The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-16
But VIII Not BE Permitted to Desert
in the Spanish Cabinet.
CUBANS GAINING STRENGTH
WHILE THE ARMY OF 100000 FROM
SPAIN is ALMOST A WRECK.
The Soldiers Not Paid, and Many Dy-
ing of Disease and Bad Food
General WeyIer's Career.

Herald from Havana, Cuba, via Key West.
| Fla, says: Captain General Weyler's sum-
mer campaign came to an inglorious end
last Wednesday, when he returned TO the
city with rebels firing on his rear guard all
the way from Aguacale to Havana. The
captain general made a public entry into
the capital but his reception was chilly.
| General Weyler cabed his resignation to
Madrid on Thursday. Last night L saw
copy of the reply he received. He was told
to remain in Cuba so long as the present
Ministry holds power. The suspense here
| is intense but excitement appears on
the surface. General Weyler refuses to
discuss the situation with any one.
The captain general who succeeds Gen
| eral Weyler will have hard task. The
splendid force of 100000 men Spain placed
in General Weyler's hands is if the truth
be told, now only a tattered remnant. a
tropical has proved more destructive
than bullets. With the exception of the
fortunate ones stationed in and about Ha-
vana Spanish soldiers are in a bad way.
They have not received their pay for
months, they are weak from illness and
poor feeding, they are badly clothed and
but exhausted, and trades people will only
| furnish supplies under actual force. In
| short. the Spanish army in Cuba is not in
| ciined and not in position to take the Of
fensiVe'
Recent reverses and complications that
have arisen in the home government since
the assassination of Senior CanoVas del Cas-
tillo have undoubtedly brought about the
resignation of Weyler, who was appointed
Jan. 10, 1896, two days after the Spanish
Cabinet had recalled Captain General Cam
pos.
Senior Don Valeriano Weyler Nicolau
is, and for a long time has been, one of the
most conspicuous figures in Spanish mill
tary history. His life has been one of great
military triumphs until he attempted the
paciication of Cuba, eighteen months ago,
| since when failure has been his fate. Step
| by step Weyler has climbed the ladder of
rank, beginning as boyish captain, reach
| ing the position of commanders chief,
and wearing a coat that bears upon it every
cross and every badge of military honor
| known in Spain, save those reserved fOrroy
atty. With all this which has been brought
about by career that has met the appro-
val of those above him in rank, he has, by
reason of his methods, and through a mer-
CHESS determination that has brought most
sanguinary results. been called the butch
err. His methods have been Spanish, and
are consistent with Spanish history.
Born in Palma de MallOrca, Sept z, 1889,
he entered the Collegio de Infanteria of
! Toledo at an early age, and was soon
recognized as boy of promise. In fact he
| was brilliant, outstrfpping the other men,
bers of his class and graduating at its
head. No sooner was he out of school than
| he made captain and sent to Cuba.
| Cuba has been the crucial point in Weyler'S
| fortunes First he was there as a boyish
| captain in the late fifties, then in 1859,
4 when he offers to lay down the command.
Captain Weylers conduct in Cuba on his
| first visit met with approval. and he was
| sent to San Domingo to suppress the reYo-
! luton there, where he was credited with
deeds of great valor. He made one famous
march in that revolution, with little force
of 30 men and six horses, that remains
to the credit of his bravery and determine
ton in the annals of the Spanish West In
dies. After the completion of that march
he was known as one of the best officers
in the Spanish possessions.
Then soon followed the attempt of Cuba
to establish a republic, and Count Nalma
soda, the commanding general, sent Weyler
there to suppress the insurgents, assigning
him to the eastern province of Santiago.
| where the rebels were we'll lntrenched and
most determined and where the nature of
tn country and spirit of tn people required
a fearless soldier and a cool commander
| Then followed the terrible, sanguinary con
fict that added to Weylers laurels in Ma
drid and brought to him the title of
Weyler distinguished himself in the sup
preston of that rebellion He was aggres-
| sive and relentless. Unmarked graves, un-
| buried dead, fire, famine and destruction
marked his path Through his H3,i methods h, he
! uuieted down and smoldered, only to break
| forth again after little rest.
| 1t was at the age of thirtynine that
| general and appointed a captain genral in
| the Canary islands. His record in the
Spanish peninsula during the Carlist war
shed honor upon SPANS military history.
| On account of his fostering the public in
| situations of Santa Cruz de Teneriffe and
building its military hospital and other
| public edifices, he was proclaimed the
| adopted son of Teneriffe.
| SUCCESSFUL IN THE PHILIPPINES.
| His success as civil functionary as well
as military commander caused him to be
sent as captain general to the Philippine
islands. AT the Philippines, in the suppress
sion of the insurrection, he continued the
methods he had successfully used in Cuba
and with like result, his success meeting
the highest hopes of the Cortes
This in 1885, and after his return to
! Spain he held the highest military posi-.
| lions in Barcelona and Catalonia. In com
mand of one of the divisions of the Spanish
army at home. he enjoyed peace and quiet.
resting on his laurels, yet growing daily
more in favor with the Cortes.
Then came the present Cuban rebellion
| the stirring, startling and sanguinary
| events of which, told each day, are fresh
| in the minds of all. Campos was found
! inadequate in coping with the insurgents,
and the rebel-suppressing Weyler was
| looked to-. He was appointed commander
! ln-chief of the island and took up his head
| quarters in Havana, with the firm promise
| of pacifying the island and restoring peace
] within few months
| Il will be merciless but just" said the
| captain general. He found that the insur-
| rection had spread until the whole of Cuba
was involved, and instead of disorganized
| bands in the mountains he had opposed to
! him fairly well organized army. To cone
with this army he had 200 600 regulars and
| volunteers, with forty-SX men-of-war and
! gunboats to patrol the coast and guard the
! harbOrS.
When asked as to his policy toward
| Americans, General Weyler, on his arrival
| in Havana, said: Toward all peaceful
| Americans. as toward all foreigners on the
| island. / shall show every possible consid-
GRAFTON as long as they remain on the side
| of law and order.
| Then with an iron hand and with the
| promised mercilessness, General Weyler
| started to crush the rebellion. He built
trochas, he made attacks, he burned and
| otherwise destroyed provisions he tried to
! starVe and in cases succeeded. He planned
| campaigns while i'm Havana and took the
| field in person. Through most of the
months in which the fighting has contin-
ued there have been victories in the dis
! patches and there have been defeats in the
! field.
Death has been on all sdes-in the open
| ground of battle, hidden ambush. the burn
| ing building. the feVer-infested swamp. the
| disease breading camp and the hospitals
| yet the rebellion remains living. active.
| aggressive force, and after a year and a
! half of lighting Captain General Weyier
| now resigns. leaving his unaccompiished
task for another to take up.
| stormy Outlook i'm Spain.