National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-06-12
PROGRESS OF THE CUBAN REHo
e LUTON

OuI UcioBIdpulC ulSpatCucs lnlOIu US IudI
consignment of Remington rifles, shipped
from the United States to the Spanish au-
thorities in Cuba, have been re-shipped to
Spain. The plain inference from this
statement is that the necessities of the
Spanish Government, arising from the Car
list insureetion, are such as to require the
concentration of all possible and available
munitions of war for the use of the armies
in the field in Spain. But there Is another
fact which is also apparent s. g., that the
Spanish Government as usual, depends
upon the island for its resources, not only Ia
the legitimate support OF the Government
but in the support Of its war for self main.
tenance. 1t is the old story over again of
the mother country drawing upon the col
ony and disregsrding even the vital interests
at stake in the latter. In other words, the
"ever-faithful isle, as usual, is called upon
in an emergency to do more than an equi
table share in support of war In which
her people have no possible interest. But
the true friends of Cuba will not object to
the result Of the present emergency, while
Americans generally will rejoice that these
arms Of American manufacture are to be
used against the enemies of free govern
ment in Spain instead Of against the Re-
publican patriots of Cuba.
The insurgents will not and do not hesitate
to take advantage of these necessities, and
the news Of the shipment will no doubt en-
courage them to extraordinary exertions.
Three years ago when Spain announced
her intention to quen the Instruction with
out delay, when she sent thirty thousand
veteran soldiers into the interior of the
island, when amnesty was offered to the,
so-called rebels, snd when the cause of the
republic looked gloomy, indeed, the buster
and boasts with which the Spaniards and
their friends proclaimed their success sug-
gests a comparison which Is by no means
favorable to them at this time. Gen. Agra
monte then upheld the standard of insur-
rection with less than thousand followers
in the Central department. Now we find
that the town of Bayamo and the CITY of
Cienfuegos, located nearly four hundred
miles apart in that department, have either
been captured or are besieged by the insur-
gents. But showing more plainly than
even this startling contrast the waning
power Of Spain on the island, we have re-
cent information that the Captain General
has assumed to control the price of gold
in the Havana market compelled TO do
so by the, fuctustion of commercial
values. The result has been to close the
doors of many of the exchange offices. and
to visit irretrievable damage upon the bust
ness community of Havana. No money
can be raised with which to meet the per-
emptory demands made upon the Govern
ment 'for the coming campaign against the
insurgents, " and the Captain General has
therefore resorted to the issue Of bonds to
the amount of s., GOO, 600, at eight per cent
interest per annum, to be funded in six
months, land secured on the income from
the Havana lottery" In short, it is evident
that while the insurgents have made rapid
and gratifying progress during the three
years mentioned, their oppressors have been
growing weaker day by day.
We cannot argue from this that the vic
tory of the patriots is among the possibili-
ties of the near future; but 1t gives us as
surance that their success is eventually GER
tain. Why, then, should Congress hesitate
to help them at this critical juncture? Why
should ''the bleeding of human blood, /" as
the Spanish SO forcibly phrases it, be al
lowed to eontinue2 But, above all, why
delay any longer the effectual and fatal
blow at the last remnant of human slavery
on our continent? We know that the
Patriots have emancipated their slaves and
have provided in their Constitution that
freedom in the truest sense of the word
shall be guaranteed to the citizens Of the |
Republic, and we know also, that so long as
the Spaniards retain control, the yilest and
most cruel system of slavery will be main
tanned. The sentiment of this country is
awakened on this subject and is decidedly
in favor of prompT action. Congress could
do nothing in these, its closing days, which
would add more to its credit or receive
warmer approval from the American people |
than to recognize Cuban independence