The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1897-12-30
ACT WAS UNSUITABLE
Colonel Ruiz a Victim of His
Own Rashness.
DETAILS OF THE EXECUTION
Insurgents Were Forced to Kill Him
to Maintain the Integrity
of Their Laws.

New York, Dec. 24-T. Estrada
Palma, of the Cuban junta. made the
following statement last night:
"The death of Colonel Ruiz did not
occur as the Spanish have put it, while
he was negotiating as peace messen-
ger under flag of truce. Again and
again have the Cubans promulgated q
law that all who came to them with
peace propositions not based on the in.
dependence of Cuba, should be treated
as spies and be dealt with accordingly.
Colonel Ruiz knew of the existence OF
the law, and according to the Spanish
accounts was personally warned as to
his fate.
General Blanco and Secretary Gen
eral CongOstO, too, were we'll aware OF
the existence of the decree. Neverthe.
less, these latter took advantage of the
| unfortunate Quixotism of Colonel Ruiz
and sent him to the Cuban lines. The
blood of Colonel Ruiz is not on the
hands of the Cubans, but upon the
heads of Blanco and Congosto, who
sent him to his fate. If the penalty OF
the law had not been carried into
effect, doubtless Spain would have
taken advantage of the fact to show
that the Cubans were not in earnest in
their rejection of autonomy absolutely
but were willing to listen to arguments.
This decree was not promulgated
because Cubans are afraid of disaffec-
ton in their ranks, but because it is
known that innumerable commission
ers would otherwise be sent, and on
their return make false statements, en-
couraging the belief that peace might
be established On basis other than in
dependence. Such statements would
only serve the interests of Spain in
gaining time with the resulting death
of thousands, owing to the useless pro-
longation of the war.
Besides, the Cubans are advised
that the Spanish are seeking to enter
the insurgent lines with the purpose OF
assassinating the more important lead
ers. Documentary proof of this fact is
in our hands and we are the more eau
tious when we remember that in 1878
General Blanco authorized General
Polavieja, in Santiago de Cuba. to ex-
ecute as many unarmed Cubans as the
latter thought necessary as an example.
1t is somewhat remarkable that
with the first news of the death OF Ruiz
came the announcement of the killing
of over 40 insurgents found in hos
pital, and not voice was raised to pro-
test thereat. The shooting OF Cuban
prisoners by the score passes almost
without comment; the thousands OF
wounded Cubans slain in hospitals at
tract but little notice. According to
all the laws of civilized warfare, the
Cubans, from the beginning, had the
right to retaliate in kind, but they
never have done so. On the contrary,
all prisoners taken by them were set
at liberty and the wounded attended to.
"We are denied by the entire world
status as belligerents, and might there
fore claim that we have no obligations
to conduct the war as belligerents, but
we do not intend to take this stand.
The conditions obtaining in Cuba and
the character of the Spanish, demand.
however, that we take the necessary
measures to speedily terminate the war
by convincing the world that independ
ence alone can satisfy us. We accord
ingly issue decree and solemnly warn
the Spaniards of its enactment. If, de-
spite this warning, they persuade a
man to be rash enough to come to us to
treat on the basis of autonomy, we
must either acknowledge that our laws
are made only to be broken, or be COM
PEELED by painful duty to carry them
OUT