The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-12-22

Spap'ards, Maceo distinguished him
sell ny his Extraordinary courage and
alter a cavalry attack tina made him
famous among the Cubaus. he was APP
pointed chief of a small band OF pa
triots. he was soon advanced to the
rank OF ~brigadier general, aud o
alter to majpr general, the highest
rank In the Cuban army. From that
lay he was the terror OF the Spanish
troops. la Holguin, in Florida, in pro-
vince OF Santiago de Cuba, and in many
other places he routed the ablest Span
ish commanders.
After ten years of war the Cubans
agreed to the treaty OF Sanjon.
Martinez Campos, after many inter-
yiews with the Cuban leaders and the
provisional government Of the republic
won Comes consent to the treaty OF
peace. The only man who refused to
sign was Antonio Maceo. On Febru-
airy IL, 1878, Gomez mad an interview
with him at the Asiento de Pilots, in
which he explained the necessity Of a
peaceful arrangement with the govern
ment of Spain. The revolution was
feeble and without The
Spanish forces, under command OF
Campos, outnumbereG the Cubans
eighty to one. Help from abroad was
u delusion. The revolutionary Junta
VI ~ loIh hao disappeared anu U0S
last important expedition received was
one brought by The Virginius before
her capture by the Spaniards, aud that
was years before. Intervention by the
United States was no longer hoped
for. Was it best to resist longer?
Could the Cubans hope to free their
country?
Gen. Maxine Gomez himself, in his
pamphlet describing the last years of
the CHINA N fnynlltinn prfntnl 4, Il ;,~
ton in 1878, relates the dignifed answer
Maceo gave him. Without discussing
the reasons why surrender would be
polite he only sa:d
~ cannot believe that you will aban-
don me in the field where both of us
have fought 50 often against our enc
mics"
To Gen. Vicente Garcia he said 81
thlnk tho concessions made by the
Spaniards arc not sufficient to satisfy
the Cubans, and even if they were
worth while, our honor compels us to
achieve the independence of the island
or die"
MARTINEZ Cumpos, in q letter ad-
dressed to the prime minister of Spain,
Canovas del Castillo, dated at Santiago
de Cuba, March Is, 1878, said about
Maceo:
HE is the great obstacle to peace,
Notwithstanding the good wishes of the
Cuban assembly OF representatives and
the Cuban government. In Santiago
dc Cuba, where he rules, it is impossi-
bic to have any understanding with
the enemy. Maceo, who was u carman
aud is now a general, is a man of great
courage and prestige, and under a
rough appearance conceals great talent.
He had an interview with me, and J
can say that ne will never surrender
until he thinks it best for his cause
But Maceo became more and moro
Isolated, and when he no longer had
forces left to fight with, he agreed to
leave the island under condition that
it should be known that he protested
!, against the peace. He sailed for
Kingston in June, 1878, on the steamer
Fernando cl CatOlico. In the same
month he came to New York and after
5 ward went to Honduras, where the
: president, Marco Aurclo Soto, a great
friend OF the Cubans, made him gov
: crnor Of Puerto CorteZ. After Soto's
, fall he returned to Cuba and was de-
ported to Spain by General Blanco.
: Later, when he returned to Cuba again
under the government OF Polarieja,
he was expelled for a third time.
Macco was living in Costa Rica when
Marti prepared the present revolution.
One night several Spaniards tried tC
kill him at the door Of a theater, know
: Ing that he was in correspondence with
. Marti. He was slightly wounded, but
, killed one of his assailants.
= In March, 1895, he landed in Cube
with his brother, Jose, and several
others hear Baracoa. He was sur.
T. rounded by a far superior number oil
Spaniards, and only escaped by his
reckless courage. Since September II
last year, when he was proclaimed lieu.
tenant general Of the Cnran army by
the assembly Of representatives hold a,
lmaguaye, his career has been well
. known to American readers. Pcraicjo
where he routed Campos, Sac de
4ndio, Calimete, Nal Flempo and Ca.
caraj icara, are the names of his grea,
battles. His wonderful march to the
| wet and his W invasions of the prov.
lnce Of Pinar del Rio deserve the com.
pllments which appear in the last re,
port OF Secretary Olncy and President
Cleveland. His stand against Weylcr
: has won the admiration Of the world,
/ and if the last news is confirmed, his
return to the east of the western trocha
1 is really wonderful.
Has Maceo been killed as tho Span.
iards say? Though a Spanish mill.
tary writer, Col. Camps calls Macec
$ "a man whom bullets cannot kill
| nothing Is moro likely than that he
should perish in battle, for he never
I stunned danger. But as he is such a
I formidable foe Of Spain, the Cubans
: stlil hope that the report of his death
is u Spanish fake" invented for the
: purpose of impressing the American
, Congress. Time will tell.
j prrU