The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1869-04-29
CUBAN AFFAIRS.

AAo SufCdSO i7tOune says CuDa Is De-
coming the leading topic of the day. IF
the rumor, Uao Savannah, be true, that
Brigadier General Steedman has landed
in Cuba with one thousand Americans,
small as that force may seem, the moral
effect Of the event will be very great.
Less explicit reports from New Orleans
seem tocast doubts on the question wheth-
er Steedman's expedition is not still in
embryo. IF any expedition has landed,
the assumption that it is only the advance
guard of greater forces, which are secretly
being enlisted in our seabord cities, Will
cause the attention of the civilized world
to be directed to the United States, as an
Involuntary, but almost the controlling,
party to this contest. Our people and
our government will be watched, as the
movements of France are studied in Ital-
Ian revolutions, to find out whether they
are to end in mere emeute or in a new
kingdom. The invasion of our flag, in
the seizure Of the two prisoners on the
American brig Lizzie Major, seems to be
fully ratified by the Spanish officials in
Cuba, both by the condemnation of the
the vessel by their Admiralty Judge and
the continued con fnement Of the pris-
oners seized on board of her.
Meanwhile, it is currently reported
from Washington that Secretary Fish
has sent forward to the Captain General
demand for the immediate release of
these two prisoners, that they be put on
board the vessel from which they were
taken,or some other American vessel, and
that the Spanish men-of war at the same
time salute the American flag, as the
very gentlest and least humiliating apollo
BY that can be given for the insult to our
national honor committed in their seiz-
ure. Our courts OF Admiralty, upon the
application Of the British Government,
apparently on behalf of British subjects
interested in the cargo, are already en-
gagged in trying the question of the law
fitness of the condemnation by the Span
lsh Court Of the vessel and cargo. If
their decision shall conflict with that of
the Spanish Court, the question of our
rights in the case beaames az interna-
tional one, to be adjusted by diplomacy
or decided by war. In any event, if the
Spanish Captain General refuses to sur
render the prisoners after the example
set by our government in the case of Ma
son and Slidell, there is no course but to
send an army and navy to Havana and
take them ; in short, as the matter stands
the Spanish officials must Immediately
retrace their steps and apologize, or, by
their own clear fault, they will have in
yoked the power of the United States
practically to the aid of the revolution
lists.
Nearly every day brings accounts of
new executions of rebel prisoners, by the
garTote, in the streets of Havana, in the
presence of an Infatuated crowd of citi-
Gems, who, in spite of the presence of
squadrons of Spanish troops, salute the
victims with Tiua Cuba hbre," FRA
Zadepeadcia, and other war cries of the
insurgents. Justo Aquilera, President
Of a Revolutionary Junta in a small inte-
rior town, was executed on the 9th, and
Leon and Medina were garroted on the
9th instant, for participation in a revoiu-
tionary riot which occurred last January.
Leon, before taking his seat in the gar
roting chair, made a speech over the
heads of the troops to the citizens, full
of defiance and scorn for Spanish rule,
and closing with the war-cry, free Cuba
forever" This was taken up by the con-
course and repeated so generally that the
Spanish troops rushed on the crowd with
their bayonets and stabbed, rode down
and trampled upon scores OF them, killing
only six, but wounding many more, and
receiving few shots in return. Thus
every execution matches new ones. Cor
respondents say that about seventy per-
sons have already been garroted. Al
though the hideous spectacle of these
victims, clothed in white, sitting in the
chair of death, with the fatal steel fixed
in their spine, and their dead eyes glaring
on vacancy, has thus been made familiar
to the Cubans, yet at every new execution
new shouts of Viva Independcia" are
raised, though every person uttering the
cry knows that it exposes him to death.
As but few military prisoners have been
taken but few have been executed, but
we do not learn that any are spared. We
earnestly hope it is not true that Aneri-
can youth, however misguided or crimi-
nal, are being lured into these expedi-
tions against Spanish rule in Cuba. 1t is
the duty of our government to prevent
any such expeditions from forming or
sailing, and the people will hold Presi-
dent Grant administration responsible if
it fails to perform its duty. Open and
Straightforward war, when it cornes by
honorable means, we must always stand
prepared for. But nearly our entire peo-
pie are opposed, and al of them ought
to be opposed, to drifting and stumbling
into war of any kind, from our mere in
efficiency and winking at the violations Of
our own laws, whereby ignorant and reck-
less boys are seduced into Cuba, surren-
dered to Spanish vengeance, and garro-
ted.