The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-01-19
Peculiar

political and military organization. the
landing place OF most OF the filihustering
expeditions, under the protection or the
formidable gathering Of ssparatists that
Antonio and Jose Maceo easily recruited
from the colored people OF this province.
Indeed, so daring have the insurgent fore
es been in the four districts of Santiago de
Cuba that the Spanish columns. even when
commanded by such men as Marshal Cam
pos, Gems. Echaguge, Lachambre, Salcedo,
Naldes and Navarro, have had much trou-
bic In conveying relief and conveys OF am
munition and provisions to the towns and
ports in the interior The rebel bands in
the provinces of Santiago and Puerto
Principe. more than half OF whom are wei
mounted and all provided with excellent
American and German muskets, are so
daring that they raid and loot down TO
within cannon-shot range OF the strongest
garrisons. and cut railway and telegraph
lines faster than the royal forces can re-
pair them.
Campos' Hopeless Task.
With soldiers blunt sincerity, Marshal
Martinez CampOs has admitted that he has
70 deal with a more serious rising and
with more Widespread d.saffection than he
had expected when he landed in Cuba in
ArrL AZ that date the instruction had
az seea heEond the limits OF the province
81 e4HflA&os whage. at the utmost, 400
nseais wurs IN tas aeld. under the two Ma
e2@szs-5 Marti. tAs latter a white man and
e.. anaFax spirit OF the revolutionary
fansaa n the United States for years past.
&aa Hlafters have become so se~ious that
tie Insurgents. according 10 Spanish re-
ports. are said 10 have close upon 5000
men under arms. fully 1880 of whom are
mounted. At first the rebel forces were
distributed as follows: Twelve thousand
under the Maceos in Santiago de Cuba, 1850
with Maxine Gomez in Puerto Principe,
and the rest In Santa Clara; but a few
weeks ago the separat.st leaders agreed TO
make an advance westward. They were
fully aware that Marshal Martinez Campos
had not enough troops In the central and
western provinces OF the island to protect
the sugar and coffee crops against their
raids, if he kept 10 many regiments in
Santiago ana Puerto Principe. and they
knew the expected reinforcements from
Spain could not begin TO arrive before TIE
end of November. So they resolved TO
push to the front in the provinces of
Santa Clara as many bands as could
be prudently collected, with a view
to create a scare and to destroy the sugar
crops, the mills, the defenseless villages,
and the plantations in the provinces OF
Santa Clara, MatanZas and even Havana.
They reinforced Roloff, a Pole, who was
at the head of their bands In Santa Clara,
with cavalry especially. Maxine Gomez
ed and equipped, took up his quarters in
the Seguinea mountains south OF Marshal
Campos' headquarters in Santa Clara, and
when closely pressed by several Spanish
columns he gave them the slip and made
for the neighborhood of Remedies. Jose
Maceo, with 5000 men, went all the way
from Santiago, across Puerto Principe, by
La Trocha, to Las Villas. The rebel cav
airy have already dashed over the frontier
OF the province of MatanZas. plundering
and burning villages, leVying blackman
upon the plantations OF the loyalists, and
oblIgng the people to fly for safety TO the
Spanish lines. Roloff has issued proclama-
tons threatening with destruction OF prop
erty and death all those who continue TO
work on the plantations. Marshal Campos.
on his side, sent for troops from the prov
inces of Santiago and Puerto Principe, and
he seems, up to the present TO confine his
efforts TO the protection Of the three west
ern provinces against the contemplated
raids Of Maxine Gomez, Rolon, Maceo
and other insurgent chiefs now at the head
OF nearly 10000 men in Santa Clara.
Both In Madrid and Havana great i'm
patience and curiosity are shown, since
such considerable bodies OF Span!ards and
Cubans are known to be so close 10 each
other. In the mother country everybody
would naturally like to hear of some de-
cisive encounters with the insurgents,
which might be followed up vigorously after
the arrival OF the fresh reinforcements.
Unfortunately, all military men and ci-
villains acquainted with the habits OF Cl,ban
insurgents seem convinced that they VIII
avoid all battles IN the open, all decisive
encounters, and. II their raids upon the
plantations OF the western and central
provinces fail. they viii most likely break
UP their large bodies of armed men into
"partdas" 10 keep up during the fine
weather a desultory and obstinate guer-
rilla warfare. This is why Marshal Cam
pos has had the courage 10 let Spain and
her government know that he thinks that
the insurrection cannot be put down by
any extremist measures, any war without
quarter, which would require three years
of desperate struggle, resources that Spain
has not st her disposal, and 10000 men.
half Of whom would have 10 be sacrificed
TO a deadly climate" He is quite prepared
Ito strike hard blows al the rebels IN
arms" but he believes the ultimate and
rapid paciflcation OF Cuba can only be re-
allied by a concillatory policy, by pardon
ing all who submit and by the grant OF ex-
tenslye colonial reforms and self-govern-
ment. which the majority OF the Cubans
would gladly accept at the hands OF the
mother country.