New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-02-05
cheer worthy of provisional govornment-"Live
Spain with honor"
AN AFRICAN CITIZENS ACCOUNT.

AN AFRICAN CITIZENS ACCOUNT.
Tho following is a private letter from trust
worthy American, residing in Havana, to friend IN
this city:
HAVANA. JAN 97.-Dear Sir: What has TRANSFERRED
In this city in the past week, necessarily calls iorh
an anxious feeling on the part of peaceful citizehs
WHO have heretofore kept aloof from local pontcs.
Twill endeavor to relate concisely the chief incl
dents, leaving TO the American press to CLEAN inc
truth from the Havana papers,, which are tho moro
Unfair that the Creocs have no daily paper.
An entertainment of decidedly Cuban character
had been prepared and was believed by the spaf-
ards TO be intended TO raise funds in support OF the
instruction in the eastern part OF the Island, ~
took place ON Thursday the 2lst. and was attended
Inv n crowded audience. The enthusiasm among the
Creoes rising to high pitch, some of the actors, ~
the island, and shouted Vivas to Cespedes the ne
publican GeneraD amid bursts OF applause lhere Is
no hiding the fact that the entertainment was point,
edly distasteful to the great bulk of uned9catea
clerks and shOp-keepers who being natives OF SPAN,
had been previously organized and armed IN y0lnn-
tecr corps through the one-sded policy OF Lersl,ndl
who had succeeded in keeping the Creoles without
arms A second entertainment OF the same mature
was then announced ladies were invited ana urged
TO attend by the Creoles who appear To have eoyeu
especially the outburst of patriotism ELECTED py suc
means. Undoubtedly these overt manlleelatIonS "
sympathy with the Rebellion In the presemJ9 b H
armed opponents excited like themselves should DO
censured AZ wild acts of temerity. III was deriving
tiger in his dem Aware OF the fact that another
demonstration was to take place on rrlday lhe voi
untoers or more properly speaking the Battalion OF
Ramon Herrera stationed themselves when the hour
came in ambuscade in the bitches of the ancient
walls The performance commenced. ana some
Creoes Mt a caf6 in the building Of the theater be-
came exceedingly noisy, shouting riras to lndepen-
dance and Cespedes. Then the guard IN sight hred
couple of shots probably in the air; the volunteers
came out from their hiding place aud fired INTO tho
Cafe upon the harmless and unarmed multitude there
assembled They next rushed INTO the theater ana
hit or fired at those whom they considered obnoX ous,
killing several persons, among them young LADY
whose crime consisted in her wearing the revolution
airy coors father and his SON and other inoiienslve
individuals. The excited and armed Spani2rds went
on firing and crying out " p'rd Espdnd I, IN the
Gale del Prado and all around the Vilanneya
1heater stationing themselves in groups and hring
at the passersby who hesitated IN Joining In
the cry of "Vira Espdad" Later in the
evening the volunteers yet more excited by wine;
rushed into the house of an old lady, the owner OF
the Villanueva Theater. and whose dwelling Is ad-
jacent to it. They sacked the house, broke the fur-
niture to pieces, and pressed on from room 70 room
until they reached the last, where the mother and
her daughter had taken refuge. The Chlef OF the
Police acknowledging his inability to control the IN
furated volunteers, requested the old lady TO open
the door aud thus prevent its being forced which
she did The following Saturday ana sunday the
volunteers seen going through the streets pre-
tending that they knew OF riots and movements IN
preparation, and that they were fired ut, while IN
reality they killed many with no exposure
TO themselves sTays re t cry vas con-
siderable. Gen. Espinard was seen on that day
vainly endeavoring to appease TIE yolunteers re-
uuestIng them to return to their homes and TO their
daily occupations but they paid no attention TO this
distinguished chief though they well knew that he
executed the commands of tho Captain General.
Among their feats must single ont the taking pos
session of tho Albania Palace, aud the breaking TO
pieces the furniture and the sackng the part OF IT
| belonging TO Leonardo Velmonte. The accidental
occupants Of tho coifee-houses the Louvre
| the Marie Belona, and the Ariete
| were fired at, causing the loss of many innocent
| lives The PTensd. which bad been the constant
advocate of brutal force. had become the organ Of
the uneducaed class OF dealers In the Gale do In
Muralla (Wall-st and could Tevel now in the fruits
| of her teachng-yiz. old-booded sssassinaiOps.
One might suppose that periodical invoking reii-
gOn frequently would recoil at the sight OF blood
bnt this paper well the false IOs dc Cuba have
shown the low instincts which inspire their editors
The DidTio de Ia Marina aud the PTepsa. however,
havo unconsciously acknowledged the above report
sacking of the houses of ALBANIA and Min Pons.
while the whole city, the foreign consuls included
are but too well informed Of the facts: Second by
their tardy advice the volunteers not TO take the
law into their own hands The number Of deaths
(some say 50l is too great To allow any doubt OF tho
throughout tho city. They entered bonses
to insult tho female y members Of fami,
lies, they threatened wantonly they Killed
Tuthlcssly. They have accomplished we may
say, at the implied bidding of Gelpi and Aria
the editors Of the PrGsd and of the Didrio de Ia
TO our mind the scourgo Of the ProtoIinn Guard III
| the dark DAYS OF the Roman Empire. The Captain
General Dulcc, has resisted all the suggestions of
the partisans of despotsn TO publish martial law.
He is firm in the resolution To govern through tho
exercise of freedom and respect 10 the law but ho
appear even TO have employed an assassin TO make
way with him. lie keeps impossible and calm, how
ever amid the storm which RACES around him.