Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1898-03-18
Cuban'S Instructions.

Wv ~~VVA ~ AAA~ 40 SSSAS AA~
This Paper was Read before
the Mems Meeting on the
9th inst. by Geo. Alex
ander who is Attend
ing Highland Park
College.
Freedom battle once begun,
Beaqusathed from bleeding sire 10 son,
Those baftied oft is always won,
Tho most glowing pages of history are
those which record the different wars and
heroes.
Rome saw some great ones, among them
the Gallic wars in which her great heroes
took part. Caesar the great. France saw
her Franco Prussain war, and with the
aid oftwo three such men as her Napoleon,
she would have bssn able to have won it,
America saw her greatest wars. the 5evo-
luton ofwhom Washington was The heroe'
and the Civil war Of " hich Grant stars al
= leading man or hero.
But Cuba, il seeing one Of her revolution.
ary wars, and there are so many brave
hcros in it, that it would be hard to men
ion all, but above all shines out the i'm.
mortal Maceo. {
Cuba is the island, which Spain has
kept under her foot for so many years.
She is queen of the Antilles, and well is
she name, for she Is ono of the garden
spots oftbe world.
Her people are Of Spainishextraction, al
though thero are a few Foreigners in the
island. The govermentof Cuba was in
the hands oflthe Spanish upto the late
war and in some, parts Spain still holds
the hand Of oppression The spaniards
helped themselves 10 all of the mostim
portant offices and what few there were
left some tyrant would hold it, this did not
stop there but continued until the taxes
become so great that the people could not
stand it. SO using the words of our patroit
Patrick Henry "Give Me Liberty or
Give Me Death.''
They struck down the Spanish flag
and commence that memorable war
known as the ten years war, beginning in
the year 1868 on the 10th day of October
and lasting ten years.
On the above date, Cespedes Cuban
Lawyers, raised the five bar flag at
Yara. at sun rise he set all his slaves free,
some 200 In number, and they with 9 lot
of Patroits followed their leader into the
first fray for Cuban Independence.
This small army could do nothing a.
gainst train Soldiers. besides being with
out guns or ammunition they were at least
no better of, but theer came to their res
cue men by the name Of Marmol, Gomaz
aud Figuerede; and in first part of the
month of nov. 1868 Cuba had mustered
into her regular army from l4,OOO to
Ii. 900 men nearly all of this uprising was
going on IN the Mountainous district.
In the western or sea coast part the
people were dumb to the cause except
now and then some would rise up only to
be put down by Spans soldiers.
In December of the same year Genera!
Qoesada landed with the first expidition
from Nasan. bringing the first consign-
ment OF arms and mutions Of war.
On the 10th day Of April 1869 new
government was formed and House OF
Assembly established.
Cespedes was made president, OF the
provintional government and Quesada COM
chief of the Cuban forces.
The covenant which had little beyond
its name gave out proclamation that all
slaves on the Island were free.
This made the spainards boil with rage
and even the liberal minded Spanish took
offense at it, and prepared for war.
Then came the ten years Of hard fight
ing the revolution continued on up with
its various battles until the year of 1S7-
when the Cubans saw it was useless to
fight against odds. so they abandon the
cause and in FEBRUARY 1878 they leid down
their arms.
The war had been long and desperate
one. Quesada had been succeeded by gen.
eral Thomas Jordan, as Comander-in-
chlef, who was an American, By birth