The Red Cloud chief., 1896-12-11

sui ktIiN III IVdii 1T WIN oNtl at ltdNl
of the inland country. II the de-
OF Spain to put down the insur-
seems but to strengthen with the
of time. and is evidenced by her nm
hcsitating devotion of largely increased
military and naval forces to the task there
Is much reason To believe that the insur-
gents have gained in point Of numbers and
and resources. and arc none the
less infcxible in their resolve not to succumb
without practically securing the great pro-
tccto for which they took up arms. IT Spain
has not vet re-establishcd her a%uthurity.
neither have the insurgents yet made go>d
their title to he regarded as an Independent
state. Indeed, as the contest has gone on,
tho prctcnsc that civil government exists on
tho island. except so far as Spain ~ able to
maintain IL, has been practically abandoned
Spain does keep on foot such Il govern
incnt, more or less impcricctly, In the large
towns and their immediate suburbs. hut,
that exception being made, the entire Coun-
try Is either given over to anarchy or Is
subject to the military occupation of one or
the other party. 1t is reported, indeed. on
reliable authority that, at the demand OF
the Conmander-in-Chicf of the insurgcnt
army, the putativc Cuban government has
now given up all attempt to exercise Its
functions. leaving that government confess
sedly what there Is the best reason for sup
posing II always to have been In facO a gov
eminent merely on paper.
Were tho spanish armies able TO meet
their antagonists In the open. or in pitched
battle, prompt and decisive results might he
looked for, and the immense superiority OF
the Spanish forces In numbers discipline
and equipment. could hardly fail to tell
greatly To- their advantage But they are
called upon to fac. a toe that Shuns general
engagements. that can choose and does
choose It's own ground, that from the nature
of the country Is visible or invisible at
pleasure, and mat fights only from am
buScadc and when all the advantages of po-
sition and numbers are on its side. In "A
country where all that tx Indispensable to
life In the way of food, clothing and shelter
IL so easily obtainablc especially by those
born and bred on the soil, II IL obvious that
there Is hardly a limit to the time during
which hostilitics of this sort may be pro-
longed. Meanwhile as In all cases of pro-
tractcd civil strife, the passions of the COM
batants grow more and more infiamed and
excuses on both sides are more frequent
and more dcplorablc.
They also are participated In by bands of
~maraudcrs, VINO. now In the name OF one
party and now In the name OF the other, as
iliy best suit the occasion, harass the Coun-
try at will aud plumber its wrctchcd inhab-
itlntS tor their own advantage. such Il
condition of things would inevitably entail
I'm mcnsc destruction of property even II II
were the policy of both parties to prevent 1t
AN lar as pIdttltdDlc. nut "Ullt sutn
seemed tn he the original policy of the Span
ish government, 1t has now apparently
abandoned II, and Is acting upon the same
theory as the insurgents, namely that the
cxigcnCics of the contest require the whole
sale humiliation of property, that. IL may
not prove of use and advantage to the enc
my. 1t Is To the same end that In pursuance
of general orders. Spanish garrisons are
now being withdrawn from plantations and
the rural population required To- concentrate
itself Ia the towns.
The sure result would seem to he that the
industrial value OF the island is fast dimin-
ishing and that unless there is Il speedy ard
radical change In existing conditions, 1t will
soon disappear altogether. That value con-
sistS very largely, OF course, In its capacity
to produce sugars capacity already much
reduced by interruptions to tilllcc which
have taken place during the last two years.
II II reliably asserted that Should these in-
tcrruptionS continue during tho current
year, ami practically extend. Is il now
threatened, To- the entire sugar producing
territory OF the Island. 50 much time ana so
much money will be required to restore the
land 10 its normal produCtiycncSS that II Is
extremely doubtful II capital can be induced
70 even make the attempt
The spectacle of the utter ruin Of an ad-
Joining country by nature, one of the most
fertile and charming Oh the gioDc, would
engage the serious attention OF the govern
mcnt ana people of the United states under
any circumstances In point of fact, they
have a concern with IL which j. by no means
of a wholly sentimental or philanthropic
character. II lies so near to US aS L. he
hardly separated from our country. our
actual ~pccuniary interest IN it Is second
only To that of the peopl" and government
of Spain. II Is reasonably estimated that
at least from $50, 1000, OOo TO !ju.Ouu,up oi
capital Is invested i'm plantations, in rail-
road, mining aud other business enter
prises on the island. The volume of trade
between the United states aud cuba, which
I'm 1889 amounted To about sGi,o 600 uoo rose
in 1893 To about tlG3. OOOuOO and IN 1894
the year before present iuSUrrcCiion broke
out. amounted to nearly 500 100000, BE.
sides this large pcCuniarv interest staked In
the fortunes of cuba. the United States ind
Itself incXtriCahly involved In the present
contest in other ways both ycXatiouS ant
costly.
MANY Cuhans reside I'm his country. and
indirectly promote the in>urreCtou through
the press by public meetings, BY the pur'
chase and shipment OF arms, by the raising
of funds, ana hy other means which tn,
spirit al ouv inrtitutions and the tenor %
our laws do not permit to he made the sub
tect of criminal prosecution Some OF them
though Cubaus at heart and in all their feel
ings and Interests, nave taken out papers "A
naturaliZcd citizens of the United states, ;
IA'AN'Alik liNbl Afh W VIZ ~ Ni'N ~ lhN
sible protection hy this government. an,
not unratural!y regarded with much indig
nation by the country OF their origin. Thl
insurgents are undoubtedly encouraged an,
supported by the widespread sympdthy q
the people OF this country always instinct
lively felt tor every struggle Tor better an,
frecr government, ana which in the case q
tho more adventurous and restless element
of our population, leads in only too man.
Instances to active and personal partiCipa
ton in the contest.
The result Is that this government is con
stantly called pom to project American cit
liens, Ia claim damages for injuries to per
sons and property, now estimated at man
millions of dollars and To ask explanation
and apologies for the acts OF spanish on
Gals whose zeal Tor the repression of rebel
lion ntimcn blinds them 20 the immuu
tiles belonging to the unOtfending citizen
of a friendly power.
II follows from the same causes that tn
United states Is compelled 10 actively polio
a long line of SEA coast against unlawful eN
petitions, the escape OF which the utmo'
vigilance will not ALWAYS sumCc to proven
These inevitable entanelemcnts OF IN
United states with the rebellion in cub,
, the large American property interests a
iectcd and considerations of philanthroI
a,l I,,n,nHtt, IA, a.pa..l huNr. ll 30 d. a..