River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-01-17

purposes both races stood on equa
terms.
The terms OF surrender Gen. Faiardc
had authorized me to offer the in
surgents were then referred to by,
think, Gen. Agramonte. All present
listened to my statement of them at
tentively, but treated them about as
the General had when I had frs
spoken to him on the subject-that is
with the most supreme contempt
President Cespedes said:
81 believc i am but uttering the
sentiment of al Cubans when / say
that if those exceptions were stricken
out, and promise given of uncondi.
tional pardon to every man who has
taken up arms against SPAN, even if
had implicit faith in the offer, / would
not give them one moments serious
consideration. As long as l live
WILL ACCEPT OF NO TERMS FROM THE
sPANLARDs
but their recognition of the independ-
ence of Cuba
THE MODE OF WARFARE.
/ Intercepted President Cespedes on
the mode of warfare carried on by the
insurgent troops. He smiled, and APP
peared anxious to communicate every
thing of interest ON that subject.
"Our mode of warfare" he went on
to say, sis not of course very dis
tinguished one, but as it has so far
succeeded beyond our expectations we
propose to continue it. 1t is simply
guerilla warfare-in fact, the only kind
of hostility We could possibly carry on.
Our plan of attack is the ambuscade.
We
FIRE. KILL, AND RETREAT.
The past shows what we have ac-
complished in this way. Our resources
are inexhaustible. Every man in the
entire insurgent army is thoroughly
familiar with the country. They know
almost every path, and can never be at
a loss to get out of the way. They are
all acclimated and rarely suffer from
disease. Our discipline is as perfect
under the circumstances as it possibly
could be. The movements of the
enemy are never unknown to us. and
we watch our opportunity and seldom
miss our mark. For instance, the
Spanish forces come along on the at
tack. We never repel, but let them
march ahead. Without note of warn
ing they are met with a shower of
bullets, but where they come from
they seldom ascertain without greater
loss. You have doubtless noticed the
dense ess of the woods, which in most
places are almost impenetrable.
Throunh most of these the insurgents
have gths, known only to themselves,
and once the Span;ards attempt to
force passage they rarely see the light
again. Thus the war is waged. We
are worrying the Spaniards to death,
and will continue in that line if it
should take twenty years. You see
plainly it is the only chance We have,
and cannot think of abandoning it.
Time after time the Spaniards have
followed in pursuit. Where one Gu
ban falls thirty of their enemies are
killed. They are unable to follow us.
md in this manner we can defy them
or years to come"
This is certainly an advantage
" 1t is everything, SIR" rejoined the
President, warming up with the sub
Iect; land what is more, we intend to
hold it at all hazards. But how is it
with the Spanish troopsl Why, sir,
mo re of them haveperished by disease
than were ever killed. Not being &C,
climated, they soon fall of, and you
know what a drain this war has been
On the Spanish Government. The
hospitals are crowded with Spanish
soldiers to-day, and the remainder of
the army is enervated and and disgust
ed. | tell you our prospects are by
no means so poor as they are generally
by our enemies. On one
point you may fully rest assured, that
We can carry on the war for an indie
unite length of time, and will "never
SPANISH ATROCITIES.
President Cespedes next adyerted to
what he termed the savage barbarity
Of the Spaniards, but did not hesitate
to admit that the Cuban patriots were
bound to show no mercy. His chief
ground of complaint was their treat.
ment of the women and children, whom,
he said, had been ruthlessly butchered.
1--WE take no prisoners, having no
place to put them, and so, after all, you
see our warfare is simple, though
severe. Prisoners of both sides found
in hospitals are killed. In fact, no
quarter is observed anywhere. Lately
the Spaniards have been more barbar-
Gus than before, while we have been
an effort to inaugurate a more
civilized and humane system. Upon
several occasions, recently, We have
spared the wounded that have fallen
into our hands, and when we were con-.