The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-11-10
CAMPOS In CUBA.
A Study Of the Conqueror
Of a Peace.
CAN HE KEEP HIS PROMISES !?
His Large Heartedness-He Saves
Cuba from Chaos.


The time has not yet arrived to judge finally
either General Martinez do Campos or his work;
contemporaries are too much influenced by passions
or preferences shall not try it; but will say
few words about the man and his politics in Cuba.
The Spaniards here aud above all the Shareholders
hate him. and attribute to him. more from passion
than as their opinion all tho devastations
that have been caused by the war. by their
own ntrigues. their baseness and their intolerance.
The Cubans extolled him great and notable; they
almost elevated him to the height OF hero of Plu-
tarch. He has COM itted in Spanish eyes the UNI
pardonable fault of not having finished the by
force of only-destroying the Cubans to the
last armed enemy. They do not forgive his human
ity. his generosity his able politics and above all.
his having by his promises opened the way
and given hopes of liberty to the negroes
and Of representative institutions to the
whites The Cubans grateful for the last,
though in general they would have been content
without the first. Martinez de Campos has been CON-
pared to Bismarck as politician. to Moltke AS SOL
dier-all mere Southern hyperbole. General Marti-
nez understands nothing of politics; he is . man of
but little head but great heart good qualities and
his defects. his and his fortunate acts the
thusissm he inspires in some and the hate In
others, all in him and in his acts come from the
heart Just. humane. generous, disinterested. free
does not despise other men he does not fear them;
he is neither jealous nor owns rivalry; has but
little instruction. though he reads all that
comes to his hand Incapable of duplicity.
he does not believe that any will deceive him.
and confdes in every one. He has fixed in his
imagination a really singular idea regarding men
and things; he thinks all men his equals, and that
all things should be decided ana settled by ideal
of absolute justice. of common use that should
not exact either science law. Thus ruler
he is the perfect type of the Alcalde Mayor Of Mon
tevilla Of Sancho Panza in the Island of Baraara.
General Martinez de Campos like another San Luis,
would sit in the shade Of oak tree and despatch
his business and do justice his conscience die
tated without caring anything for established laws
the customs and the thousands Of other obstacles
that the passions traditions and conveniences might
place in his way. He is imperturbable. he does not
like atery but he is pleased with and is sensible
gratitude. to respect shown toward him. and. above
all. that he should be thought capable OF an
untruth to fail to keep his word. For this he
contracted obligations with the liberal Cubans that
have caused him much trouble and obliged him
to leave this country to struggle with Canovas del
Castillo, to become adverse to the whole Spanish
party. and to be tho object Of hate Of the slave
holders and have to accept the Presidency
OF the Ministry and fight with unequal
in Madrid. He has for foes the upholdcrs
of privileges. abuses and tyrannes in Cuba by the
metropolis by the government and by the Spanish
grain growers. General Martinez de Campos hears
every one. and is easily influenced by him who
speaks best. or by the who speaks last to him.
Here the reformers. the liberals spoke best and had
the last word with him; the General spoke to them
OF liberties and OF reforms. Again. in Madrid he has
been spoken to- and almost exclusively by the anti
rcformers and Martinez de Campos is perplexed,
gddy. fears to fail in fulfilling his promises and
that his word may be doubted-that he should be
thought capable Of deceiving. On the other hand
he fears to compromise himself. to commit o
bunder. lest he be proclaimed a bad Spaniard, and,
above ALL what he most fears is not to hit the mark
and put end to the ascendancy Of his fame the
prestige Of his name. that should believe in
his good star and in his infallibiity.
As soldier General Martinez, If not the best Is at
least Of tho best Of the modern Spanish generals
He is not well schooed and solely in civil vars
his technical instruction is that of all the officers of
the modern staff he does not fatter the soldier he
tries to attract him. because he lives in the camp as
the soldier does; when he speaks his eloquence
calls Espartero; he exacts much OF the
soldier, but he gives first the example,; his
courage is that of all the spanish soldiers but his
il moro equal, more constant than that Of Narvaez
or of Prim; he is not phegmatic; in the camp Gen
Valmaseda who, at the Beginning OF the war. made
use of Martinez Campos. to whom he owed marked
trumphs and useful advice. foresaw his future
tune and appreciated his military qualities. In de-
spatch sent to the government from Bayamo he
said :-"COlonel Martinez de Campos will be one Of
the best generals of the Spanish army"
CAMPos AND HIS PREDECESSORS
Knowing the man, his qualities and defects, his
conduct during the war and afterward be under
stood. He could not act otherwise, and other
could have acted as he did. All the generals who
governed here. from Dulce to Martinez de Campos,
including Valmaseda. endeavored to do the same.
All Wished to treat with to attract. to invite the
of arms the acceptance Of peace. Nome sue
ceeded. and 1t was because each of them
Portuguese Of the fable. who. having fallen into
deep well, called ont to Castian looking at him
from above. Cassscao. II you win take me out Of
were life pardoners In TRUTH the circumstances
helped Martinez de Campos greatly. None had he.
extraordinary powers nor his prestige, nor his in
nuence past successes; none could dispose so
many troops; though. IN truth. all who had command
here were of the best in Spain. none of them had
managed soldiers in the field as had Martinez de
Campos; none had shown such noble mindedness,
such generosity and personal valor such hberality
erous none had converted, he, the fierce soldier
into a mild lamb the sanguinary chiefs into just
! the physignomy. the SMILE tho conversation and
the personal attractveness of Martinez de Campos.
COMPARED WITH JovELLAR
In the conditionsi in which this General found him
self, with the resources at his command, all had
self, who is precisely his antthesis. the same. no
less in personal qualities than i'll character imagi-
nation and talents. And it certainly was not the
fault of this General that Martinez de Campos did
fail also, he made every effort to procure 1t.
Many have said that Martinez lie Campos wa lucky
man, but In truth il any ono was hero petforce.
in Spain well ~ in Cuba. IL General Jovellar.
He brings to mind. when compared with Martinez
dc Campos. the Austrian soldier who. in the drama
LOS Maggarcs. follows the poor layman without
allowing HIM . moments reposo. Jovear has been
to Martinez de Campos the soldier OF the peco-has
been his shadow. Everywhere lie has divided with
him his triumphs and his laurels and the luck of
Jovellar Is exclusively due to the talents. to the
qualities and to the success OF his rival.
| DESPERATE CONDITION.
As said before. the arrival here Of Martinez
de Campos the situation OF the Spsniards was bad
III fact, 1t was desperate. 1t had been proved
that in general the superior chiefs possessed
| OF but little military capacity. They had adopted
plan OF operations impossible to carry out
TO occupy the whole country with troops, to
defend the cities, the smallest villages, the
sugar estates and all the solitary and OF the way
places that were of the least strategic i'm
portance. Notwithstanding the aid given by
the volunteers there were scarcely any troops