sacked though not destroyed BY
the rctrca,ins insurgent and ever since
he has been coopel up within very limi-
. ted space, unable, for tho want Of ade-
quate force, to accomplish to any impor-
taat extent the object of his expedition.
d The third and last Of the Spanish opera
tions consisted Of conccntric movement
Of three columns against Siguanca in the
sou,hwes, portion Of the Central Depart
mcnt. One column Of one thousand men,
under General Escslantc, marched from
Alvorcz, III the District Of Sagua. one, o.
sne thousand, under Buceta. from Viii.
Clara. and the third Of one thousand, un'
! der I.etona, northward from Trinidad
These three columns had IN experience
r much like that Of the other two expedi
8 tiops. They found no organized bodies o
=. rebel troops, and had no opportunities t.
fight, but they suffered nnnoyances in al
. most every mile Of their progress from
'susrrilla attacks, which they were power
g less either to avoid or to avcngo. Noslatc
i nent was made rs to tho losses Of Esca
: lante and Buceta, except that they wer'
e heavy. Those Of Lctona amounted t.
}. thrde hundred. nearly one.third Of Iii
whole force The three forces having az
rived at their point Of destination. ar,
now said 10 be holding their own, but the,
d have done scarcely more, their detash
/. ments in scacll Of subsistence bcint
= continually attacked. robbed. and par
i tally destroyed By rowing bodies Of !h'
insurgents familiar with every square roc
/ Of territory and burning with hate and ven
a gance against tha invaders. rsat
} p There can be little doubt that the M
|. tive Cubans would be nbleto achieve anc
:, to maintain their independence against th'
o Spanish forces now upon their island, bu
n according to the nblest Of the Spnnisl
D Generals. has taken command Of thu
:. Central District and sharins received
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