The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-03-22

The Ending Of the Kong and Singular
Struggls.

The Ending Of the Kong and Singular
strusyls.
Everything pertaining to the civil war
IL Cuba, which was carried on for nearly
ten years, says the Chicago Times, is
in its character. It is hard
to tell how the insurgents maintained
their strife solong with 80 few resources.
They had hardly show of an organized
government. They had no way of i'm
posing and collecting taxes; no seaport,
no manufactures of arms and ammuni-
ton, and no town that was denominated
capital. Their only fortified places
were those which nature had formed.
Strategy was the only kind of tactics
they could avail themselves of. They
worred out the forces sent against them
by making them "move on" They
trusted to the climate and the hard life
in the mountain camp to put an end to
their adversaries. Nine years passed
without great battle; but it is said that
100, 900 Spanish soldiers left their bodies
to be buried in Cuba. The insurgent
leaders surpassed both Fabius and
Washington in wearing out armies by
leading them from one part of the coun-
try to another.
The close of the struggle was as sin
gular as its commencement and continu-
ance. The Spanish troops had gained
no victory, while the insurgent forces
showed no signs of weakening. The
Government of Alphonso was doing no
more to put down the instruction than
was done under the rule of Isabella, Ser
rano, Prim, Amadeus and Castelar,. II
was simply sending over fresh troops to
take the place of those continually drop
ping out of the ranks. The contest
had continued 80 long that it had
become something more or worse than
an insurrection. The determination to
hold out in any case gave it a sort of re-
spectability. The war had become some
what unpopular in Spain, and the doings
of contractors and Government officials
were being inquired into by members of
the Cortes. The expenses of the war
during three years were $40, 900, 900, and
many persons demanded that such O
drain on the resources of the home Gov
eminent should be stopped. Even the
people in the western portion of the
island had lost interest in putting an
end to the civil war.
The announcement on the day of the
marriage of Alphonso and Mercedes that
the war was at an end took every one
| by surprise. Indeed, many persons
were incredulous in regard to the truth
of the statement. Their doubts were
only removed by the voluntary surren.
der of the insurgent chiefs few days
afterward. The most surprising thing
of all was the mildness of the terms Of
peace. Spain has always had the repu
tation of being vain, naughty, vindictive
and unrelenting. No one expected tc
see the recent rebels so kindly deal
with. But it appears that complete am
nesty is to be accorded to all who took
part in the instruction, directly or in.
directly. Fugitive slaves who fed tc
the camps OF the rebels are granted lib
erty. Property-holders who aided the
rebellion are to enjoy their old estates.
Even the deserters from the national
army are to be granted full pardon and
returned to their old homes in Spain
In the matter of magnanimity, his "most
Christian Majesty" has performed al
act that does credit to his title.
There would seem to be no further
cause for dissensions in Cuba. The
island is hereafter to send representa-
tives to the Spanish Cortes, who will
have an equal voice with the representa-
tives of the home provinces in making
laws for the kingdom. The local gov
eminent is to be placed chiefly in the
hands of residents, and slavery will b,
gradually abolished. With these re
forms, Cuba could gain little by being in
dependent.