The sun., 1897-05-06
Tho Cnquailing Patriots OF Cuba.

1t is not any disadvantage to the Cuban
! revolution that Gen. WELLER 90 often re-
peats the statement that 1t has been sup
pressed. These statements do not help the
cause of Spain or injure that of Cuba. They
do not relieve the Spanish troops from fight
ing, and do not prevent the insurgents from
attacking them daily. They do not give
peace to Spain or dispirit her gallant enemy,
do not strengthen the authority Of Spain or
weaken the purpose Of Cuba, do not restore
to Spain any of her lost provinces or
affect the conduct Of the revolution in any
of them. They do not frighten Gen. GOMEZ
in the least; they can be Of only temporary
service to Gen. WEYLER. They may help
him for a time in Spain, may serve as a
means Of enabling Spain to raise another
loan, and may afford encouragement to the
enemies of Cuban freedom in the Congress
of the United States. But we do not see
how they can be of use in any other way to
the Spanish cause.
For the statements are manifestly false.
They are contradicted by daily occurrences
in Cuba, by the movements Of both of the
belligerents, by the many engagements that
have taken place since they were made, by
ents in Cuba, and by the official reports of
subordinate Spanish commanders in the
field. After every occasion upon which
WEYLER has promulgated the statement
that the revolution was suppressed, we
have heard the clash of arms in battle,
skirmish, or siege, in one or another of the
provinces Of the island. The news has
come to US oftener from the Spaniards than
from the Cubans, the Spaniards always
boasting of victory, the Cubans hardly ever
knowing Of their discontinue. A week
ago we made a summary of the warlike
operations that had been reported from
Havana during the previous week, right
after WEYLER had furnished statement
about the suppression of the rebellion. For
the week that has passed since then, we
could give another and larger summary Of
further operations by the insurgents; and
yet, near the close of the week, WEYLER
sent to Spain another of his statements
about the termination of the war. Who
shall account for the irrationality or the
blatancy of this unteachable Spaniardl His
falsehoods are Of no advantage to Spain,
and they are of no disadvantage to the
Cuban revolution.
W. tAoy ooyt oioo, eAot lAC
Of DEGREES for Spanish reform are Of no dis
advantage to the revolution. They are of no
consequence to Cuba. The Cubans took up
arms in the year 1895, very soon after
Spain had offered to provide them with
such reforms as she thought they ought to
be satisfied with. They are In the third
year of the war against her, though Premier
CASovAs has constantly sung the old song
of charlatanry. The Cubans are at this
time as firm in their refusal to listen to it
as they have been all along since the first
day Of their revolt They do not want
Spanish reform, and do not believe in 1t i;
they know that it is fraudulent as soon as
they look at the terms of 1t, and they have
not forgotten the experience they had with
1t about twenty years ago, or overlooked
that which Porto Rico is having with it at
this time. 1t is not for Spanish reform that
thousands Of Cubans have laid down their
lives; it is for liberty that they wage war,
and it is this that they are determined to
gain, not less determined than were the |
long enduring Americans in the days of
WASHINGTON.
The Queen Regent of Spain has issued |
her decree for the empty reforms in certain |
pdICo VI Supd. III thc Soulluks IuOutu6 we |
shall see both the effect of it and the re-
suits of it. II the revolution is strength !
ened by it. we shall not be surprised; but we |
do not believe it will be of any disadvan-
tage to the Cuban cause.
Let WEYLER tell Spain that he has been |
successful, when all the evidence signifies |
his failure let CANovAs tell Cuba of re-
forms, when the deceptiveness of them is |
stamped on their face. We believe that nei.
ther of these men will ever be able TO be-
guile Cuba. We believe that the Cubans
will keep up the fight against Spanish des-
potism until the independence Of their
country shall be established.
The mendacity of WEYLER and the du-
plicity of CANovAs will very surely be dis.
to Spain rather than to the |
Cuban revolution.