Evening star., 1896-12-08

.
litical entity, possessing and exercising the
functions Of administration and capable,
IL left to itself. of maintaining orderly gov
ernment In Its own territory and sustain
ing normal relations with the external
family of governments.
To illustrate these conditions, the insur-
gent chiefs assert the military power to
compel peaceable citizens of the United
States within their reach to desist from
planting or grinding cane, under the de-
creed penalty Of death and Of destruction
Of their crops and mills: but the measure
is one of sheer force without justifica ton
under public law. The wrongs SO COM
m1tted against the citizens of a foreign
state are without an international forum of
redress to which the government of the
United States may have recourse as re-
CARDS it's relation to the perpetrators. The
acts are those of anarchy and in default
of the responsibilities of de facto statehood
In the case there remains only the terrific
rial accountability of the titular sovereign
within the limits of its competency TO re-
press the wrongs complained Of
IN opposition to the nomadic control of
the interior and the undefended coast by
.ne insurgents, the Spanish authority con-
tihues IN the capital cities and the seaports
its sarrisons are there established; from
them It's naval operations are directed and
executed. Most of it's functions proceed as
IN time OF peace. Its customs and munich
Pal revenues are regularly collected, and
with exception of the temporary restraints
alleged to be due to the admitted existence
of state of hostiities, foreign commerce
with the island is kept up. although largely
diminished by the natural contraction Of
the Cuban market of supply and demand.
AS to those parts of the island with which
this country and it's citizens maintain
legitimatel normal intercourse, the Span
ish power Is supreme, although often eXer-
cised in a vexatious and arbitrary way,
calling for just remonstrance.
So far, therefore, as the relative position
of the Spanish and insurgent forces is COM
parable with the situation during the Yara
lnsurrectton, while the same phases of Or
ganized administration in the capital and
seaports and effective relations of trade
with the outside world on the one hand.
and on the other nomadic association
without the insignia of orderly government
and strong only to wage harassing warfare
In the Interior are now as then apparent,
the present insurrection stands in notable
contrast with its predecessors, both as to
force and scale of operations.
Increase In Numbers.
Although statistics of their military
strength are attainable with difficult and
are not always trustworthy when obtained.
enough is certainly known to show that
the revOlutioniSts in the field greatly cx-
ceed in numbers any organization herato-
fore attempted; that with large accessions
from the central and western districts of
the island better military discipline Is
added to increased strength; that dead
of mainly drawing as heretofore upon the
comparatively primitive popula ton Of east
ern Cuba. the insurgent armies fairly repre-
sent the intelligent aspirations of a large
proportion Of the people Of the whole ISL
ard: and that they purpose to wage this
contest, on these better grounds of vantage,
to the end and to make the present strug-
gle supreme test of the capacity of the
Cuban people to win for themselves and
their children the heritage Of self-govern-
ment.
A notable feature of the actual sitl.a ton
is the tactical skill displayed by its lead
erS. When the disparity of numbers and
the comparatively indefenSfble character
Of the central and western Vega country
are considered the passage of a eons' 1er-
able force into Pinar del Rio followed ny
it's successful maintenance there for many
months must be regarded as a military suc-
cess of a pronounced character.
So, too. the Spanish force. In he field,
in garrison on the island, or on Its WY
thither from the mother country. IS largely
beyond any military display yet called for
by a Cuban rising, thus affording an inde-
pendent measure of the strength of the in
surrection.
From every accessible Indication 1t is
clear that the present rebellion Is on a
far mere formidable scale as to numbers,
intelligence and representative features
than any of the preceding revolts OF this
century: that the corresponding effort of
Spain for its repression has been enormous
ly augmented: and that. despite the con-
slant influx of fresh armies and material
of war from the metropolis, the rebellion.
after nearly two years Of successful re-
sistance. appears today to be in a condition
to indefinitely prolcng the contest on its
present lii es.
The nature of the struggle. however. de-
serves most earnest consideration. The in
creased scale on which 1t Is waged brings
into bolder relief all the appalling phases
which often appear to mark contests for
No
western hemisphere. Excesses before con-
fined to portion of the island become
more impressive when wrought throughout
its whole extent. as now. The insurgent
authority. as has been seen. finds no reg
ular admir- istrstive expression; It is as
serted only by the sporadic and 1rrespon-
sifle force of arms. The Spanish power,
outside OF the larger towns and their i'm
ms date suburbs. when manifested at all,
Is equally forceful and arbitrary.
Indiscriminnte Destruction.
The only apparent aim on either side is
to cripple the adversary by indiscriminate
destruction of all that by any chance may
benefit him. The pc cpulous and wealthy dis
tricts of the center and the west. which
have escaped harm in former contests are
now ravaged and laid waste by the blind
fury of the respective partisans. The prin-
Ciples of civilized warfare. according to the
code made sacred by the universal acqui-
escence of nations. are only too often vio-
lated with impun!ty by irresponsible SUBJ
Grdinates. acting at distance from the
central authority and able to shield them
selves from just censure or punishment by
false or falsified versions of the facts.
The killing and SUNNI ary execution OF
non-combatants is frequently reported, and
while the circumstances of the strife are
such as to preclude accurate or general in
formation in this regard, enough is known
to show that the number of such cases is
considerable. In some instances, happily
few, American citizens have fallen victims
to these savage acts
A large part of the correspondence of the
State Department with it's agents in Cuba
has been devoted to these cases Of assault
upon the rights of our citizens. In no IN.
stance has earnest remonstrance and Ell.
ersetic appeal been omitted. But the repre-.
sentatives CT the Spanish power often find
III eaSiIv DracticahIo IN noatpopo eynIar,