The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-03-18


citles and In u leks degree In the country,
u In their hands. 4 did not learn that
tho Spanish residents oil, tho Island had
contributed largely In blood or treasure
70 suppress the insurrecaou.
There are. or were before the war.
about ], 100000 Cpbans on the island, 2oo,-'
600 Spanlasds (Which means those born,
in spaln) and less than half q milllonpf
negroes and mixed blood, The Cuban
whites are pure Spanish blood and like.
the Spaniards, usually dark In complex.
ion, but oitener lighter blonde, so far
as i noticed, than the Spanlards. The
percentage OF coiored TO while has been
steadily diminightng FOR tlbre than MY
years and ls not now over 25 per cent OF
the total. In fact, the number OF color
ed people has been actually dlminishins
for nearly that time. The Cuban farmer
and ln5orer Is by nature, peaeeable,
k!ndlys gay, lrospitnble, hght-hearted
and !mprovlleEt, One thing that was
new to mo was 10. learn the superiority.
OF the well tI 10 Cupan over the Spanish
In the matter OF education. They have
been educated IN England, France or
this country, while the Spaniard has
such education as his own country FUR
nished. 2e
The colorcd people seem 10 me by ma
ture quite the equal mentally and physi-
callyl OF tho race In this country. Ger
tainly physically they are the larger and
stronger race on the island. There Is
little or no race prejudice.
1t Is said that there are about $4,000
soldiers now in Cuba. fit for duty, out OF
over 100000 that have been sent there.
The rest have died. been sent home;
sick In the hospitals and some have
been killed. Notwithstanding the official
reports. They are conscripts, many OF
them young and generally small men.
They are quiet and obedient, and Il well
drilled and led, I believe. would fight
fairly well, but not at all equal to our
men. saw perhaps 10000 Spanish
troops, burt not n piece OF artillery or q
tent. They live In barracks in the town.
and are seldom out for more than q day.
returning 10 town at night.
They have little or no equipment for
supply trains or for q field campaign
such as we have. Their cavalry horses
are scrubby little native ponies, weigh
Ing not over 500 pounds. tough and
hardy, but for the most part In wretch-
cd condition. reminding one OF the
mounts OF Don Quixote and his Squire.
On both sides cavalry Is considered the
favorite and dangerous fighting ARM
The tactics Of. the Spanish as described
to me by an eye witness and participant
in some OF their battles. ia for the In.
fantry. when threatened by Sinsurgent
cavalry, to form z hollow square and
fire away ad lbitum and without ceas-
ing until time 20 march back to town.
N Having called on Governor and CAPS
tain General Blanco and received his
courteous cali in, return, l could not with
propricty seek communication with the
insurgents. had plenty OF offers OF
safe conduct to Gomez's camp and was
told that II ] would write him. an answer
would be returned safely within ten
days at most. saw several who had
visited the irsurgcnt camps, was sought
out by an insursent field officer who
gave me the best Information received
as to the insurgent force. His state
ments were moderate, and I was credi-.
bly, informed that he was entirely rella-
BILE. He claimed that the Cubars had
about $4,000 men now In the field. some
-!rSsS every, province, but mostly in the
two eastern provinces and eastern Santa
Clara and this statement was corrobo-
rated from other good sources,
They have force all the !time In Ha-
vana province itself, organized as four
small brisades and operating In small
bands. Ruiz wns taken. tried and shot
within about n mile and a half OF the
railroad and about fifteen miles out OF
Havana on the road to Matarzas. a road
more Travelled than any other, and which
/ went over four times. \.
Arrenguen was killed about three miles
the other side OF the road and about the
same distance, fifteen or twenty miles
from Havana
They were well armed, but very poorly.
not allowed to carry many cartridges,
sometimes not more than one or two.
The infantry especially are poorly clad.
Two small squads Of prisoners which I
saw. however, one OF half dozen, In the
streets OF Havana, and one OF three on
the cars, were better clothed than the
average Spanish soldier. Each OF these
prisoners, though surrounded by guards,
was bound by the arms and waists by
cords and they were all tied together by
q cord running along the line. a speci-
mon of the amenities OF their warfare.
About one third OF the Cuban army
are cnlored, mostly In the infantry. as
the cavalry furnishes their own horses.
This field officer, an American from
southern state, spoke In the highest
terms Of the conduct of these colored
soldiers, that they were as good fighters.
and had more endurance than the
whites; could keep up With the cavalry
on long march and come in fresh at
night.
The dividing lines between parties are
the most straight and clear cut that
have ever come TO my knowledge. The
division In our war was by no means SO
clearly defined tits the Cuban against
the Spaniard. -t,
1t Is practically the entire Cuban pop
ulationf on one side and the Spanish
army and the Spanish citizens on the
other. / do not count the autonomists
In this division, as they arc so far too
inconslderablc In numbers to be worth
counting, General Blanco flied the
civil Offices with men who had been au-
Economists and were sill clnssed as
such. But the march OF events has sat
isfled most of them that the chance for
autonomy came too late. II falls rs
talk OF compromise would have fallen
the last year or two Of our war. = II it
succeeds. It can only. be by: armed force,
by the triumph Of the Spanish army.
and the success of Spanish arms would
be easier by Weyler's policy and meth
cd, for In that the Spanish army and
people believe. z 81
There is no doubt that General Blanco
Is acting in entire good faith: TINT he
desires TO give the Cubans n fair meas
ure OF autonomy. as Campos did Mt the
close OF the ten years war. He has, of
course, q few personal followers, but
the army and Spanish citizens do not
Wnnt gcnulne autonomy, for that menns