The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-04-08
CAMP0S COMING.
His Troops Will Furnish a
Great Show for Cubans.
Rebels Decidedly in Evidence-.Playing
Waiting Game With Backing.
The
Styles !!


patton now among the Cubans, and will
be for some days to come. General Mar
tinez Campos, with e., ooo 900 in cash, q
lot of troops and large personal prestige.
Is now on the ocean and bending sail
hither. Great will be the day and large
the occasion when Campos again sets foot
on Cuban soil to put down another ro-
bellion. The people here are expecting
him and anticipate with anxious interest
= his coming
To an onlooker, however. the interest
among unofficial people seems to arise
more from anticipation of the pa
geant and the clatter Of bright metal,
than from any consciousness that Campos
Is needed here. Havana, always accus-
toned to military. has not been vividly i'm
pressed by the landing Of the troops from
Spain.
The repression of the Havana papers re-
suits in ignorance of details IL not OF
facts, from the eastern districts; and so,
while the people look on and are interested
In the show before them, they feel they
have no personal part in the matter, and are
indeed quite content to leave oil fatigue OF
activity to those who must act.
Utmost vigilance Is exercised by the
government to prevent the landing In
Cuba Of the rebel leaders who are in
other parts. The government especially
and definitely desires TO intercept Maceo,
whom the officials profess to believe has
not effected a landing on Cuban soil.
There Is private information in this city,
however, that Maceo Is now on the island,
and that the other leaders will come later.
This Cuban negro, Macoo, a veteran Of
the last rebellion, Is said Co be an able
man. a shrewd tactician In tho chapparal,
and indubitably brave. He is to the off,
cial house here the bogy man Of the insur-
rection.
Movements Of the rebels prove that the
plan laid out by their leaders Is being
consistently followed. Theirs is a waiting
campaign. They appear and disappear.
They make sortie against SONS village,
and, II troops appear, they hustle away
out of sight.
They have alarmed the inhabitants and
they have harassed the troops, whose off,
Ger telegraphs the governor general that
his men bravoly made after "a group" chat
is the governmental designation of rebel
forces) and routed the enemy, who "ran
away"-another technical designation Of
disappearance of rebels.
Well Stocked.
1t is a fact that there are on this island
today between 5000 and 5000 rebels, who
have rifles and cartridges within reach. The
government may scout this statement,
but it is true. And the plan of campaign
Is to wait. The leaders know better than
to openly oppose this 5000 or 5000 men
against superior forces, when climate and
sickness are relied on as allies later on.
"Why don't tho rebels pitch in and do
something before all the Spanish troops
reach hereY' is question asked by op-
ponents of the rebellion here.
The answer is that while engaging the
forces now here the rebels would suffer
losses not to be rapidly mended, and Upon
their weakened force would be constantly
coming more fresh troops from Spain.
"Let Spain get here oil she intends to
send, and then we will play hide and
seek with them, until. aided by climatic
conditions, we can combine all our forces.
and strike a decisive blow at the sicken-
ing and climate worn forces of Spain"
That is about the reply that the insurrec-
tionists would make to criticism Of their
lack Of aggressive activity.
Already the government troops are
securing through Manzanillio, and Colonel
Santocildes has just tolegraphed the gov.
ernor here as to what action shall be taken
In the event of the rebels In big or little
groups desiring to surrender. Clearly,
Santocildes expects success. Troops are
being sent to guard tho plantations.
Autonomists Plead For Peace.
The autonomist party has issued an i'm.
portant manifesto, which declares that the
party profoundly recognizes the confidence
reposed In il by the government.
After pointing out the beneflts that have
recently been conferred on Cuba, the
manifesto declares that all the political
parties condemn the rebellion, which in.
terrupts the pacific progress the island
was making, and says 1t is desperate
venture that will cause rotrogression Of
It advocates that pease be maintained
by all Cubans who have the interests of
the island at heart and calls upon them
20 use their efforts to restore tranquility.
1t is added that the manifesto Is issued by
the signers, not as chiefs OF party, not
as Liberals or autonomists, but as pa
triots and brothers, who aspire to happi-
ness, dignity and the maintainance Of
their rights.