The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-05-06
Can't be Bullied or CaJoled.

Our friends in Cuba are wise in declin-
! ing to accept Spanish promises of reform
as q basis upon which they can lay down
! their arms and make submission to Cap
tain General Weyler. They have had
| these promises before, and Martinez de
| Campos, who arranged the %paci1cation of
Cubs in 1878. has more than once re-
preached the Spanish government for it's
treacherous duplicity. Marshal Prim,
Marshal Serrano, Emilio CASTELAR,, the
highest Spanish authorities, have at diff
ferent times within the past 80 years
acknowledged that the Cubans we're just
lied in their aspirations for ~self-govern-
naent, and that in every instance in which
they laid down their arms on the strength
of Spanish promises of relief they have
been BETRAYED and scorned. The insur-
gents have absolutely no warrant for e1-
pecting good faith or even mercy from
Spain, They would be fools to ignore
the teachings of their terrible and tragic
experience.
We are all familiar with the causes that
| led to the revolt now in progress. They
are the same causes which have provoked
similar revolts at various times since 1865.
It was during the great ten years. strug-
gle. beginning in 1867, that Marshal Prim
said: -
1T do not hatter myself that Spain will
retain possession of the island. I con-
slider that the period of colonial autonomy
has virtually arrived. However the
present contest may end, whether in the
suppression of the instruction, or in the
better way of an amicable arrangement
through the assistance of the United
States, it is equally as clear to me- that the
time has come for Cuba to govern her.
| self; and if We succeed In putting down
the instruction tomorrow, I shall regard
| the subject in the same light, that the
| child has attained it's majority and should
be allowed to direct its " affairs. We
want nothing more than to get out OF
| Cuba, but it must be done in 8 digniied
| and honorable manner"
The pacifcation by Campos was COZ
sumrnated six or seven years later, but
the Spanish promises upon which that
pacifcation was accepted by the Cubans
were never fulfilled. Our consul general
at Habana said in his report-1SS5-to the
State department.:
"There is a system of oppression and
torture which enters into every phase OF
life, eats into the soul of every Cuban,
mortlies, Injuries and insults him every
hour, impoverishes him and his family
from day to day, threatens the rich man
with bankruptcy and the poor man with
beggary. The e1actions Of the Spanish
government and the illegal outrages oil
its officers are in fact intolerable. They
have reduced the island to dependency
and ruin. o " y The government al
Madrid is directly %answerable for the
misery of Cuba and for the rapacity auo
venality of its subordinates. . . = No
we'll Uniformed Spaniard imegines thai
Cuba will long continue to submit to this
tyranny, or at least that she will long be
able to yield this harvest to her oppre5'
sDrs. Spain cares nothing whatever fol
the interests, the prosperity or the suffer
ings of her colony. The government
does almost nothing to ameliorate any o
the evils of the country. The police are
everywhere insufficient and inefficient
The roads are no roads at all. Every in
tarest which might enrich and improve
the island is looked upon by the oficiali
all one more mine to exploit. .
Cuba is held solely for the benefit O
Spain and Spanish interests, for the SAKE
OF Spanish adventures. Against this al
rebel in thought and feeling ii not yet il
fact and deed. = = . They wish pro
lection from the grasping rapacity o
Spain and see no way to attain 1t e1cep
by our aid.'
And this only a few years after tn
Cubans had made submission, believing
in Spain's pledges of fair treatment
NeD York Sun.