Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-04-06
THE CUBAN REVOLT
Why Its Rise Was Slow at the Beginning
ofthe Struggle.
The Most Serious Aspects of tho
Imposed Upon Them by Spain.

the Cuban revolution Is given by a gentle
man now in Washington, who has long
been identified with Cuban affairs. and Is
personally acquainted with the conspicuous
figures of the contest.
"At the outset" said he. "the presence Of
negro leaders has tended to limit the rise
of the rebellion, as the white element of
Cuba-constituting two-thirds Of the peo-
ple-will never submit to negro rule, or in
dependence wrought through negro influ-
ences. I have the photographs of these
negro leaders, and their race Is unmis-
taxable. They are very able men. however,
of the same order as Frederick Douglass in
his best days. One of them was educated
at Madrid. Another is an orator of great
ability.
But the white element, representing the
influence. wealth and business Of Cuba. has
been slow to encourage a movement begun
by negro leaders. But this beginning has
already outrun race lines. and white lead
ers OF ability and courage are now taking
the place Of the negroes. There should be
no misapprehension in the United States
about the sma1lness Of these insurgent
bands. In the last rebellion, which lasted
for ten years-1SiS to 1S7S-there was never
gathering of more than 5000. These
forces can best carry on their work by
being widely scattered and In small bands.
1t makes 1t impossible for a large Spanish
Is nothing for q large army to fight.
The Most Serious Aspect.
"But the most serious aspect OF the up
rising" continued he, ''arises from GER
tain internal conditions In Cuba which are
little understood In the United States.
Spain has loaded on Cuba the entire debt
of the last rebellion. This burdens the
Cubans with $12,5T4. 1856 each year. Besides
this Spain compels Cuba to pay all the ex-
penses of the army sustained in Cuba.
This army is composed of 304l4 men, cost,
be the cost of the present uprising, oil OF
which Spain will place on Cuba.
These conditions are such that the small
beginning made by the insurgents will gain
force and sympathy from all classes. This
will be brought to crisis when the negro
and guerrilla bands begin burning planta-
tons. That will doubtless occur before
long, as this smode Of guerrilla warfare Is
the ore usually resorted to by that class
BuEdened with debt, and with their prop
erty threatened, the land-owning classes
will not be slow to lend their support to
the uprising. They feel no duty or loyalty
to Spain. as that sentiment was long since
crushed out.
Spain has even placed q duty on sugar,
the chief product of Cuban plantations. SO
that the planters must pay duty II they
seek the markets of the mother country.
Even Cuban tobacco is shut out of Spain
unless sold to the government Naturally.
therefore, the plantatlon owners are ripe
for revolt. once 1t assumes formidable pro-
portions and their lands are threatened"
Recognition ms Belligerents.
The gentleman was asked II efforts would
be made to secure the recognition Of the
insurgents as belligerents.
Such an effort" said he, would not be
made by the revolutionists in Cuba. They
care nothing for such a declaration. 1t
would afford them no hold in their scat
tered campaigns.
1.-THE only good It would accomplish would
be to give more freedom of action TO the'
Cuban sympathizers in this country, who
could lawfully deal with belligerents much
more freely than with rebels; The effort to
secure recognition as belligerents will
therefore come from sympathizers. The
Cubans are taking their own course They
Will not hold convention. as has been
stated. Their purpose Is to scatter, and
not to concentrate in'one organization and
one army.
''The arrival of Gen. Campos in Cuba
will be the most important event of the up
of Spain who can stop the rebellion, If 1t Is
possible to stop It, The impression in the
United States is that Campos Is a bloody
man, but he Is just the reverse.
He is most pacific and conciliatory.
When Spain sent him into Africa to crush
an uprising, instead of taking an army, he
went to the sultan and effected settle
ment. He Is man of supreme courage
and yet Of perfect Simplicity sort Of
legendary hero. After the last rebellion in
Cuba ran ten years and seemed inter-
minable. 1t was Campos who ended 1t, not
with the sword. but by making terms with
the insurgents. I have no doubt. there
fore, that those who expect much blood
shed when Campos lands will be disap-
pointed. He will, think, divide his army
into small bands. to meet the insurgents
by their own tactics. and his purpose will
be to maintain peace and order rather than
to inspire a reign of terror. Campos de-
clared, after the last rebellion, that the
bones of 100000 Spanish soldiers had been
left in Cuba. About half of these died of
disease incident to service. He knows.
therefore, the horrors of war in Cuba, and
will use his best efforts to persuade rather
than to crush, and in these tactics he is
MASTER
Movements of Gen. MaceO.
The movements of Gen. Maceo the Cuban
revolutionary leader, who has led an ex-
petition from Costa Rica, are being watch
ed with interest from Washington 1t is
Known that the Costa Rican government
has given no aid or countenance to Maceo's
expedition, as the republic Is an old de-
tendency of Spain, most of her citizens
cherishing their loyalty to the mother coun-
try. Maceo came to Costa Rica several
years ago from Cuba. and was engaged by
the government to develop the extensive
Cubans was formed about two years ago,
with Maceo at their head. The government
encouraged and protected the tobacco in
drstry much as Spain conducts the tobacco
business as a government institution.
In an indirect way, therefore, Maceo be-
came corrected with the government, but
was not recognized as official. His ex-
ion x1yca ad1 o,,oy,