National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1874-02-13
The Final Effort IN Cuba.

The war-if such it may lie called
lin Cuba has now been going on
over five years. Begun under the
Bourbon dcspotism Of Spain, it has
continues through tic reformed
monarchy Of Amadeus, the provin
isional go. eminent of Prim, and
the Republican rule. recently ter.
minating in the doubtful ascenden-
cy of SerranO. And yet, according
to all appearances, tho suppression
Of the Cuban insurrectlOn ia as far
as ever from being accomplished
unless, indeed, tho new movement
of the "brave worthy and learned'
JovelIar, as an Havana paper calls
him, puts Il different face upon the
matter. 1t is certainly energetic
and comprehensive enough on pa.
per to effect the utter humiliation
of the revolving Cnbans.
1t declares the entire island in a
state of siege, and subject all rebels
and persons accused of seditiOn.
murder and similar crimes to trial
by court martial. This, it will be
seen, inauguratcs general reign Of
drum head courts, and puts the
laws under the heel of the military.
.Jovellar, it would appear, has got
tired of the rhetorical bravery of
the casinos. or volunteer clubs, and
las determined that these officious
carpet baggers from Spain shall do
their share Of the hard service in
the field, So lie orders the mobili.
cation of one voluntecrout of every
ten for active service. All persons
between the ages Of twenty and
forty Ave years who were not vols
unteers on the lst Of February are
to he enrolled in the militia for one
year. Money will not procure res
lief from draft, and no one will be
allowed to leave the island, unless
he gives bonds to furnis', substi-
tute in case he is drafted. Even
those over forty five years OF age
must furnish their one modified
man out Of every ten of their mum
Der. These rules apply to blacks
as we'll as whites; and they are to
be carried so far as to blot ont towns
and settlements in tho interior as
the army interests may require, and
to distribute there inhabitants else
where. Vigilance committees and
local guerillas fill up'the chinks OF
this elaborate scheme, which is ex.
pectcd to crush the insurrection in
six months.
Will it do that? The idea, starts
ed by some ingenious mind, has got
abroad of late years that the Spans
ish race has fallen to that stage Of
deterioration which makes him I'M
able to accomplish great enterprises,
so that when it comes into conflict
with itself, the two factions can only
harry each other, without either
effecting a decided trump. The
Cuban war. as well as the Carlist
struggle in Spain, does give a dc>
cided color of plausibility to this
theory. 1t is also worthy of note
that in the way of belllgerent mani
festoes and menances, the Spaniards
beat the cooler people of Northern
nations as decidedly as they fail in
carrying ont such manifcstocs in
the field. We shall have to wait,
therefore, to see what the effect of
Captain General. Jovellar's pronun
ciamentO is. Representatives. of the
Cuban cause who arc now in this
country say that the only result will
be murder and rapine, a repetition
of the former scenes which we're
witnessed under Valmaseda, when
no man or woman whom the brutal
soldiery chose to suspect had any
of the rights or safety belonging to
a civilized community. One thing
would seem certain-if with this
highhanded assumption of power
and the thorough going preparations
indicated in Jovellar'S proclama
ton, the Cuban insurrection is not
overcome, there is no prospect that
it ever will be. If such failure is
the result, it would seem to furnish
the opportunity for the leading pow
ers to consider whether it would
not be advisable to make joint rep
reservations to Spain in favor Of a
discOntinuance of the useless blood
shed which has been going on in
the island of Cuba. In this point
of view. as a test of what the Span.
ish Government in Cuba can do, the
action of Jovellar is gratifying,
though we deprccate the terrible
abnses to which it may give rise
Boston Journal.