Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1895-04-25
Correspondent,
IWU
NOM Mar-Dl,turbed Cuba.
TCoIAs Cuba, Apri

fJ.IAs, Cuba, April ), 1895.
Tott EGtor 81 ;te american;
Sine writing to you last from Cuba,
the people have drawn the sword and
ci.=ss FOR freedom. We therefore now
have The diversions of war to attract u>-
with 40 doubt. many OF its horrors in the
back md -Hl. some things connected
witt se ansa-.l-5 20 ati outsider Who
has rs ne - 5eas from either party 10
the contest.
one can generally Tell more ahou, tue
weather by being on deck; but ii Is
doubtful if a sojourner here can kno"
muca ore about the war than you 40 al
home. It seems to be breaking out all
over. nat Is, wherever the people dare to
break oa. There Is one thing about 1t
that i quite clear, however cautious they
may mean to be in their language, II the
wishes ot a very large majority of all the
people could be carried out, Cuba would
be free in day. There is no loyalty
among them. But the simple wish OF the
people, unrecognized as belligerents by
their neighbor. the United States, with
lack of arms and all other sinews OF war,
is q weak bulwark to present against the
power and the always arbitrary will OF
Spain.
The insurgents call themselves patriots.
1t is no doubt natural for one to love the
place of his birth or early life, but yet
don't know as there is much in the raw
soil Of any particu bit of land for one
to be patriotic about. II the laws and
the rulership of place or country are
not such as can be admired, supported or
call up athrob of patriotism-but instead,
an entirely adverse sentiment-then why
should one throb at all? Perhaps / was
not built for natural patriot, while no
doubt some sre-some are born patriots
and some have patriotism thrust upon
them shall have to be classed with the
latter-the msaner lot.
Had l unfortunately been born in
Cuba. when ! became about tWo-thlrds
grown-so lar5e that my parents thought
should begin 20 wear clothes / would
have stolen away in the night, and
searched for the very meanest corner OF
the United States to live in at first, until
[ got more used to it. Then the other
third Of me that should grow afterward
and be all native American, would be
denseIy charged with patriotism for that
country thrust upon me.
1t is Just possible that many OF these
people are insurgents by nature-more so
than patriots They are no doubt badly
used We know that it be so, but the
many of them who have had the comfort
of living in the United States for years
never having known law here that they
were satisfied with or any flag that they
loved-why don't they accept the United
States, not as an asylum, but as home
and their country There is room there
for their burdensome and burning patri-
otism, though none for their possible
cravings for instruction.
Without further idle questions or use
less propositions, the fact remains that
Cuba is full of rebels; and that word
according to Webster goes much
further than insurgent, which latter
name our newspapers give them. Spain
may crush the present uprising, but she
cannot crush the spirit that is behind it,
nor lay the ghost for long. Some time,
in some way, she will have to give up
Cuba or be more lenient, and she knows
not how to be SO. She had better give it
up than to lose her crown, but no doubt
it would be humiiiating to lose this jewel
from that crown-and Cuba might have
been made the brightest instead OF a
thorn.
When we arrived at this small place
there was not another vessel in port, and
NO other now. Alone and unRided, we here
represent the floating commerce OF the
earth, which, under the conditions, has
proved to be of considerable responsible
ity. There is no fort, no navy, and almost
no soldiers here at this time. The prin'
cipal asset is anxiety. The place is badly
situated as well as defenceless, open anc
convenient for the landing OF expeditions
while the inland city Of Sancti Espiritr
(the Holy Ghost) twenty miles away, is II
aturbulent and uprising condition. Thai
is asanctified name for that mouldy ole
city, representing q district given up t.
the production of rum, sugar and rebel
lion. 1t was settled on Columb bus secone
voyage, by his old bos'n.
1t shocks me to use such language, bu
these conditions do place the people here
most literally ''between the devil and thu
deep sea-" They are nice people and they
claim to be loyal. We found them excited
for two reasons, and quivering in bott
ears-from the "Allianca" buriesque, anc
from the rumors and their fears OF in
vasion. Ifthey are truly loyal, one might
not readily see why they should be SC
deeply interested in the former matter
except it might be a hope that Spair
would not have need to whip the United
States just at this time; but, profession;
Of loyalty notwit hstanding, one might
easily guess that they cherish a lively
desire that the United States might fine
cause to chastise Spain.