The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-10-23
PAGES
9 to IL.
The Ten
Years War
IN Cuba,

The memory OF the great struggl,
known as the Ten Years war, in which
Cubans strove as today they are striv
/ ing Tor the freedom of their country
urges on the Islanders TO still greater
efforts. IL that be possible, i'm their ef-
forts to throw off the hated Spanish
| yoke.
The unfolding panorama of the for
/ mer insurrection. taken year by year.
gives glimpses OF both Cuban and Span-
| ish character which make the present
revolution the easier understood. The
frst three years passed with varying
fortunes. There was at the beginning
Captain General Valmaceda's order di-
recting the shooting OF men found away
from their habitations. the burning OF
nuts or the country people and the ef-
! fort To concentrate them. as General
| Weyler has since done. This order OF
Nalmaceda's was never carried out be-
cause OF the emphatic protest made by
General Grant. The early years of the
war had much more OF bandits and
brigandage than are now heard of on
| the island. There We're also appeals
from the insurgents TO the United
| states FOR recognition as beligerents.
negotiations between Washington and
| Madrid and propositions for the sale
or the island and the purchase of their
| independence by the Cubans.
Weyler was then a most indefatiga-
| bic officer, and whether he justly earned
the title of Butcher Weyler' or not.
| he was certainly serving Spain with
great ability. There are many accounts
| of conflicts between him and General
| Maximo Gomez. Maceo was also heard
OF frequently, and Calixto Garcia was
| then as now bold in attacking the
| Spanish columns. Sanguily, who was
put in prison before he could take part
i'm the present insurrection. was like
wise an active insurgent commander.
| Sanguily. 1T will be remembered, was
pardoned not long ago. his American
| citizenship being the ground for IL.
| Bitter complaints were made during
those early years of the Ten Years war
against the insurgents for burning sug-
ar plantations. while atrocities were
laid at the door of Spanish troops which
were similar to those now charged
against them. There was "pacifica-
! ton" too. on the island. 1t was along
| in 1871 that the insurrection was de-
clared to be on it's last legs The
| Spanish columns secured the country
4 and reported that the insurgents could
| not be found, and Valmaceda issued
| proclamations declaring this and tha,
| province pacified These proclamation,
were usually followed by renewed ac-
tivity on the part of the insurgents.
In November of 1871 the tragedy OF
the sacrifice of the medical students
was enacted in Havana. These sons of
the best Cuban families We're sacrificed
to the bloody wrath of the volunteers.
They We're charged with the heinous
offense OF desecrating the grave of a
| loyal Spaniard. drumhead court
martial tried them. condemned some to
| death and others to chains. The bloody
demand Of the volunteers was satisfied.
and this showed the power then pos
sessed by that organization.
The war had been going on three or
| four years before the troubles began
over the currency. 1t was in 1872 that
! the Spanish bank of Havana first put
out biletes. or scrip. by DIRECTION OF
the government. Later came other is-
sues of scrip, and the difference be-
! tween gold and the bills OF the Spanish
bank became a burning issue which
| lasted all through the war. Ultimately
| speculation i'm gold was forbidden.
! The Cuban debt began TO grow apace
/ also. 1t was late i'm 1872 that the royal
| decree for the relief of the island by
the issue OF $50, 900, 900 interest bearing
bonds was promulgated. After that
came further DEGREES income tax impo-
| sitions and other means OF taxation
/ Complaint, too was made of corruption
| in the army and of the fearful extrava
| gance or robbery. of those who were II
power.
The fall of CASTELAR, and the substis
| tuition of a reactionary cabinet undet
| Serrano word of which came FROM
| Madrid i'm January. 1874, produced no
| change in the conditions on the island
| The insurgents continued very active.
! and their success was reported west oi
| the trocha This was the trocha in the
| eastern part of the island. which ran
| from Jacuro To Moron and which is at
the present day maintained by General
! Weyler as railroad trocha or base OF
operations in trying 10 subdue the east
| ern provinces of Puerto Principe and
Santiago.
| In the spring OF this year arrived
! Captain General Concha, eel hombre do
| las botas puestas," the man with his
| boots on. Concha was intrusted with
| extraordinary powers for the purpose
of subduing the insurrection. but his
| mowers were not as great as those pos
sessed by Weyler today. The arrival
of Concha caused much discussion. The
moderate party wanted new methods
| adopted. 1t complained that the rebel
lion had maintained itself for five years
and still lived. staining the soil with
blood. covering the island with ruins
| and strewing the land with ashes. Tho
| insurgents. on their part were bitterly
denounced as partisans of the torch.
| the bullet and the machete."
When I'm January 1875. the short
lived republic Of Spain gave up its ex-
istence and Alfonso ascended the
throne. the loyallsts in Cuba welcomed
the return of monarchical government
and promised. as they had promised the
republic. TO help maintain territorial in
| tegrity. Later came the resignation or
| Cq1l ha and the appointment of VAL
| maceda. who had been I'm command on
the island during the first years OF the
insurrection. Valmaceda signalized his
resumption Of power by active opera
tions against the insurgents In the Held.
l -. ,t,.. were puually active.