Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-04-02
THE REVOLUTION In CUBA.
Sad State OF ATairs-R RefuRees-TerOcit OF
the Spanish TrOops-The Shooting OF
Capt. Lopez.

| the Spanish Troops-The Shooting of
Capt. Lopez.
The letters received from Cuba give a
sad picture of the un happy state of affairs
In that island. Many outrages are COM
mitted by the Spanish troops and volun-
teers. Arrests are very numerous, and o
widespread alarm prevails among the peo-
| pie, hundreds of whom are fleeing from
the island to places of safety, many of
them seeking refuge in the United States.
A letter from an American n Cardenas
says:
| "The revolution is progressing, not
withstanding all the efforts of the Span
iards to stop it. The Treasury is bank
rupt, and appeals are made in the papers
for subscriptions to support the volunteers
in the field, but think all will be in vain.
In few months more the yellow fever and
cholera will find abundant food in the
ranks of the unacclimated Peninsulars
that are coming or are already here. They
are afraid here that the insurgents will
make raid upon them and destroy the
crops, though they try to put a bold face
upon the matter. Hundreds are being ar
rested all the time. The Moro Castle is
said to be full of prisoners.
| A letter written from Marzanillo by q
native Cuban says:
''Affairs here are growing worse and
worse every day. The insurgents are
rapidly increasing in number and extend
ing themselves all over the island, They
have taken away the slaves from all the es-
tates In this neighborhood, and have armed
all the able-bodied negroes. The captain
general granted a general amnesty for all
the insurgents who would lay down their
arms, but they have not taken the least
notice of it. On the contrary, their hatred
toward the Spanish government seems to
increase daily. and they all appear deter
mined to throw off the Spanish yoke. The
city of Bayamo. which was the focus of the
lnsurrection, was completely destroyed on
the approach of the Spanish troops, and
now thousands of families are wandering
about the country homeless, and in the
most deplorable state imaginable. The
government forces are acting shockingly.
stealing and assassinating in every direc-
ton. Here we see nothing but soldiers
and Spanish volunteers, for all the Cuban
young men have joined the insurgents"
The following is an extract from letter
dated Cienfuegos, Cuba, March 10, written
by a highly intelligent Cuban lady to
friend in Philadelphia
CA deep gloom hangs over our beloved
island. Our brothers, men of heart and
intellect, ARE daily arrested and imprisoned
OF eAl1cC, ADu Tie low WHO remain at lid
erty have no alternative but to flee the
country or join the insurrectionists in the
interior. You can form no idea of what
we euffer ; and, if it were possible, we
would shut ourselves up, refusing to see
our friends, for the theme of conversation
is nothing but the war and its Incidents
so grating to our feelings. We are watched
and surrounded by spies; for, as you know,
the largest proportion Of the population of
| this town are natives of Spain, and they
openly proclaim that they will not be sat
isfed until emigration or determination
has swept all the natives from the island
and left them sole possessors of our idol
lied Cuba.
"No information has reached us as to
what success the Spanish troops have who
few days ago went in pursuit of the in
surgents.
SIT is stated here that Adolph Cavada,
chief of the patriot forces i'll this district,
and also Felix Bouyon, have captured n
large number of Spaniards, soldiers and
civilians, and instead of putting them to
death, as the Spaniards do with the pris-
oners they capture, have invariably treated
them with the greatest humanity. God
| grant, If these two men should ever fall
into the power of the Spaniards, that they
may receive the like treatment but
|
have an unquenchabie thirst for blood.
Yesterday was day of mourning
Poor Don Juan Caporte Lopez was arrest
ed in his own house, few miles from
town. He was brought here, Judged by
military commission and shot. He died
with the most heroic valor, exciting tho
greatest grief in the hearts of his country
men and feelings of compassion among the
few Spaniards who have any heart left
Ho asked for an interview with his wife
and children, which was refused, and
they kept him from A. NJ to p. M. in
an open field, exposed to the fiery rays OF
the sun, with his hands SO tightly bound
as to cause them to be much swollen, Civ
ing him great pain.
"As he was entirely surrounded by
troops, and it was impossible for him to
escape, this was wanton cruelty. The oh
iect of this cruelty was to force him to de
nounca some persons as being implicated
in the insurrection but this he refused to
do, and with his last breath denied having
had anything to do with the insarreotion
himself, which is doubtless true, and his
judges knew it. But he was sacrificed to
the clamors of the Spanish mob. At4P
M. this unfortunate man, with a firm voice
and serene cOuntenRnce, asked those pres
ent to forgive him if in any way he had
ever given them offense, knelt AS he was
ordered, his eyes were bandaged, and he
was shot in the back, resolving six wounds
E While in the agonies Of death the sanguin-
ary mob of Spaniards, who came to gloat
over his execution, heaped curses on him,
some threatening to drag him through the
streets, and others proposing to rub him
with coal oil and set him on fire. Imme-
diately after the military band headed the
IL oops, marched around his body, playing
, lively airs and dances. What fiends.
3 "As yet the insurrectionists have put nc
one to death. But can they forgive the
assassination of Capt. Lopez and others
equally innocent? May they not think
reprisals necessary? 1t is feared they will
If theyydo much blood will flow, and Goo
only knows what awaits us.
!. You may well immaeine that all these
terrible occurrences fill the hearts o
/ Cubans with hatred for the Spaniards, bu
. we are obliged to bear all in silence. TIL
= Spaniards, no doubt, some day will hav
to answer for the numerous assassination
committed by them on this island, for b.
g no other name can the execution of politi
y - cal prisoners be called. For my part,
- call down upon their heads the vengeanc