The times., 1897-07-18


plague-atricken thousands in Cuba who re-
sought me while i was with nlem in
piteous accents &c go and tell my people
the story OF their unimaginable wee, and
who prayed in my presence to Our Lady of
Pity that 1 might be imbued with the
strength 10 accomplish the task which
their entreaties, as wei as my appreciation
of my duty imposed, l dedicate this made
qnate hut heartfelt description of their
sittation."
We may be permitted to remark at the
start that the inadequacy suggested by
the authors modesty is not at all IN evi-
dence, except that perhaps 1t would be inn
possible for the mind and pen OF any man
10 convey 10 the world complete under
standing of all the horrors that constantly
must have been before the eyes of Mr..
Bonsal in Cuba II is grewsome task
that he has undertaken, but il must toe
said that nobly tie has acquitted himself OF
it. Every appearance OF sensationalism
has heen carefully avoided. Nothing is
sci down III IraAce cor upoI hearsay ii
observes the strictest conservatism and
and inpartality of statement and argu-
ment from the firsttD the last page. The
work as a whole may be looked upon as
a complete brief in the case of the people
Of Cuba against the joint powers OF Spain
and Hell before the bar of American opn-
ion, humanity and Almighty God.
MIln savn a tCoK before us the temuta-
ison 10 reproduce every word of 1t al
most is irresistible: bgt ineXorable lini-
tations Ct sIace VIII permit Gs only TO
review ii Briefly, ia the Eope that every
constituent OF The Times who has not
read II heretofore viii at once procure a
copy and attain the painfGl satisfaction of
learniug the whole hideous truth from a
oorlpetent, honest and unilnpeachable eye
witness
On reaching Havana, in January Of this
year. Mfr. Eonsal says:
My first visit was instinctively 70 the
gray ana liChen-covcred cathedral II porous
coral stone, where rest Tie ashes or Inc
men who, Dy a brilliant blunder, discovered
the Americas, that Pandora's box of
troubles and Of woes Tor Spain.
The sanctuary is filled with NeIIed women,
who, snTouded in the dark mass robes,
now and again interrupt the solemn sery-
ices with SobS Lhat cannot be repreSSed.
Before the main altar, and irOwnlug down
upon the mOuTneTs, WHO, IN their despair
and utter dCSOlduOn, turn tow ard The
mercy seat, there stands cannon, and
over and above the image OF the Prince
or Peace there floats a gaudy war ban
Eer / had then been in Cuba only
Jwenty-four hours, and l could not know,
and 4 could not have believed had | been
so UOld, that the cannon THAT stands there
IA tie cathedral, barrier between the
altar and the mourning throng, and the
war banner over the cruciflX, We're the
true and most appropriate symbols or d
barbarOus, merclless and fratEclual war,
without parallel III modern history.
When Ar Bonsal was Gu the island the
war had not extended in auy way worth
mentioning TO the eastern provinces OF
Puerto Principe and Santiago de Cuba.
There tie small farmers still occupied
their homesteads ia the campo, and mostly
had escaped the horrors that afflicted. and
now stu moTc horribly affllct, their
brethren in the western provinces. in the
interior of this Cuba Librc, the Spaniards
held only the towns OF Bayamo. Jiguani
and IIoiguin. Considered Of strategic .ui-
poT.ance, they have served only to weaken
the Spanish power and TO assist the ause
OF the young republic The procession OF
conyoys constantly striving To victual and
supply these inland positions from the sea
coast have furnished the army of Gen.
CaliXto Garcia with arms, ammunition
and everything else needed on a campaign
for year past. Every week new conveys
Were sent out from MananIllo and other
coast points, and with almost equal Tegu-
ianty Were captured by the Cubans 1t viii
be remembered that within the past week
Weylcr has ordered the evacuation aud
destruction Of yamo. and probably would
destroy the Others if he had not suddenly
been called west to meet the present cam
west or the trocha or Jucaro- Moron
IN the four provinces or Santa Cara, Matan-
ZaS, Havana, and Plnar del RlO-the con-
dlilOns Obs eryable are quite different.
Tie whole country has been reduced TO
lnasS or runs ana ashes by what Gen
Neyler mas been pleased TO call due process
OF military law WITH the exception of
some twenty or tlrty 'centrales, or
sugar estates. there has not been lert
standing a single house, not even "A
-Guan0 hut In these four provinces, out
Side OF the SPANS n lines surrounding the
OccupIed towns. While these sugar est ateS
have been guarded 10y large bodies OF
regular Spanish troops and by bands OF
1rreguia1e,. /. am well within the truth when
say that not even upon these estates,
which lily the Spanish flag, which are
surrounded by yInnumerable forts and trochas
on a small scale, a single sack of sugar
has been made that has not paid the lax
imposed by the local projects OF the Cuban
Republic
pietely "pacified'' districts, which for
months Weyler had declared to be under
lis ooInpIete control and authority, yet
in which he has lost men in battle every
week. and could not exempt plantations
within his military lines from the neces-
sity OF paving tribute to the civil govern
nent OF the republic.
Close reading OF weyler's proclamation of
"reconcentraciOn" viii show that men and
women and children WHO may be found
eight days after its publication liz this
desert, which was once the garden of q
peerless island, are to be regarded S rebels
and q re treated as rebels by the officers OF
his most catholic majeSty's arInV-that
Is, they a re 10 be shot dow n in cold blood
though sometimes, as an act of pa rticular
ueInency, the women and children are sent
10 the nearest prison for prostitutes. The
proclamation authorizes this inhuman con-
duct, and the authorization is strengthened
and Sharpened by the private instructions
TO chlers OF SueTnlias and heads OF columns
10 avoid taking prisoners.
The world is curious 70 know why it is
that with 100000 troops furnished him
WeyleT has beca unable TO make any i'm
preston upon, much less to subdIe, the
revolution. Aside from the main fact Of
Weyler's dishonesty. cowardice and total
want OF military ability, Mr Bonsal points
out some excellent reasons why little
could be expected from the Spanish army
as organized for its work in Cuba Al
though England ana other nations having
armies in tropical countries have long
learned the necessity for clothing them in
flannel the Spanish army is arrayed in
linen and provided only with straw shoes.
which soak full and go to pieces after
one day in Cuban swamp. Worse than
this, il IS absolutely without any commits
kariat wnateverl If a column moves
from one OF the fortified, and hence pro.
Sisioned places, it must return within