The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-10-05
THE PASSING THR0NG


my. arrived In Seattle yesterday nlornlnS
from Spokane The captain IS authoTazeo
BY the junta az New Orleans 20 promote
the cause OF the insurgents N the NORM
west, and has been engaged IN the Work
since be left the island. a. the beginning
az the rainy season. lie Is nov on ms
way back Tor the winter campaign
while / have nos been in active Held
service since early last summer. said the
snsuTgent officer last evening, I have
followed the struggle closely. depSnulnS
for information less upon the published
reports than on private advices. do not
mean TO intimate by this that the Cuban
news contained in the newspapers IS IN
reliable. but that circumstances which
one VINO has not been in the neld can
hardly understand render il necessarily in
complete.
Less than a week ago Consul McGarr.
late or Cienfuegos, n the province OF
Santa Clara. gave oUt the Information
through the Associated Press that the
backbone OF the revolution was practically
broken. This shows how easily man,
even short distance away from the actual
seat OF hoSttltieS, may be deceived. On
the heels OF Mr. McGarrs extraordinary
statement comes the news from Madrid Of
Senior Sasasts's appointment, and the re-
can or Gen. Veyler-proof positive that
Spain is beaten.
Yesterdays dispatches contained nu-
merous hints of compromise emanating
from the Spanish government Cuba is
promised autonomy and everything else
except literal independence. These prom
ises, even though they may be made in
perfect good faith. are TO be regretted.
interviews with prominent Cuban Lead
ers reveal the spirit which animates the
patriots in this struggle. They will have
absolute independence or suffer them
selves to be wiped off the earth. They have
1ought Tor twelve years against Spain's
dominion. and not shadow or symbol OF
that dominion must remain when peace is
declared. In this they are right, as were
the American colonies in going to war
against preamble. Yet there are peo-
pie who VIII censure the Cubans for not
meeting SPANS advances halfway Such
people, You may rest assured, have never
seen. as have. leagues of ruined planta-
tons and scores OF charred bodies In the
olackened ruins OF burned houses which
ma rAeo the track or Weyler's movements.
compromise or any sort between Spain
and Cuba is an absolute impossibiIity. II
Campos had remained governor general.
aIalrs might now have worn a different
aspect but the unSpeakable barbarities of
MS successor have made the Spanish haS
a thing Of scorn, loathing and execration
TO the Cubans for all time.
Many people mistake the conparative
inactivity of the patriots during the past
few months for disbursement or in
abihty TO carry on the war. Nothing
could be further from the facts. The
Cubans have been raising their crops. fat
tening their cattle and otherwise prepar-
ing Tor the coming campaign. which will
be the most aggressive ever conducted by
the Cubans. Meantime the Spanish ranks
have been thinned by fever and the dis
eases bred in the filthy environments.
The patriot army. aside from lack of
arms and ammunition, is in splendid
shape. There are now between 40 coo and
5o,e00 men IN the field and this number
could be increased 10 %, 900 this winter IL
the additional troops could be provided
with rifles and cartridges. These last
however. are being furnished as fast as
the Junta obtains funds.
THE camps from which the main bodies
or the insurgents operate are practically
impregnable TO attack. The approaches
are difficult, and are commanded by randi
IRE guns and laid with dynamite mines
No Spanish force has ever attempted 70
take one.
Speaking Of dynamite. 1T is playing an
important part In the conflict, and dirnly
fcTeshad0ws what will happen ia the next
great war between European nations. The
insurgents are provided with field dyna-
mite guns, which have done terrible exc
cuuon wherever they have been brought
to bear. 1t was in serving one OF these
that osgood, the young Pennsylvania,
was killed. AS a matter of fact, many re-
cent inventions in arms Of precision are
getting their first pr lctical test on Cuban
soil, and one of the most successful OF
these Is a rapid fire gun mounted by a
well-known firm OF Utah gunsm.ths.
THE favorite weapon. however. is the
machete. 1t is used on both sides, the
Spanish guerrillas, or native troops, being
armed with ii, and the nature of the fight
ing renders ii exceedingly effective
Capt. Mahony expects to remain in Sc
attic for several days on business con-
nected with the cause he represents