The Wichita daily eagle., 1896-12-17
THE DEATH OF MACEo.

! The death Of General Maceo Illus
trates many things connected with tn
Cuban revolution. 1t makes it striking
ly evident that much of the news mon
Cuba is wholly unreliable. Besides thu
difficulties of getting news TRANSMITTED
from the scene of action there is a dis
position on both sides to lie. Happy il
| the man who can feel after receiving
all the conflicting stories of wrongs ant
butcheries, treachery and assassination
assertion and denial, that he is In pos
session of the truth. The truth abou
Cuba cannot be accurately known
hardly approximately known. Fol
| some days it was alleged that Macet
was not dead and that the stories of his
death were circulated to have an inf1u
cnce especially to deter action by the
United States. Then comes sudden
| change and Maceo has been slain in
| ambush-murdered while under a fias
Of truce. If Spanish officers lured
MaceO by promising protection and
| then killed him in cold blood, it was a
damnable tragedy-it is a stain upon
| civilized warfare. Such an act would
be an act Of savagery, crime against
humanity that any people would be JUS
tilted in avenging on Spain in defense
of civilization. Is it true? Nobody is
able to say. 1t is denounced by the
Spanish authorities as a willful false
hood manufactured for the purpose Of
enlisting sympathy for Cuba.
Who is Maceo? He was a mulatto of
the greatest courage. That his life was
a great menace to the Spanish army is
manifest by the unusual interest that is
taken in his death and the prediction
that the revolution will now soon fail
without him. His warfare was after
the FASH n of our General Marion-of
the guerilla kind. He knew no fear
and never asked soldier to 60 where
he could not lead. 1t is not unlikely
that when the truth Is fully known of
his death it will be found that he was
executing some bold and daring act,
passing to the rear Of the Spanish de-
tachment, and was surprised, caught in
a trap set by himself for others. What
ever the truth about the manner of his
death, certain it is that Maceo will find
a place among the worlds heroes. In
life brave, in death hero. If it comes
to be generally believed that his death
was a treacherous assassination, it may
be the sufficient means for the freeing
of Cuba. His death will be avenged.
The people of the United States have
not concealed their sympathy for the
Cubans. They have not always been
careful to inquire for the truth or to
look for precedents in diplomacy or in
ternational law. Cuba is governed by
a monarchy across the ocean. 1t should
be free. That is sufficient with the most
Of our people. One side is believed and
the other discredited. One thing is
sure. To follow precedents, there is
nothing the United States can do. Cuba
cannot be recognized as belligerent
while it has no government to recog-
nize. The Mills resolution for the
United States to take possession of
Cuba is little less than declaration of
war upon Spain. Precedent mus: be
made; the case is new one and if JUS
titled at all it must be upon new prece-
dents founded in principles of justice
that the world may recognize. The
death Of Maceo if accomplished through
treachery and in violation Of the usages
of war added to the charges of inhuman
treatment of prisoners and the protec-
ton of our citizens and our trade may
furnish sufficient reason for the United
States to interfere. The death of Maceo
will not unlikely prove the matter OF
greatest significance in the Cuban diff
ficulty. If the stories of assassination
are willfully false. the cause of Cuba
will be injured; if true, it will be a
blessing not long to remain in disguise
The United States cannot act simply
because she is able, bue because she
should. There is no likelihood that
Cuba will ever want to belong TO the
United States except as a choice of evils
"a choice between Spain and this na-
ton Cuba shall want to remain free,
and our interests shall be in republican
ism, in international justice against op-
preston. The Cuban situation deserves
thoughtful consideration.