Arizona silver belt., 1896-09-03
CUBAN RESURRECTION.
Struggle of the People for Liber-
 ty and Independence.
Many Attempts Made During the Last Century to Secure Selt-Government Have All Resulted In
 Failure.


 Our knowledge of the facts of the in surrcction now in progress in Cuba is far from satisfactory. While one can hardly pick up daily newspaper with out finding some dispatch concerning the struggle, it is impossible to deter L,inc how far the published statements have been colored by the authorities, Spanish or Cuban, by whom they have been prepared.
 The silent facts of which we may be sure are that the insurrection has been in progress for n number of months, and has extended over large part ot the interior of the island; that Spain has sent over her ablest general, with tens of thousands of soldiers, to crush it; that the insurgents, far from yield ing, have adopted the constitution of a republic. and chosen a president and otber officers.
 When we remember that a previous effort to achieve the independence of the island resulted in war of 12 years length, filled with atrocities hardly par. allelcd even in similar conflicts, the i'm mediate outlook is not inviting to the lover of peace.
 The history of Cuba in this century is little more than dreary record of un- successful attempts aeliberty. Atfirst the attempts were peaceful. The con stitLtion of Spain in 1872, as a result of the Napt tleonic wars, guaranteed cer- tain representation to the Cubans. Through the successive defeats of the liberal party in Spain, this provision Was never enforced; and when, in 1886, Queen Isabella finally accepted the con stiIution, the cortes voted by an over whelming majority that Cuba should enjoy none of the privileges which it eN- tended 10 the Spaniards themselves.
 Since then, to most Cubans, liberty and independence have meant the same thing. The rule of the governors gen eral has been absolute to degree which 1t is hard for an American to realize. It is true that small party has con tinued 10 hope that some measure of out separation from the mother coun. try. But the concessions by which the iong insurrection of 1S6S-1SS0 was brought to a close proved of no practical value. The grasp of Spain on the col ony planted nearly 100 years before the settlement of our own Jamestown has remained firm while both the northern and southern continents of America have been freed from European control.
 Whatever ones views as to the right or wrong of the present uprising, its general similarity to the struggle that resulted Tn our own independence can not be denied. In the matter of griev- anccs, in fact, most of us will be in clined to think that the Cubans hay" even greater right to complain than did the British colonists in 1776. The char. acter of their warfare, with its numer. ous small engagements and its slow progress. is also not unlike the earlier campaigns of tlIe revolution.
 Now, as then, the sea power is almost entirely in the hands of the mother country, and consequently the insur- gents arc mainly confined to the inte rior. The advantage of q disciplined sol diery is on the same side. The climate of the island is, however, help to the insurgents such as our fathers did not possess: for we sec it constantly as. serted :hat the yellow fever is proving far more fatal to the troops from Spain than all the bullets of the rebels.
 This similarity otthe Cuban struggle 10 the revolution, the ncarness of the island to our shores, and the intimacy of its commercial relations with this counry have made the Cuban question q matter of practical political impor. tance with us. That the sympathies of most Americans are with the party of independence is evident to everyone. IL is further asked, however. whether this sympathy may not properly be eX pressed by some act of our government. The contention that the United States should at least recognize the belligerent rights of the insurgents draws q certain strength from the fact that Spain ac- corded such recognition to the south crn confcderacy within 40 days after the firing on Sumter. But we should net repeat, in retaliation, what we then regarded as most unjust and unfriend- ly act.
 Some competent judges are of the opinion that the according of helligcr- ent rights to the Cubans by first-class power would turn the scale in their favor. It seems certain that the Gu bans themselves are looking to us from their mountains with some expectation of encouragement if not of active help. -YOuth's Comnanion