The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-12-24
his many wounds, and Marcos has al
ways been q fervid Cuban patriot.


general who was killed a few months
ago At tho battle OF Iona del Indio.
lte was tho last brother OF Antonio
ao]o to follow him in tho present war
against Spain. His courage was upsur-
passed even by Antonio, and when be
iell, struck by bullet in the head,
ho lived for some hours aud cursed
WIN MS last breath the Spanish dOmi-
nation.
| Antonio MaccO first took tho field in
1868, ~ few days after tho uprising of
Tara. Hc wns y poor carman, without
any education, unablo to read or to
write his own name. He joined tho
forces OF the insurgcnt, Gen. Donate
| MGrmol. but soon nftvr employing him
rs q soldier Marmol discovered the ap-
titudo OF Macco's leadership. In tho
first engagements Of Marmol with the
Spaniards, Maceo distinguished him
self by his extraordinary courage and
after Il cavalry attack that made him
! famous among the Cubanss he was ap-
poiutcd chief Of Il small band of pa
tri0ts. lie was soon advanced to the
rank of brigadicr general and soon
after to major general, tho highest
rank in the Cuban army. From that
day he WAS the terror OF the Spanish
troops In HolSuin, in Florida, in pro-
vince OF Santiago de Cuba, and in many
| oOuCI p'ttIcS IouGCu OllS hDlCSU ODdu-
ish commanders.
After ten years of war the Cubans
agreed to the treaty of Sapjon
Martinez Campoa, after many inter
views with tho Cuban leaders and the
provisional government of the republic
won GomeZs consent to the treaty Of
peace. The only man who refused to
sign was Antonio Maceo. On Febru-
ary Is, 1878, Gomez had an interview
with him at the Asiento de Pilots in
which he explained the nee rssity Of q
peace lul arrangements with the govern
mont OF Spain. The revolution was
feeble and without resources. The
Spanish forces, under command OF
Campos, outnumbereG the Cubans
eighty to one. Help from abroad was
II driusion. The revolutionary Junta
Of New York had disappeared and the
| st important expedition received was
ne brought by the Virginius before
her capture by the Sraniards, aud that
!" rs years before. Intervention by the
iitcd States was no longer hoped
frr. Was it best to resist longer?
C.uld the Co bans hope to free their
country
Cen. MaXimo Gomez himself, in his
p&mphlrt describing the last years of
tic Cuban revolution, printed in Kings
| tea in 1913, relates the dignilied answer
| \! iccO gave MIN. Without DISCUSSING
the reasons why surrender would be
| polite he only said:
Il 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
think the concessions mado BY the
Spaniards arc not sufficient to satisfy
the Cubans, and even if they were
! worth while, our honor cOmucls us to
achieve the Independence OF the island
or die
Martinez Campos, in q letter ad-
dressed to the prime minister Of Spain,
| Canovas del Castillo, dated 1T Santiago
d" Cuba, March Is, 1878, SAID about
MHcco:
He is tho great obstacle to peace,
| nOtwithstanUin the good wishes of the
Cuban assembly Of representatives and
the Cuban government. In Santiago
De CUBA, where he rules, it is impossi-
bic to bavc any understanding with
| the enemy. MaccO, who was Il carmau
and is now q general, is a man of great
courage and prestige, and under
| rough appearance cOnccals great talent.
| tie had an interview with me, and
can say that he will pcvcr surrender
until he ininfe it best for his cause"
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 ior
| Kingston in Jane. 1873, on the steamer
| Fernando cl Catolico. In the same
month he came to New York and after.
ward went to Honduras, where tho
president, Marco Aurelo Soto. Il great
| T,iN 4 r. l. 1,,l>.
crpOr OF Puerto Cortez After SUtos
fall he returned to Cuba and WAS de-
ported to Spain by General 5lanco
LAtcr, when he returned to Cuba again
under the. govcrnmcr Of Polaricja,
| he was expelled for d third time.
| Macco was living in Costa Rca when
Marti prepared the present revolution.
One night several Spaniards tried to
Kill him at the door Of a thcatcr, know
| ing that he was in correspondence with
Marti. lie was slightly wounded, but
Killed one Of his assailants.
In March, 1895, he landed in Cuba
with his brother, Jose, and several
others near Baracoa. He was sur
rounded by far superior number of
SpanlardS, and only escaped by his |
reckless courage. Since September Is |
| last year, when he was proclaimed lieu |
tenant general Of the Cuban army by |
the assembly OF representatives held at
lmaguayr, is. career has been well |
known to American readers. peralcjo,
where be routed CampCs, Sac del
Indio, Calimctc, Nal k'Icmp0 and Ca
cara icara, arc the names Of his great
battles. His wonderful march to the
wet and lis two invasions Of tho prov
incc Cf Pinar dol Rio deserve tho COM
pllmcntS which appear in the last rL
port OF Secretary Olncy and President
Cleveland. His stand against Weycr
has won the admiration Of the world
and if the last news is conlirmcd his
return TO the cast OF the western irocha
is really wonderful.
Has Maceo been killed rs the Suan-
iarus say? Though Il Spanish mill
tary writer, Col. Camps calls Mucco
"a man whom bullets cannot kill"
nothing is more likely than that he
should perish in battle, for lie never
shunncd danger. But rs he is such
form idablc foe Of Spain, the Cubans
still hope that the report Of his death
is a "Spanish fake" invented for the
purpose Of impress sing the American