The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-05-26
CONCERNING MASSACRE.

From the ~ Y. Tribune.
Early in February the Cuban leader Cespedes
addressed the Government of the United States
manifesting, among other things, that in the
hope of speedy recognition he had not adopted
the policy of reprisals against the constant
atrocities of his foe. The Cuban Junta answer
the charge that the late decree of murder by
Nalmaseda was anticipated by one from Ces-
pedes equally merciless They show indirectly
that Cespedes had paused, as he himself said,
before determining upon any measure of general
retaliation. His proclamation to this effect of
which we published translation, bears date of
the 18th February, and is the one upon which
the Spanish agents rest their defense of Nalma-
sedas bloody decree of April. After recOunting
the cruelties committed on his captured soldiers,
and instancing his own forbearance Cespedcs
feels provoked to decree ''reprisal against the
enemy in its most ample terms; blood for blood;
execution for executions determination for eX
termination These are desperate words, and
uttered by man OF will.
We are inclined to believe the Junta when
they say that Count Namasedas order was not
Immediately excited by this decree. With or
without a code, he had, in all probability, been
previously exercising his talent of assassination
in the neighbOrhOOds which he had Overawed.
Nalmaseda is said TO possess fat head and II
cruel heart, and, like many other provincial
veterans of Spain, is not troubled with piteOus
! scruples. lie must have practiced great deal
! in the art of killing before he could find i'm his
! heart to decree the death of all males over ff-
! teen years of age found absent from home with
out proper cause, together with the destruction
of houses, and something like violence of a sus-
! picious sort to defenseless women. The order
of Cespedes following his proclamation is more
| cOnsiderate, since it grants pardon TO the Spa
| nish soldier and Furnishes the native traitor
| according to circumstances. Cespedes il here
| appears, has shrewdly avaied himself of what
he considers fierce necessity to direct deadly
| threat against such natives as fight i'm the Spa
| nish ranks. He may have aimed at the mobi-
| lized negroes and mulattoes of whom we have
| latay heard
| The Junta have not referred to the Spanish
| procamatOns of massacre antecedent to the
decree of Cespedes and we shall here endeayol
to refresh their and the general memory. Tho
first proclamation of Valmaseda issued at Yer.
tientes, was a decree of death. On the 18th OF
October, General Mena, in Puerto Principe. Off
cally directed all insurgents to be shot. and pre-
scribed the same fate to their instigators anC
conceaers. On the 18th of October, at Mama,
Milo, Colonel Reguera proclaimed that all resi-
dents who did not show themselves i'm forty
eight hours should be shot. On the 18th o,
| October General Ravenet at Santiago de Cuba
ordered all insurgents to be tried by court
martial and shot. Worse STILL at Manzanillo. on
the 10th of November, Valmaseda attained the
| climax of military barbarism and despotism
He ordered that after date insurgents or con