New-York tribune., 1896-01-19
GRAVE CRISIS IN CUBA.

GRAVE CRISIS IN CUBA.
General Campos has been recalled from his
command in Cuba When he assumed that COM
mand he expected 10 return home in thirty days,
amnlv victorious Instead, after nine months,
no will return home defeated and disgraced-so
far rs thc imposition Of disgrace lies within the
mower Of his political foes or of the Government
Of Spain Ii is a lamentabe conclusion of his
career We have had little sympathy with the
purposes for which ne was sent TO Cuba. But
we have no hesitation in saying he deserved IL
better fate than that which has bcfallen him.
He was Spain'S greatest general. man OF as
tincrishcd achievements. and of unqueslonel
valor patriotism and honor. He was sent 10
Cuba 10 uuell what he was told was mere out
break Of rioters and maraudcrs. lie FOUND III
stead a general inS'llrectiOn. IN orsalilZed To-
bcllion that badc fair TO become revolu'ioh'
He found moreover. that there was ample cause
for the insurrection; il was the last desperate
nrotcst against uncomfortable oppression. the uti-
matc appcal of the people for liberty. The task
or ruthlesslv crushing such Il movement, and
Of reimposlng tyranny upon the people, was not
10 his liking He protested against II, warhcd
the Madrid Government against 1t. ana s'r"V"
to substitute therefor a system OF conciiiauoh'
of redress Of grievances. and OF granting the
reasonable demands Of the Cuban people.
That was all in vain. The Madrid Govern
ment was deaf 10 his words II badc him do the
work for which he had been sent. II drained us
Treasury to meet the cost. II drained the re-
sources Of the Peninsula to provide troops II
rejected all plans for conciliation. News "l
rebel bands dispersed and rebel leaders pu' 10
death was all it wished 10 hear. General Cam
DOS undertook to obey its commands. lie did
so with a heavy heart. but with loyal one:
with. moreover resolution and skill. To dccry
his military ability Is absurd. With all the re-
sources OF Spain at his back he did the best he
could. and far better we believe than any other
Spanish general could have DONE to quell the
insurrection one thing. II is true, he left I'M
done. which another might have done and which
his predecessors did do. He did not wage
campaign Of wanton cruelty and barbarism. He
observed the customs Of civil war and treated his
foes Ike men and soldiers, not ike wild beasts
Rv SO acting we do not think he lost any mill
tary advantage He did win the dissatisfaction
and enmity Of certain faction at Havana ana
of a large party in Spain. TO that, indeed. more
than to any other cause. his recall is probably
due He is sacrificed to the demands Of those
who want tuDi rul'u not DI IL
man. nor by soldier, but by a butcher.
or course he has failed in his campaigns
against the insurgents. He has woiully, even
ludicrousy failed. First he would keep them
in the extreme east, and he drew a dead line
across the island, beyond which they should not
PASS. and posted his troops along il from shore
10 shore But they did pass beyond it. and he
had to fall back and draw another dead line
further west They passed that, and he drew
another and so on, through Santiago, Santa
Clara. Matanzas, and Havana itself Line after
line was drawn till the map looked ike Il plan
Of a football field; and still the rebels pushed
on. ever westward. When they reached the
meridian Of Havana the Spanish general fell
hack upon that capital and let them go by, and
then swung ont again and followed them into
Pinar del Rio. Now his plan was To confinc
them TO the western end Of the island, and again
he began drawing his dead lines. But hav-
ing gone as far to the west as pleased them. the
rebels turned and moved eastward crossing the
dead lines" az readily as ever When they got
back to the meridian OF Havana again they
drove the Spanards into the dcfcDces OF that
city. and there they are to-day. hundred thou
sand Spanish troops have been unable 10 pre-
vent ten thousand Cuban rebels from marching
from end TO end Of the island. 1t is indeed Il
hard task to crush a re,olute people who are
fighting for freedom. Where Campos has failed
who can succeed!
What now? Is Spain's greatest general to he
succeeded by SPANS most savage butcher:
There are mentioned the names Of some men
distinguished only for their ferocity The ap'
pojntment OF such one would indeed be logi
cal Let there be no mistake, however. as to It's
meaning 1t would mean campaign OF No
ouortcr. no prisoners. in which the flag or truce
would not be respected, nor the invalids and
uurses i'm hospitals be exempt from instant
butchery or capture 1t would mean, also. re-
nr,soIs and retaliation on the rebel side the
knife and torch applied in ten thousand places
where they have hitherto been Withheld, The
unloosIng Of all the elemental lus's ana passions
Of the savage. another Haytian Revolution Win
ont the restraining influence OF Toussain'
rOuverturc Such Il catastrophe IL ho' 10 p'
invited without the strongest OF protests anu
warnings. Upon an attempt by Spain 10 main
tain her authority In Cuba by tue forms aho
nroccsscs of civilized warfare this country caI