Evening star., 1896-11-17
THE CUBAN STRUGGLE.
Odds Against Which the Patriots Are
FiEhtinE for Their Freedom.

Fighting for Their Freedom
To the Editor of The Evening Star:
How heroically and against what fearful
odds thep Cuban patriots are maintaining
their war for independence can only be
realized by comparison with our own
struggle with Great Britain. The popula-
ton Of the Unfeed Colonies during the rev.
olutionary war has been estimated at about
3,OOO,OOO The present population of Cuba
Is given at about 10000. AS at least a
half million Of these are Spantards, who
are either non-combs tants or are actually
assisting Spain, 1t will be- seen that the
population of the colonies in rebellion
against Great Britain was about three times
the present population of Cuba IN rebellion
against Spain.
The following extract from the CORE
spondence of John Adams written in De
cember, 1903, will be read with. Interest as
showing the forces against which our revo-
iuLonary forefathers commended. He SAWS;
Great Britain in our revolutionary war
never had IN North America, Including the
Canadas, at any one time more than five
sh4 twenty thousand men. During some
part OF the war thought they had forty
thousand; but upon examining their most
authentic documents and memorials. 1 have
long settled an opinion that they never ex-
ceeded twenty-five thousand."
Mr. Sparks, who takes rhis figures from
the state PAPER office, gives the number
more NOR .. exactly as follows for the years
June. 1777.... 2o.e51 August. 1880 H ola
August. 177S... "a, ,O64 May, 1851 2s I25
May, 1779....... q, Cos June 17S2. 39'O2
Or an average Of not quite 10000 men for
sach OF the years named On the other
Sano: nave never seen the number of
Spanish troops In Cuba stated at less than
-HooOO, to say nothing Of the fifteen or
twenty thousand Spanish-Cuban volunteers
or militia To onproperly appreciate, therer
Iore. the enormous disparity between the
number OF troops sent by Great Britain to
subjugate America and the number sent by
Spain to conquer the Cuban patriots we
should contrast the figures as follows:
SSuDah patriot population. 1000, 600
Spahlsh troops. ........................ 2O9,OOU
american patriot population. .... 300, 900
brush troops. ........................ 10000
But historfans have everywhere conceded
MAJ Watpout the assistance Of Franco the
american patriots would have failed. in
tnelr struggle for independence What.
then, would have been the outcome had
Great. Britain sent against her colonies in
teoeihoh io ooo,U0 troops? This would have
Ceen the number our forefathers would
nave mad to contend against and that too
WHhout the aid Of France, If we contra st
me situation in Cuba today with that of
ti .ne american colonies during the srevolu-
ioh."attT is,' moreover to be rememberee.
mat the British troops were armed with
nlntioch muskets, I'll which respect they
we're IN no way superior to our own people.
NA1S 0eiSA MANU-, the spanish infantry of
today are armed with the hest nnJarn ~,
rapid-hre IsI breaeh-loading guns, to oppose
S,lc Mnich twenty-five per cent of the Cubans
nave nave nothing better than the machete.
Inat these men, insignificant in numbers
pSorly tsa armed, bare-footed and ragged, are
aoie s.p. unoer such adverse circumstances to
put up fight" and maintain II for two
years against such unprecedented odds is
.., oiie oi tne marvels of patriotic effort. For
se.tihg the aid we received from France in
the achievement of our own independenna
and without which we could not have
acnleved 1t, we are fond of pointing with
pride to our revolutionary struggle. How
much more, then. may the lberty-lovinp
wMorld M point to the Cuban patriots and ex-
clalm Here indeed are heroesp Are we
worthy OF our Inheritance so long as we
re1ase to extend the like helping hand to
Cuba that France did to our ancestors?
'The truly brave
When they behold the brave opnressed With
odds oo'eN "i'n
Are touched with desire to shield and
save" "
FRANKLIN H MACKEv