The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-04-07

about one hundred. His camp was
surrounded, q fierce action ensued,
General Rivera was rendered helpless
by several bullet wounds, and when
the Spaniards penetrated his position
his chief of staff, Colonel Bacalloa,
was attempting to convey his disabled
commander to a place of safety. Both
were captured. General Rivera has
been tried by drum head court martial,
and condemned to be shot.
To stay the hand OF barbarism, n
to inculcate some decent regard for the
practices of war between peoples not
wholly and besottedly barbarian, inter
cession has been made for the life OF
the unfortunate commander. His case
has been made the subject of res
olutions in Congress, and entreaties to
the Queen Regent have been cabled to
Madrid. In a country in which bull
fighting is the refinement of public
pastime, an appeal to humanity may be
wasted, but considerations of public
policy, affecting 1.-THE bearing upon
public sentiment in the United States,
of the savage act of shooting a prisoner
taken in battle after he was disabled
by wounds, may lead to clemency. The
probability is, however, that not q
Spanish thumb will be raised on the
side of humanity and that Freedoms
gladiator will bite the dust at the be-
hest of the maddened spectators of the
contest in the Cuban arena unless
the United States shall interpose and
demand that the war shall be conducted
in accordance with the rules that pre-
vail between civilized nations, such
rules as this nation faithfully and hui
namely observed in the treatment OF
it's rebellious citizens taken with arms
in their hands q generation ago.
Handicapped no longer by Grover
Cleveland, Spain's late helpful ally in
her murderous career in Cuba, this
government will be false to humanity
false to every precept of Christian duty
if it does not, in some effective way
interpose to end the bloody atrocitiei
perpetrated at it's W Threshold
Fortunately, and happily for the goot
fame of the sacred cause of Freedom
the men at the head of Cuban af
fairs have steadfastly refused to retail
late for Spanish savagery by shooting
prisoners taken in battle, though the.
would find in the history of wars be
tween enlightened people precedent
to justify such a course. So the shoot
ing of Rivera car derive no defense o
justification from the acts or policy o
General Gomez in this respect; on tn
contrary, if a Spaniard's heart wer
ever actuated, in the treatment of al
enemy, by considerations of humanit
or generosity, Gomez's course towar,
his Spanish prisoners would plead sue
cessfully for Rivera's life.
1t is time the whole dreary drama 0
blood and barbaric cruelty in Cub
were ended, and it would be glor
enough for President McKinley's ad
ministration if, by a wise and courag
eous interference, it could make al
end in this western hemisphere of tn
bloody counterpart of the Armenia
and Cretan disgrace in the eastern. ]
would be an impeachment of the wis
dom, the moral and intellectual re
sources, the courage and humanity Q
American statesmen to suffer this Gu
ban contest "to drag its slow lengt
along" without an attempt-and a sue
cessful attempt-to arrest it's progress
and restore the blessings of peace, wit
the establishment of good government,
to the devastated island.