The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-01-13
General MaceO.

The circumstances in which he met
his death have been for fortnight
scandalously in dispute, and even the
principal features of his campaigns
during this year and last year blurred
by conflicting statements and misstatt-
ments. 1t is not too soon, however, TO
base upon the undispute d porti. ns OF his
record an estimate Of Maceo that may at
least be saner than the views of intense
partisans; or, to put it quite plainly, it
is possible even now TO make an esll-
mate that, being in accord with the
facts 30 far as facts are known, may
serve for the present. We have GER
tain knowledge that when this brown
man stood out. almost alone, against
the treaty of ZAnjon, eighteen years
ago, he stood for principle that has
been the generous inspiration OF his
whole life. The proof of it is all at
hand.
For ten years, from 1868 to 1878, day
after day he had fought the Spanish
strength and the Cuban weakness and
his own ignorance. inst an unedu-
Gated peasant in the beginning, he had
qualified himself for leadership, and
then had demonstrated his right to
lead, and then had led tirelessly- un-
| til the other insurgents were ready for
| peace. Then came the much harder
test of his resolution during the sixteen
wears of inaction, when one plan after
another was thwarted. And in the
present war there has been full man
Hesitation of the same principle. That
makes long record of adherence to
one idea, or ideal-unswerving, now
violently broken. Having this record
in mind, one can understand the less
extravagant passages in the eloquence
of the brown mans friends, though not
venturing to compete with them. For
the present purpose it is enough to say
that this is not the record of servile
character or an inferior animal.
So much for his moral quality; and
as for the mental part, the evidence is
not less complete. Even the pub
Ii he'd reports of engagements directed
by him show plan OF action common
to all, but skilfully modified to fit the
varying conditions in each instance
The little battle of Peralt 10, described
in the Weekly, dated May o, 1896, may
be referred TO as typical of the long
series. Simply and briefly, it was q
plan he had conceived when he was
learning his lessons of attack and de-
fence during the Ten Years. War. His
successes prove that the lesson was
thoroughly learned, that the plan was
il telligently formed. Now, such stead
fastness of mind, consistently and per
sistently through years of varied ant
sore trials, applying TO each problem a.
it arises one approved solvent, g not {
mark of int llectual inferioriiy.
Jose Antonio Maceo was born il
Santiago de Cuba, on the 14th day 0
July, 1S4S, his parents being Mariani
Grajiles and Marcos Maceo. WheI
the Ten Years War broke out he ant
his father and his brothers chose insur
rection as their work in life. Just a
they had been muleteers, carriers, da,
laborers, they became soldiers; and il
their chosen occupation they have die,
, one after another, in different prov
inces. 1t is customary to say that tn
| fathers house had been destroyed b
lire, when he called his sons befor
, him and made them swear TO fight unit
, Cuba should be free; in point of fact
the sons have fought as only men ca
! fight who do not need the constraint G
r an oath or the compulsion of a promise
! and the father was killed while servin
l In Antonio's command. Harper
: Weekly.