The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1871-12-09
The Slaughter of the Students in
Havana.

Inc slaughter OF the students In
Havana.
The circumstances of the wretched
tragedy which has added another dark
leaf to the history of Spanish domina-
ton in Cuba, of the execution of the
eight medical students at Havana,
have been related to us by a. gentle
man who is familiar with the facts and
parties. 1t appears that these stu
Cuban families, for whom the volunta-
rios cherished bitter hate. This
feeling is not only national and politi-
cal, but it is largely stimulated by
that violent jealousy and hostility of
the ignorant and low-minded against
those who occupy q higher social po-
sition than themselves. The yolunta-
rios comprise the rabble of Havana.
They are chiefly of the class that have
been compelled to leave their country
for their eountry's good. Many of
them are ex-soldiers of the SPANISH
army, and are regarded as mere ad
venturers and vagabonds. The revo-
luton in Cuba has given them the op-
portunity of invoking in their defence
and encOuragenient.th strong nation
al pride of all Spaniards. Hence the
impunity with which their numerous.
Outrages have been committed. As,
| long as these are done under the pre-
text of vindieating Spanish pride and
power. the better sort of people are
Indifferent or openly approve actions
in which they take no part. The poor
defeneeless Cubans are thus left to the
| tender mercies of the most sanguinary
mob that ever donineered over COM
munity and government. The de-
tails of the cruelties, the list OF the
murdered by the mob, the slaughter
of prisoners taken in open battle, the
contiscations, deportations and incar
cerations, embracing members ofnear
ly every Cuban family on the island,
will constitute the blackest chapter i'll
| the history of this country. Now it is
/ stated to us by a respectable and reli
able gentleman from, Cuba, that among
| the other indignities perpetrated on
the Cubans, have been the desecra
| ton of the graves of the Cuban pat
riots who have fallen in the struggle
still going on in the island This has
| been quite a common practice iii Ha
yana: Incidents of it are said to have
been constantly occurring within the
| view of the young medical students of
| the college of Havana, the dissecting
roon OF which adjoins the cemetery.
These young men were naturally eX--
cited by these exhibitions of impotent
| and brutal hate against their deceased
| relatives and friends, and in moment
of youthful excitement and thought
lessness, retaliated by throwing stones
at the pompous monument erected
over the grave of Castanon, the editor
of the Voice of the People, who was
killed at Key West about year ago.
Castanon was the champion of the,
yoluntarios and the bitterest persecu-
tor of the Creoles. He had the incan-
ceivable audaeity to leave Havana and
proceed to Key West With the view of
/ fighting duel on American soil with
a Cuban who had threatened him. His
purpose was frustrated by q bullet,
which salnted him almost immediately
upon his appearance in the streets of
Key West. We have no knowledge
of the circumstances of his taking off,
but very decided conviction that he
deserved some punishment for the au-
dacity of his mission. Be this as it
may, the voluntarios regarded him as
a martyr to their cause, and his re-
mains were deposited with great pa
rade in splendid. mausoleum in the
Havana cemetery. 1t was this monu-
ment which excited the young medical
students and became the object of
their foolish demonstration. We learn
that the extent of the injury done
could have been repaired at small ex-
pense, and a reproof and punishment
of the students was decided ON by the
government Of the College. But this
did not satisfy the vengeance of the
mob.. Nothing but blood would APP
pease their wrath. And the eowardly
government of Cuba allowed itself ia
he intimidated into the infamous deed
OF dragging eight of their young stu.
dents to the vile garote, and there in
cold blood extinguishing their young
lives in the midst of hootings and ex-
ultations. Forty others, embracing
nearly the whole of the younger stu
dents, We're condemned to four and
five years imprisonment IN the COM
mon jails.
We reafarm the opinion that no in
cident of modern times has eaaailed
in barharisln and brutality this infa-
nous act, and that such will be the
Judgment of the whole civilized world.
NJ n Yy,a,o