The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-01-03
Another Great s,atesman ngainst Cubn.

Another Great Statesman against Cubn.
Mr.. MARK TWAIN favors the pablo with
his views concerning the Cuban revolution.
They seem TO be of about the same tenor and
value as those which Mr.. Secretary FISH has
occasionally avowcd. We quote the sum.
ming up of Mr.. TwAINs opinions:
In his sef.sacrincng struggles for his country's
freedom the Cuban patriot makes valorous use of
every method and every continuance that can aid the
good cause. Murder, thcn burglary arson, assassi-
nation, rape poison. trea rhery mendaciiy raricde,
suicide instruments In his hands for the salvation
OF his native land and the same are instruments 10
the hands Of the 'oppressor' for the damnation of
the same. Both parties, patriots and government
servants alike, stand ready at any moment, appa-
rentlY to sell out body soul and boots, politics. re.
lgion, principles to anybody that will buy and
they seem equally ready to give the same away for
nothing whenever their lives stand peril Both sides
massacre their prisoners; both sides proud
OF burning deserted plantation, or conqucrng,
capturing, se4lping, and skinning crippled blind
fortified city both sides make a grand school-toy
Kill o couple OF sick women, ana disable a jlckass
both sides IL, and br1g, and hetray, and rob, and
GeSy hapPy moy Of both 'ldS' are ianasiie
washed, ignorant, bigotod, Selfish base, cruel,
and IL is deyoatly 70 be- bopcd tHSt an Wis., Prov
doncc will rermit them to 20 on eating each other
up pni tIere isntenough lev OF ne la, rasamunin
The spirit of these observations is identical
with that Of the Pharisee who "stood and
prayed thus with himself God thank
thee that | am not as other men, Mr..
TwAIN's selfconcet and Eglorifcation-
10 say nothing of his Indifference to right and
wrong-arc something miraculous. Nothing
exceeds them but his falsehood.
IL - E,t H.. l..
their war with barJarity. They are not
base, cruel, nor treachcrous race of peo.
pie and no instance can be demonstrated
in which they have gone beyond the bounds
OF legitimate civilized warfare.
1t is false that they have committed muir.
der, assassination, rape, matricidc, or the
other crimes which this literary mountebank
alleges
1t is false that they have been ready TO
cell their principles or their cause, or are now
ready to do so. If they could have been
bribed, the revolution would have been
ended long ago. If they could be bought
up now, it would not last week longer.
1t is false that they massacre their prison.
ers.
1t is false that they mutilate the blind and
helpless Spaniards who fall into their hands
II is false that the Cubans are halfcivil.
lied, ignorant, brutal, staggering semi-devils.
We have known them long and well and
gentlemen of better principles higher honor,
more genuine cultivation, more civilized and
refined manners, cannot be found in any
country We have never had the pleasure
of beholding Mr.. TWAIN, either in his ordi-
nary costume or when dressed to appear rs n
clown in the ring but he must be much
more Of a man than lie has ever shown any
sign of being, to bear comparison with those
he 50 recklessly bellies
We are happy however, to say that in one
respect Mr.. TWAIN does not depart from the
fact. He says that the Cubans are fantas-
tic in costume" and this is true Without
organization, military education, experience,
or resources, they have been waging war
for fifteen months against an organized enc
my possessing all these things, able to sup.
ply arms, ammunition, and clothing in abun.
dance to all his soldiers, and with a lume.
rous fleet, which the United States have Just
trebled, to guard the Cuban coasts aud keep
the patriots from receiving supplies. Under
these circumstances the Cubans have ncces.
sarlly fallen off very much III the complete
ness of their wardrobes. For instance most
of them have no shoes most of them have
very poor hats if they have any at all most
Of them are in rags; most of them are with
out medicines when sick or wounded and
this interfcres with their personal appear
ance. In short, they are in as bad condi-
tion as was WAsHISGToN's army at Valley
Forge. But they do not complain of these
Inconvenience, for they possess what is of
more value than fine clothing, an honest
hatred Of the intolerable oppression
Of Spain, and firm resolution to make
their country free and independent If
their costume is fantastic, their hearts are
right, their purpose deserves the sympathy
and applause Of all good men, and their
cause is sure to triumph in the end.
We say their cause is sure to
triumph, and our confidence is based
not merely on its justice but on one Of the
reasons for which both Mr. FISH and Mr..
MARK TwAIS honor 1t with their disappro-
baton We refer TO the fact that the Cubans
have not fought nor attempted to fight
great and decisive battle, Such battles are
no doubt more snowy than the guerilla war.
fare which they have adopted but with their
small forces-they have only 10000 men
armed with guns TO cover all their vast ter.
ritory-and with their limited and precarous
resources-they are not sure of being able to
get any more guns or ammunition-it would
be criminal folly, insanity, for their leaders
to peril all upon the issue of any single con.
fict. Their only safe policy is to wear ont
their enemy by constant alerts and harass.
mcnts, and not attempt to crush him by any
grand operations. They cannot afford to run
any risks, and we are glad to be able to re-
port now, as we reported year ago, that
their wisdom is equal to the exigency of their
situation. Spain sends new army of 10000
men to mako good the losses of the
last campaign, and there is but one proper