The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-05-28
Cuban Conditions and Prospects.


Cuban Conditions and Prospects.
When public opinion in this country
pushed past the peaCe-at-any price
element and declared war that element
decided to work off its chagrin at the
expense Of the Cuban insurgents. Since
II could not very well play traitor to
its own country, it Immediately started
To discredit the purpose fC which TIE
war was begun, in hope of making
this determination chiefly we are in
debted for the activity with which a
portion of the American press has late
ly been holding the CUBAN caure up to
ridicule Nobody has been deceived
by this activity who has taken pains
to keep in touch with the facts; and
nobody at all will be deceived long.
The Cuhans are not saints. They are
not prodigies Of valor or discretion.
They have their good points and their
bad points and the latter are much
more numerous than they ought to be
The Cubans are what a. century of
Spanish misrule, with it's negation of
Cuban rights, its hostility to improve
ment and its utter neglect ofmoral sand
public instruction, has made them; the
masses Of them are poor. ignorant and,
in the main, thriftless; being of Latin
blood they are also mercuriaI, and hav-
ing had so long to counterplot against
their Spanish oppressors, they have be-
come by nature lurtive, suspicious and
tricky. We speak now, Of course, Of
the average Cuban as found in Cuba
the real child Of the soil.
But the capacity of the Cuban for
development is shown in the splendid
character, ability and attainments Of
those Cubans who have enjoyed the op-
portuntes of education in the United
States and who are today the direct
ing influences in the islands present
revolution, as they will be in command
when it shall have gained its freedom
and set out to guide its own bark or
independent statehood. History is elo-
quent with records Of the quick trans
formation which has come in the char
aCter and morale of a people of nat
ural ability who, having long suf-
ftred under oppression, are given at
last the inspiration and the incentive
of freedom. We can see the beginning
of the transformation between the lines
of General Gomez's latest proclamation
10 his troops, which after notifying
them of the coming Of American res
cue proceeds in the following strain:
take this occasion to remind each Gu
ban in Lha service that he now has a
country recognized, for which he must
fight with al. honor ana glory. lie is now
a Cuban soldier and not an insurgent, ANA
will respect the rules Of civilized war
fare. l will order punished any chief, oiil-
Ger or private who fails to respect the
rights Of our prisoners Of war ana sIcn
prisoners will he treated with respect Ia
their ranks and according to the rules OF
civilized countries and the constitutional
army. our soldiers will conduct them
selves in such manner as to gain fOr
themselves the good Offices of our brt tn,
ron NJ the United States, and for this
reason II is my wish that the army of
Culp may exhibit model discipline | de-
sire 10 impress upon you that we will not
continue this war, which has been so gal.
lantly kept up for the last three years
with the idea of revenge, We are fighting
for liberty and independence and not fOI
revenge, anC l would call your attention
10 the fact that the history of the wQrll
shows that loss Of blood has always beer
the price of liberty. NOtwthStanding We
must ever remember our dead martyrs tC
the cause of Cuban freedom ana fight the
good fight and II will not be long before
every Spanish soldier well have left oul
soil. We have had to contend against q
most cruel enemy, one which has known
no honor, and its methods of warfare
have been most barbarous, and every aC
Of Spain has shown its thirst for BLOOD
and desire to trampe down and ami
hilate the people Of Cuba. do not desir,
that our army shall emulate It's example
but ! would prefer that our methods o
war be those of civilized nations; tina
we may show TO the enemy that thos
w1lom they are fighting are more honor
able than themselves.
Though in this outburst we can per
ceive evidences Of that era.ndiloquenc
OF rhetoric which is a racial character
istic Of all Latin peoples, yet the es
sential strain in it is a new pride,
pride which has not been with tn
average Cuban before as an incentiv
entering into his daily thoughts an
actiOns-the pride Of recognition, O
daWning responsibility. We who hav
always had freedom and who take
as a matter Of course, thinking llttl
OF its importance, can have but fain
conception Of what the effect is like
10 be upon the Cuban people of tn
knowledge. when 1t comes home 10 then