The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-11-23
Peculiar Statement From
a Cuban Patriot.
Spaniards are Not to Be
Blamed for ButCherieS,
Because Their Indifference 10 Suf-
fering is Hereditary.

Since the Cubans began their battle for
| liberty the people OF this country have
heard great many stories about Spanish
atrocities. Those who have heard these
stories would be very much surprised to
learn from the lips OF a native born
Cuban, known to be anxious and i'm
patient for the release of his native island
ftom the CALLING yoke of Spain, that he
does not blame the Spsniards or their
brutalities aud outrages, until they
heard the explanation which followed
suea startling declaration. 1t is DR..
Jose Machado y Gomez, for many years q
leading lawyer of Havsps, and a resi-
there during the ten-years' war. who does
not blame the Spanards, and who gives
the reason why he does not do so. His
brother was for two years president OF
the Assembly. and during the last Gays OF
the unsuccessful struggle for liberty was
the President OF the Cuban Republic.
DR.. Machado is now q resident OF New
York.
in a recent interview the doctor said:
81 do net blame the Spaniards for their
bu,cheries. / deplore their acts, but !
cannot, nor can any man who has q
knowledge OF Spain, Its manners and GUS
toms, blame them. No other people on
earth are educated in the peculiar lines
that the Spanish people are educated.
Their indifference for suffering Is heis-
ditary. 1t is transmitted from genera
tion to generation. How? BY the bull ring.
The babes, the boys, the young men, the
old men are its patrons. its supporters.
The growing girls and the young mothers
are inufanced by II. All classes are its
patrons. IL you have never seen a bull
fight you caunot conceive a sport more
brutaleer more degrading. II does not
teach courage--it implants the feeling of
ferocity, and a desire to kill, a desire to
see blood. This is transm tilted to the
children and to their children's child
rem. Spain is q nation of butchers. They
are ble Of the finer feelings found in
other people. They do not understand
the meaning OF kindness. They are as
parbarous today as they were in the mid
die ages-butchers from the hig hest to
the lowest. How con they be blamed
for being natural? Can the tiger be
taught TO eat hay?
Or. Gomez went on to say "I do not
look for the war to continue much longer
than May. Spain has reached what you
Americans say is her last ditch. Not only
meuaced in all her foreign possessions.
but menaced much more seriously within
her own kingdom. Do you appreciate
the Significance of the exodous of young
men-j0, 900 of them. TO escape military
duty In Cuba. Ihe majority of them have
gone TO France. We Cubans know that
this means an opportunity for Don Carlos,
the pretender. With his wealth and the
powerful backing of the clergy he can
recruit an army and pay 1t well. When
the time comes he can strike the blow to
further his own am mbition. What, then,
will, happen in Cuba? Weyler, IL he re-
m aims that long, will know that he can
look for osupport from the govern
ment until the Carlists are defeated or
succeed In displacing the present admin
istration. The government will be unable
to assisr bin, or may find it necessary to
recall him to Spain TO try mis- hand at
putchering his own countrymen. In
either event Cuba will be the gamer.
The time ia rapidly approaching now
when the hull lighters will have to retire
from the arena. The star Of Cuba Librs
is growing brighter every day."