The New York herald., 1877-10-29
THE CUBAN WAR.
Spain Making a Supreme Effort to
Crush the Insurrection.
MARTINEZ CAMPOS' PROMISE.
Thirty-tWo Thousand Troops
Sent to the Front.
STRENGTH OF THE INSURGENTS.
Silence OF the Spanish Press In Reference 10
The Progress Of the War.


men, Tho telegraph has just announced tho arrival
at Santiago de Cuba Of the transport which carried
out the last detachment Of IL 900 troops that have
been despatched from various Spanish ports the
10th OF last August To these must be added further
reinforcement OF 10000 troops, which bad been de-
spatched within tho past year, making in all u ren-
orcement OF 81 900 added to tho already consd-
cradle forces operating against the Cuban insurgents
When IL is considered that the forces at
the disposal Of the Cuban leaders do not
probably amount. all told, TO over 5000
aghting men, poorly armed, badly clothed and almost
without ammunition, except what they happen to
capture or obtain through reachery from tho Spanish
sodery, the sending out OF such powerful army
would seem unnecessary. But the Spanish people
becoming dissatisfied at the continuance OF war which
the government constantly declares to be unmportant
and yet Is unable to suppresa In fcw days the in
surroction will have completed ts ninth year, and II
would be difficult to estimate the sacrifices of blood
and money which tho struggle has imposed on the
Spanish people Ana Il Is confessed by tho moro in
Jegent Spaniards that the condition OF affairs Cuba
to-day less satisfactory than when the rebellion
ut its hcght In the first years OF war. Each
ceeding government has promised the Spanish people
that tho nsurrection would be finally suppressed
within given time, with what result already
known.
GENERAL cAMpos' PROMISE.
The government OF the young King Alfonso has
also taken public engagement to stamp out the last
spark OF rebellion, and General Martinez Campos,
taught by the experience OF his predecessors has pub
licy engaged to suppress tho insurrcction by next
January. There DOUBT he to do II, for he
IL brave and energetic. He has also good military
reputation to sustain and he will leave nothing
done to fulhl his promise Whatever the result OF
tho coming campaign, the Cuban insurgents count
IN rath hard linn II tha
comes again to shield them from their enemies. If
the war In Cuba were ordinary war. whore the
combatants meet under something approaching equal
ity, or could tho Spanish general be
OF being able to compel his adversaries TO
hght under even the most favorable conditions
for thcm tho result Of the campaign would not DO tor
one moment doubtful Tho Cuban insurgents would
bc exterminatcd But It Is questionable whether
General Martinez Campos, oven with the immense
forces at his disposal, compel tho insurgents to
give battle. What no doubt will succeed in doing
will be to break up the larger bands and compel them
to seek safety in the hiding places which abound in
the woods and OF the island but when this
has been accomplished nothing will reality. have
been gained. for the bands will reform tho
torrontal and compel the Spanards retire from
tho field. There Is therefore, TO fear that the
coming campaign will be ruitlcss the past
have been, and that the Cuban insurgents will cello
brate the tenth anniversary OF tho war OF indepsn-
denco, in spite OF General Csmpos' promise.
SPANISH INcAPAcIrY.
The truth about tho insurrecton Is that IL would bc
easy enough TO put Il down had Spain really intclli-
gent government But the system pursued here OF
suppressng all criticism of tho Of
thority naturally results IN the triumph OF stupidity
and incapacity. Only few mon have dared, even in
tho Cortes to question the of the generals aud
Tn Cula vv,ou Cana
tho last session. called for tho production of papers
fcrrng to tho conduct OF the in Cuba tho govern
mont declared II would not lend itself TO such acs
OF eachery TO make public the Official information
which II possessed concern ing which had dragged
on Tor eight years. Yet the government OF King Al
fonso pretcnds TO DO par government but II
II DO so ~ ie made on peculiarly Spanish model
During the nine years the in Cuba has continued
the successive spanish governments do not seem to
have learned anything. In this they have proved
themselves, whether monarchca or republican, 10
have been truly Bourbon. Even now there is no doa
o dealing with the causes which lie at the bottom OF
tho insurrection and give strength ana tenacity VI
lilo IL Is thought enough to send out soldiers, who
settle the matter In dispute with rifle bullets,
tho man who would publicly advocate The introduc.
