Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1884-05-29
THE CUBAN REBELLION.


THE CUBAN REBELLION.
Something About the Present and Former
Outbreaks in the 1sland-Talk Of AnneXR-
ton.
A letter from Matanzas to The India
nGpOlis Journal says: There are three par
ties in the island-the Monachical, the
Republican, and the Independent. The
first two are against the independence of
Cuba; they are advocates of slavery, and
desire the protection of the mother coun-
try. The latter party favors the freedom
of the slaves, and the independence of
the Island. The war "for liberty was
raised in Yara Oct. 10, 1868, and for six
years bloody struggle went on, until a
compromise was effected and thousands
of the natives were driven into exile
mostly to the United States. There they
formed a patriotic society-under the
leadership of Gen. c. Augero, Emilio
Nunez, and others who had fought to the
last-and established paper called La
| Independencid. This society furnishes
information and means to Cuban patriots
and by the circulation of its paper
through the Island endeavors to cultivate
a spirit of liberty, and holdsout tn e hope
of annexation to the United States.
| A few weeks ago Gen. E. Nunez left
! New York in the schooner 9. HallOran,
for Sagun la Grande. He was shipped
as a deck-hand, and dressed in sailor
clothing. But the Spanish spies got wind
of it, and when the Halloran entered
Sagun harbor a gunboat came alongside,
and its captain attempted to board the
schooner. But the captain of the Halo
ran was equal to the occasion. He ran
up the American flag, and drew a reVOlv-
er and told the naval gentleman that he
could not search his ship while the stars
and stripes hoated and he was alive to
! defend it. The Spanish captain there
upon applied to the American Consul at
Sagun, and together they vent on board
the HallOran, accompanied by an officer
of the law with writ for the arrest of
Nunez. Nunez was standing by the main
mast in his shirt-sleeves when they came
on board. Throwing the cigar he was
smoking over the side, he stepped brisk
! Iy up to the Spanish captain, and shak-
! ing his fingers in his face said: "You
wanted to steal me off this schooner, did
| you? Well want you to understand that
I am an American citizen, under the
American flag, and l can whip you and
your whole cOwardly crew of cut-throats
if you come one or two at a time" The
American Consul then stated that writs
were there for him and advised him to
| =
| etc. He was then taken to Havana tried,
and few days ago was released, as he
was an American citizen entering Span
| ish post without arms or amunitions of
war; and no hostile intent could be prov
| ed. The expedition of Aguero followed,
and perhaps by this time Nunez has join
ed him with Ieinforcements.
But a rebellion seems hopeless unless
some foreign nation-the United States,
| T.. III,
ent trying to placate Spain. Three of our
war vessels are now cruising on the north
side of Cuba-the Vandalia, the SWatara,
and the Yantic-and the revenue cutters
Dix and Boutwell, are searching the
coasts of Florida and Georgia to prevent
the escape of vessels with arms or sup
plies. Railroads run now to nearly all
the principal towns of the island, and
thus troops can be moved rapidly from
one point to another, an advantage the
Government did not possess in the last
rebellion. The feeling of the people gen
orally is toward annexation to the United
States; but the Shareholders feel that this
cannot be done without loss to them. If
they felt assured of recompense for their
slaves, nine-tenths of the people would
! be in favor of becoming Americans. And
under our Government the advantages to
our people would soon more than repay
this amount. To look at Havana papers
it seems that the whole world is seeking
the Cuban trade. There you will see Eng
lish, French, German, and Spanish adj
vertisements, cuts of portable railroads
made by Krupp, John Fowler & Co. and
Decanville. Yesterday there lay in the
harbOr at Havana, sixteen steamships,
twenty-eight sailing ships and barks,
| twelve brigs and brigantines, and score
of schooners, all foreign, besides the
coasting steamers and craft of the island.
| This shows an enormous trade. To-day
in Matanzas their are five steamers and
twenty-five sailing vessels. Cuba is a
wonderfully fertile island, and if Yankee
enterprise and genius were thrown into
it it would astonish the world with its
productiveness. 1t belongs to US by it's
situation, and it is but question of time
when we will take it under our wing.