The evening times., 1898-12-12
MONDAY. DECEMBER j.. 1855.
onhn,. IrrcparaI,Ie Le.s.

Cuba's IrreParaBIe Loss.
General CaliNto Garcia who lies dead
in this aity. is one of The Nv conspicuous
heroes vho have fought fer freedom and
lived 60 see the oppressor oyerthrgwn, His
mature life had bUt single distinct and
uuwas ,.riuG ambitiun-tre rescue OF his
ualir, island trom The tEGart grasp of
Spaia To ,hat every thought Was deyet-
eel When others. wsarie5 By the long
a.IG hopeless struggle, suspended their pa
trioiic Iabars To- look after their personal
welfare he continued to plan and preach.
when others accepted The conditions of
defeat he persisted ana paid the penalty
Of his.5D-sr wears passed in lie wIetcled-
ness uT Spanish prisons. ltc had every
quality of tn. successful man-struuS
common sense. svir-eoutraI. patience. per
seyer,asra. anHahihry- which De dedicated
To the service ~ his country. Ia New
Yurl, E.. cguIa hav, become q rulti-Tuil-
Houa5rs .I Dr. asa turned his talents 60
such au aspiration. II was never "A temp
taliuu .u him. How absolutely he gave
himself -,a abe calrsa of cuban freedom
We ma. kuog from his uucomplainins
submission when less able less sincere
and sug,a-IE.rd.d soldiers were placed
above Gm. Az hr eked WAS that the
way nu spain should De- uaceaSinG and
tha. l. should De- allowed q place no mlt-
j,r l1w humble. ID 5he little army oI pa
t~.Yls I5e was superior To al! the petty
1aaIoa-i,s that have married the records
Of SO many soldiers. always c5nciliatory
except where The question OF Cuban lih.r-
L. was involved. lie shared with his rag
ged followers. who idaIized him. an the
h8rdships that were tine lot of lhe island
.ab-I. WITHOUT ever q thought of the iuAg-
rites and power that might be his if DE
should choose To employ his energies in
.tHar directions.
az ih- rare foresight o. this splenGi1
character The war.. .earue# mucn in the
u.lu me tEat slau-vi from the American
ir.,asfou Of cuba aual the Old here was
SAT Do Washington To confer with the
~ -igaut Conc. with sha ulaia LaIt
Of taa cuban army oL thirty-siE Thousand
Iaa1. -u.Aol u Jac hills. r.lus.D- TO con-
sent tu American .,!I and pretending TO
a:- rrl~t .ar purposes OF The iuEadin-
force. alone with his few hundred starved
..ui naked soldiers. without arms except
tHe machete Garcia welcomed the
invaders He understood The great
mess or the American motive and
his heart sweIled with the JOY
rt "a Hf.s ambition 10 ba realized II Is
10 ordinary seHse OF courtesy that led 10
his memorable reply 10 The request ol
Geue.al Miles far mis- aid in landing the
expedition His whole soul was in the
sentiment that the least request of the
Americans would be an order TO him. He
Knew aI their coming meant Tor Cuba,
ead every personal feeling that made Co
mez and less great souls resent the order
Is conditions American occupation would
impose was absent from his breast. To
free Cuba-that had been the dream Of his
!0ung Years and the dim, but undying.
hope of his ma;urity. Here was the in
strumeIt To accomplish that for which h.
had rfskei his life in so many battles: that
for which he had hUngered and lived the
life Of a rebel and an outcast, and that
for which he had suffered in the solitude
Il
devout soul would welcome his Saviour
or the poor handful Of Cuban soldiers
who had followed him to the seashore
Nhile the thousands of their fellows re-
Inained far off, he made the most, fight
Sug many times his own number to clear
the coast for the advance Of the invad-
srs Iiis strength and condition were
not understood by the Americans, except
General Miles, and he was subjected to
undeser>ed criticism and not a little
abuse. lie was patient, if sorrowful. and
had no resentment. He had the rare in
sight OF a great soul He felt that in
time the Americans would understand.
and If not what matter? Cuba would
be free He did his shar. Of the work,
though Il was a little share because of
the small number and exhausted state of
the American expedition. "a man VIII pse
character shrinks tp liulencss IN cen
trast with that of the ruben hero, yis-
tied an undeserved and shameful insult
on the gray hairs of the devoted patriot,
he was resentful only So far rs his self
respect as a man and q soldier compelI-
ed. In letter that is ore of the most
pathetic ever penned, b. withdrew, bat
not until the last need Of him expirea.
He hsrbored no mkind feelings His
gratitude stin lowered above all personal
thoughts and his confidence in the high
motives and justice Of America never
waAered.
When the protocol Of such surprising
Importance TO Cuba. was signed and pro-
claimed. the less intelligent. less patri-
otic Cubans allowed themselves to be
influenced by demagogues in the island
and in this country. Every word of dis
trust from the mouths OF his country
men was a shock to the high-minded.
fa~-seeing and trusting old soldier.
Against all the temptations of personal
advantage he led his people away from
the power of men whose selfshness and
ignorance Threatened the future of Cuba
lie was chosen to preside over the gen.
eral convention and to carry out his own