New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-01-28

|
Universal suffrage leads the programme, I suppose
in due Difference to Gen. Dulce's order claiming
Slavery with the Church. and sentencing them to not
being discussed. The Contention salutes the United
States with prayer for the benedcton of the pow
erfu mother republic and sends greeting to Mexico;
begs all the people of the isle to form republican
| committees active, energetic, pacific; and proposes
to put Cuba in right relation to the universe entre
| The appearance of q Republican news
paper in Cuba is not now surprising,
nor, as yet, profoundly alarming But it has its
! plain meaning and fatal end among community of
shareholders and slaves. What is good for Spain is
| good for Cuba-that is now settled point. SO, we
must either have the revolution with the upsetting
of Slavery or practical BOuTbonism back again. 1t
is feared reasonably judging by the past, that no
sincere and earnest influence having anything like
determinate voice in affairs, is enlisted in behalf of
Cuba in the mother country, and hence unfaith in
the Spaniard is somewhat like faith in liberty.
Concerning the leaders of the insurrection or of
the Reform, little enough is known to the United
States. and purpose to give you here such knowl-
edge of them as have. Gen. Cespedes, the hero and
chief of the revolt, was am well assured, lawyer
and property-Owner, and at opening the war, eman-
cpated his slaves He is a man of good appearance
fifty years Of age, and has travelled in the United
| States His second in command, Arrange, the Mar
quis of Santa Lucia, is native Of Puerto-Prineipe
and at taking part in the instruction also manumit-
ted his slaves Gen. Aguilero was man of great
wealth, and had held once under the Government
the Office of Mayor over tho town of Ba-
yamo, just burnt by the rebels He, too,
released his slaves. Gen. Donate Marmol
bears the repute of having genuine military talent,
as he said to have defeated his opponents in most
of their encounters with him, and signay at Barre,
in the Eastern District. He is admired for the ready
invention of a weapon of defense in war, which
weapon is called the horquetilla, and is kind OF
| hook to resist bayonet charges The hook, which
| can be made without much trouble of wood is held
with the left hand TO catch the bayonet while with
the right the rebel brings his rude machete, KIND
Of sword, down upon his Spanish foe Gen. Quesada,
the one other mentonabe Cuban leader, served with
credit on the side of Juarez during the intervention
| in Mexico The soldiers Of the revolt are of the
rawest kind. A good part Of them have been re-
oruied from tho emancipated slaves Of Cespedes,
Arrange, and AgDlero Many Of the weapons are OF
the poorest kind, but have heard that a certain
! number of Enfelds have been furnished them, and
lately some hand grenades 1t is told me that no help
| OF exceedingly little, has reached them from the
North. Among other things of their own device
| they have been employing wooden cannon,
| good for one shot and more The war carried
| on by Ccspedes for four months cannot DO said
| to have more than maintained its own, but
this being granted no reason appears TO the ultra
Liberals strong enough to induce their distrust OF
| the ability of Cespedes TO maintain himself longer
unaded especially as he is now resting against the
mountains of the southeastern part of Cuba, coun-
try which am told will admit Of battling defense,
and has already been studied by the insurgents. The
| last event in the war was, you have heard, the
| taking OF Bayamo by Count Valmaseda, who had
| come from Manzanillo for that object Quesada
abandonc5 the town after having burned IL. and
marched in the direction OF Puerto Principe after
ward falling back upon Espirtu-Santu. The mean
ing of these reported movements 1t IL difficult to ar
rive at in relation TO the fact that Cespedes himself
is at Guisa very near the southeast Sierra Every
imaginable rumor and report exists with reference
to the designs of Valmaseda Quesada, and Cespcdes
| who, strange to say, hold each other at
| such distances Valmaseda is said 10 have
| gone back TO Manzanillo, with what purpose does
| not appear Stories have been circulating that
5000 Rebels had just laid down their arms, which is
| about as true, believe that the Spaniards had
been blown up by mine at Bayamo. At all events
the destruction Of BayamO goes TO show that the war
has reached inveteracy and bitterness that cannot
be cured or appeased while chance remains for the
Rebels to succeed. SO far from being n village, as
some report this town. founded in 1874 had in 1900
400 houses COO Of them Of very common sort, two
converts and number Of churches, many Industries
for its size and was surrounded by hacendas Clearly
| il was burned either by an evil accident proof Of
which does not appear or by military order, to pre-
| vent it becoming place of supplies and base Of
operations for the enemy. That he could not put it
| TO this purpose may have been Count Valmasedas
| reason for returning TO tho coast. But / dare
\ offer no opinion upon tho campaign so
| far reported, well knowing the confusion Of
ideas which have prevailed in respectful strict news
That Cespedes il in earnest that he has large party
| in sympathy with hmIin Havana and elsewhere, /
| have not doubt. Moreover, he is more OF an abo-
| litionst than the Spaniards give him credit for
being or dare allow TO be had been told that
the insurreetionsts and independentists insn-
cere and intended to botray the slave this by Ler
| sundsts and Dulcists. But here have in my hand
the veritabe proclamation of freedom 20 the slaves
signed by Cespedes and translation of which, hur-
riedly made in my effort to catch the steamer, in
close in this letter. Il may not be absolute proc
! amation and it appears that he DEGREES thai the
| liberties OF the manumitted slaves shall be utilized
| in manner prescribed by him but the proclama-
ton is radically dangerous that tho Spanish au-
thorties everywhere suppress it, and hold its author
execrable therefor. The Cubans expected that
! measure of emancipation would be written by the
! Spanish Minister of Ultramar; but tho story runs
that tho rich Spanards Of the island sentovor to Spain
and bought him at the rate of s2OOOOO This Is what
50 highly aided to make Cespedes' proclamation
necessary.
Havana, with secret voice aud pen keeps up a
sympathy with her kindred in the field. There is no
| knowing what precise amount is at any time sent
hence 70 the insurgents; but that they are aided with
| means from this quarter spite of the unexampled
vigilance of the Captain Generals officers, appears TO
IL