The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1897-08-25
A ROMANCE OF CUBA.
CAVALRY LEADER AVENGES THE
WRONGS OF ANCESTORS.
One Of the Few Descendants Of the
Aboriginal Race of Indians Who
Inhabited the Island When
Columbus DiScOY-
cred It..

Tie maine of the revolutionary leader
Gen, Jesus Rabi, is mentioned often in
the dispatches from Cuba. AS command
erin chief of the Cuban cavalry forces
in the east he has won renown, not only
by his deeds of daring and his skill as a
strategist but ais by his chivalrous spir-
1t and his devotion to the cause of liber-
ty.
The interest in his career is increased
by clTcustanCe made known through a
Cuban letter to the Sun that he is one of
the few living descendants of the abo-
Tiginal race OF Indians who inhabited
the island VIXEN Columbus discovered it
in 1902 and nearly all Of whom were
slain or enslaved by the Spanish CON
queTOrS. 1t is against the offspring of
the race who destroyed his own ances-
tors that Gen. Rabi now wages war with
all the energy of his nature. Four hun
dred years after his people were crushed
by Spain he appears on the BATTLEFIELD as
SPANS defiant enemy.
The Aboriginal race that inhabited Gu
ba in the fifteenth century, when it was
invaded by Spain, were known as CIbOn-
eyes, and they numbered perhaps 100000.
which then dwelt upon the other islands
IN the Caribbean sea, and that have al
ways been spoken of as Indians. The
Clooneyes were singularly docile in their
character, and they received the Span
lards IN a friendly manner, but their gen
tie traits did not save them from ruin.
In a few years they suffered the doom
that awaited the natives OF most of the
~ a 1nIip l !
Spain. The story is a familiar one, The
Spaniards overran the island, mastered
thousands of its unfortunate inhabitants
under circumstances of extreme cruelty.
burned their proud chief at the stake
e reduCed to involuntary servitude
: lose who were left alive, assigning to
each Spaniard a gang of Ciboneyes num-
boring about 300 The treatment to
which the slaves were subjected by their
masters was so harsh that nearly all of
them were dead within twenty or thirty
years. 1t is black chapter in the his
tory of Spain.
A few of the people took refuge in the
mountainous regions of the east, and
small number of their posteritv NAV be
found there at this day. They are Of
hight copper color and they intermarry.
as'do the Jews, so that their blood is
Kept distinct from that of the other in
habitants of Cuba.
1t is to this almost extinct race of
mankind, the race of the ancient CiboD-
eyes, that Gen. Rabi belongs, though he
Is less noted for his docility than for
some other traits. In recent times he
has done his part in causing Spain to
Sutfer for the wrongs that Spain inflicted
upon his ancestors four centuries ago
lie is as bitter in his hatred OF the Spar
ISL tyrant as he is .proud.of his descent
from the aboriginal CibOneyes.
1t was in his youth, nearly thirty years
ago, that this heroic man first took up
arms against Spain. He participated in
the ten-year war, after which he waited
Tor his next opportunity; it came IN the
second month of 1895. His military rec
ord since then has been a brilliant one.
and has manifested the finest Qualities
OF mind that S inspired by the lov9 of
liberty and justice. He is a man of
broad thought, and he converses about
pubic affairs like a statesman. Under
his command there are five battalions
OF cavalry, besides a small force of in
fantry,
There has been report that Gen. Rabi
would take part In the projected cam
palgn against Havana. If he should do
So, and if it sh> uld be his fortune to en-
ter the capital bearing the flag of free
CUBA, the story of the romance of the
hero of the modern Ciboneyes would be
rounded off TO the dishOnOr of Diego We
lasquez of the year 1911 and to that of
Naleriano Weyler of the year 1897
New York Sun.