ton Of reforms whicn would go lar toward coDcliatng
the vast mass OF the Cuban population would DO
ooked on as bad Spanard person to be
garded with suspicion. Before any effort In the drec
ton OF reform can DO made tho island must
be reduced 10 obedience, and II IS not very cer-
tain that even then much attention would DO paid
to the prayers OF ex-reDcis Tor reform. While the
must continue to be war 0. persecution, and It's
suit must depend on whether the Spanish soldiers
able to hunt down aud extorminato tho active and
cunning cnonics who have known how to baie all
the Efforts Of overwhelming force directed against
them during the past niue years. And, IN truth, the
prospects are BY no means 80 favorable Tor Spain
might be judged IRON TASTY comparison between
the actual opposing forces.
SPANISH INCAPACITY.
IL Is not aoue In tho matter OF politics that
the spanish government have shown stupidity
and Incompetence Even in their iavorito sphere.
tna huy
played and continue TO display incredible
incapacity Tnkc, for example, the system adopted
in reinforcing The army In Cuba On the conclusion
oil the Carst war SPAN possessed respectable army
Injured 10 tho fatgues oil war, in whicn the various
regiments had acquired discipline, scconldenco aud
that most necessary quality in the soldier. esprit dc
corps. Here material That could have been used
lscs and Puerto Rico to replace the garrisons there
which excellent state oil organ lZation and
being accatzcd to the tropics, could have sonl
to operate IN Cuba with the utmost advantage. Any
intelligent government wouu clthcr have sent the
regiments OF the Carllst direct Cuba or
would have used them as have indicated In replacing
the garsons oil the Canary Isles and Puerto REQ, but
the spanish government did neither the nor tho
other.
now rnE ARMY WAS RErSpoRcgp
IL resolved 10 send out 81 0OU mon, and in order
do this called for voiuuteers. Civilians soldiers
we're equally acceptable, but as this measure uId
prove very successful the Minister Of War obliged
10 have recourse to what is known In India as forced
volunteering. That Is to say, each regiment
ordered to supply certain number OF men TO
lIute the ~, UOO needed by the government. AID
these military mobs wcrc put on board transports aud
hurrIed oil to Cuba These men necessarily WIN
out cohesion or csprt IL corps. On thor arrival IN
Havana, or Santiago do Cuba, they are allotted to
various regiments with which they have had no
association and no feeling OF comradeshp. Tho
work W making an army out o such hetero-
geneous material must impose heavy labor on
the Gcneral-in -Chcf, well his su5ordinatcs,
and u ~ PROBABLE MAT good deal OF lime which
should bc devoted TO active campaigning VIII DO alb
sorbed IN the work OF organization. Had the moro
intelligent course OF sending out the veteran regi-
ncnts, with Their thorough organization aud tho ex.
celcnt esprit de corps which the natural result Of
their successful campaigns agaust tho Carsis been
adopted, the same number OF men would have given
very much better results One OF the reasons why
tbs was not done was. perhaps, because the troops
we're needed at home 10 sustain tho new KING on his
not very secure throne.
DkskEyks CREDIT kSKRGY
Although the government has biundcred frightfuily
In the system adopted 10 reinforce tho army III Cuba,
certainly deserves the credit which due 10 energy
and tenacity Not alone have the 32 900 troops becn
sent out with an expedition hitherto unknown ia
Spanish military undertakings but the effort 70 stu
further reinforce the army is continued Every
steamer that leaves the Peninsula Tor Cuba carries out
detachment large or small, according 20 The success
when has attended the volunteering, aud ~ all the