The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-03-13
CUBA'S WAR FOR FREEDOM.
Results of the Three Years of Fight
ing just Ended.
(From the New York Sun.

! from February o. 1895 down TO Thursday
last, the Cubans have endured more suf-
ferings and displayed more heroism than
any other people have ever done in a
! struggle for liberty. In the fact of ire
mendous odds-wthout the help of a
| friendly power abroad, without even mil
+, itary training, their army being compos-
ed principally of enthusiastic volunteers
without a regular supply of arms and
ammunition. with very little money. and
what is a disadvantage even graver, with
the official hostility OF every government
/ including the nations nearest their shores
! they have nearly exterminated 200. 900
Spanish soldiers, the most powerful Eu-
! ropean army ever sent to the American
/ continent; and neither fire nor sword nor
brides nor fair promises of better gov
! ernment have been powerful enough to
make them agree TO a peace not based on
their absolute freedom from the hated
yoke of Spain.
If history does not afford a parallel of
the stern resolution displayed by the Gu
I bans to die or to win in a struggle with
! all the odds against them, neither does
it present a. case of stubborn resistance
TO justice and human rights and of bar
, barous cruelty which equals the record
| of Spain in Cuba. The eighty years of
/ war for liberation carried on against
Spain in the Netherlands are not com
parable with the struggle in Cuba. That
was principally war of religion in the
sixteenth century, a time of monarchical
oppression and religious fanaticism. This
is a WIZ of determination. for no relig-
ious. no political principle whatever but
only to reduce by force to the sway of a
! rapaciOus government an American col
ony that has every right to be free.
These three years of war to the death
form but a brief chapter in the history of
Cuba's struggles. Since early in this
century their noble aspirations for liberty
have cost the Cubans streams of blood
shed by the Spanish tyrant. The list of
Cuban martyrs who died for their cause
on the scaffold or in exile long before the
first military attempt against Spain. in
lS49 would fill many pages. In 1850 Gen.
| Narciso Lopez. after some ephemeral vic
tories, was finally defeated caught, and
garroted in Havana. But his example
no more than that of Pinto and Estram-
pes. executed as he was in the capital of
! Cuba, was not lost to the patriots. On
| October TO- 1868. after eighteen years of
turbulence and constant conspiracies, a
| formidable revolution broke out in Yara.
which lasted ten years. If a peace was
| signed in 1873. it was only for a truce in
the terrible contest. Spain not going
to keep her promises of justice and the
Cubans would not accept the everlasting
rule of Spain. The year 1895 brought a
new and formidable revolt If during
the three years of war which have elaps-
ed since then the Cubans have not given
evidence enough of their uncompromising
stand, the history of their past uprisngs
will suffice to prove that peace and pros
perity are impossible in the neighboring
island so long as the flag of Spain waves
over MORO Castle in Havana.
The present revolution was organized
by Jose Marti a Cuban exile in this
country and a man of genius and cour-
age. He organized here what is called
the Cuban Revolutionary Party, an as
ISOLATION of clubs of Cuban political ex-
lies. for the purpose of raising money to
free their country. Poor as were the ma
pority of the few Cubans who lived in
the United States before the beginning of
the revolution. they listened TO the elo-
quent appeals of Marti and gave him
all they had on earth to liberate Cuba
from Spain. Marti was appointed dele
gate of the party, and his faithful friend
Benjamin J. Guerra. was made treas
urer There was not much money then
in the safes of the afterward famous
junta and their funds were soon exhaust
ed by an unsuccessful attempt 10 start
an expedition from the South. But Marti
[ n.
| Maxine Gomez and Gen. Antonio Maceo
two veterans of the last war. He knew
that the discomfort against Spain was
deep throughout the island. He had i'm
pOrtant connections with cOnspiratOrs in
all the provinces. He gave without hest
tation the orders for the uprising and
went to Santo Domingo, to Join Gen. Co
mez and take with him the field
At that grave and decisive moment the
total funds of the patriots amounted to
not much more than $40, 900. 1t is wonder
full that with q sum, comparatively speak
ing, 50 paltry for so great a purpose,
war should have been raised which has
cost Spain up to this time. besides the
sacrifice of SO many of her soldiers, $685.
900, 900 and has caused TO the United States
a net loss in trade and business of $780,
600, 900
On May 10, 1895, Marti was killed in the
engagement at Dos Rios, but his work
had already been done. He had landed on
April II with Gen. Gomez at Sabana la
Mar. on the southern coast OF Cuba. after
issuing a Monte Cristi n revolutionary
manifesto, and had had time before his
death to convoke the representatives of
all the Cuban provinces to a general as
sembly to elect a provisional government
and frame a constitution. If this was
not done until later in September of the
same year, at the town of Jimaguayu, 1t
was not the less true that from the first
days of the revolution the desire of Mard,
as of all the patriots. was TO organize u
Republic with popular institutions.
. Two months before MartTs death Gen.
! Antonio MaceO had landed at Duava,
near BaracOa. Santiago de Cuba province.
With a handful of men and a few rifles
and cartridges. small open boat brought
him to Cuba from Jamaica. But his name
| and his presence We're enough to make
Spain trembe. He and his heroic brother,
Jose MaceO. were surrounded by super
Tor Spanish forces on the day of tn eir
. | landing. They broke through the Span
| ish lines and made their way into the
: ! country. In a few days, as soon as the
news spread Of their arrival, the province
of Santiago de Cuba rose in arms and An
tonic Maceo had around him more than
! | 10000 Cuban soldiers.
| The revolution was saved. The few pa
: triots who took up arms of February
2 | a At Barre and ManZaniIlo had courage
ously resisted under General Bartelome
f | Maso now cuba president, the attacks
= of the columns of the Spanish General
Lachambre, as well as the proposals of
/ peace from the captain general of the
5 island, Don Emilio Caleja. The ENJOYS
7 of the captain general told Maso that the
! revolution a failure The provinces
of Pinar del Rio and Havana were en-
+, | tirey quiet. A few unimportant bands in
' | MatanZas and Santa Clara had been dis
I | persed or had surrendered. Puerto Prin-
. cipe was unanimously in favor of peace.
But MaSn, knowing well how to receive
such reports, refused to yield He had
confidence i'm the landing of Maceo. Marti
and Gomez. He knew the great moral eff
feet that the presence of those leaders in
D the field was going to have on the Cuban
DeOple. and SDain knew il also Tho nous