The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-05-13

An Account off Written by Jones w
steele. Who was Long Our Consul NJ
WotonyzS

| S4feles ~ no AoksS ouF ~ ~
From Cuban Sketches" published in
1871, we make some extracts from the
chapter on Spanish Rule in Cuba"
Fresh from the United States. and hav-
ing all my ideas OF government formed
by the Institutions and laws OF the only
thus far-successfu republic. i was not
three weeks q resident of the island be
fore / had discovered the cause OF the
Cuban war. Anybody would do the same.
for II there had been no war, / should
have wondered why there was not. The
causes are everywhere. in everything il
is a government of the Spaniard. And
yet. what | have stated / discovered so
easily. / believe the Spaniard himself
does not know. Many an honest bodI-
gero heaped anathemas upon the heads
Of the insurgents because he believed
they began a war. merely from a desire
TO rule or ruin. against a government the
most benign. just. and glorious Heaven
had ever given 10 man The wonder that
at first possessed me at this astonish-
ing ~obliquity of the Spanish mind. at this
utter disregard of the lessons OF the CEN
turtles. has not passed away with custom,
but has rather grown upon me.
The usual Spanish official presents him
self to my mind as a rather a~ttenuated
individual in a linen pin-striped uniform.
with a white cap that has a tortoise
shell visor. with a little straight sword
at his side. and a bamboo cane in his
hand. He Is most constant around Gus
tom houses. the "palace"-they have a
great many palaces in Cuba, just as ev-
cry primary school there is called a
''college"-and the hotels. He seems TO
have little to do. and not 10 be paid
much for doing it, and to be constantly
seeking an opportunity for small specu-
lation. By leaving off the initial -" OF
the word. perhaps it would be as cor
rectly spelled.
This member of the civil service is sup
posed to have his humble situation for
life or during good behavior, after the
manner Of the servants of a king. But |
am afraid that, as IS often the case win
the american official, eternal vigilance
is the price of office. His place, as ali
offices in Cuba. is eagerly coverted in
Spain. Somebody is always wishing TO
get it away from him, and ! state is as
a thing often told to me by officials
themselves. that they have frequently
to pay their patrons the whole of the
salaries received by them. 1t is the un-
Outstanding upon which political infu-
ence is exerted for them. The accompa-
pying understanding is. of course. that
he must make the situation pay him by
his own ingenuity, and he generally
does.
The first essential to the transaction of
business in any government department
is to have an understanding with the
necessary official. Because you do this
prudent thing, it does not follow that you
wish to violate any law. You must see
your man; or you cannot 40 any ousi-
the best trained in this respect OF any
in the world. There is nothing equal to
the perfect understanding each public Of
fetal has of this branch of business. >
Wander where you will around the quays
and wharves of any Cuban seaport, and
you will see guards whose business it is
to perform the double duty Of smuggling
and preventing it at the same time.
Places of this kind are eagerly sought
for, and could easily Zoe filled without
any salaries being paid.
The governors of Cuba are all. and al
ways. military men. Every monarch of
all he surveys in a district is a brigadier.
The captain general has no claims to his
place as a statesman. but only as a SOL
der. and often he is neither statesman
nor soldier in point of fact. But life,
liberty, and property are as much at his
disposition and will as they are in Per-
STA at that of his majesty the Shah. The
lays of Spain. as that recognizing the
validity Of civil marriages. liberty or
worship, and similar liberties. have new
er been in force in Cuba, because they
lacked the approval of the captain gen.
eral. The island is governed by de
crees," which are curious pieces of law
literature. They read thus, for example:
Juan Buenaventura and Piedra, Brig
adler of the national forces. decorated
with the grand cross of San Hermenegil-
do and other orders of honor. for acts
on the field of battle; civil and military
governor of the District of Colon"
Then comes the decree in iong-winded
Spanish, tedious and grand. ending with
the name of the distinguished gentle
man who has been set forth at length in
the preamble. This is a law. The cap
tain general at Havana, for his part.
promulg3tes these DEGREES when he
wishes, on his own authority and by
virtue of his office. The brigadiers, who
are really nobodies, Notwithstanding the
grand cross of San Hermenegildo. al
ways quote some reason or authority.
All things in and about the palace
are ceremoniOuS The herd. who exist for
the purpose of being governed. must stay
out. The brigadier holds audiences
with officials, and sends for whom he
will. There is a deal of bowling, and
standing with the heels together, and
distant talk, and polite and insincere So
licitude, and walking 1t is no
ticeaJble to frequent visitors that his ex-
ceilency holds much converse with his
chief of police, and wishes every day to
know how things are going on among
his natural enemies the governed.
The love of arms. and the delight in
military display and parade, still live in
know how far the warlike spirit has car
ried him in the past. He has been d
great and most successful campaigner,
undaunted by peril, hardship and vfcto-
ry. But the ability to take the hard
knocks of real war seems to have depart
ed from him. A commission and a uni
form, a place in the chief in Importance
of the bodies of the state, pay, author
ity. cheap glory. and a tin cross. are
things desired above all others by the
ambitious young man in Spain. Yet it is
to justly suspected that the Spaniards
are the most unmilitary people in Europe
at TINS moment. have seen some
! VI These ldll6T DdCldllOIlS "nen C0ey
landed in Havana to take part in cam
paigns against the insurrectionists. They
came from Spain hatleSs, shoeless, and
wanting even whole ibreeches. They were
| a destitute crowd of undisciplined con-
scripts, young, green, awkward, and in
all respects to be pitied. It is we'll enough
to speak of such being good enough as
food for powder
| The military organizations of the home
guard variety have been in existence
many years. uniformed, armed, and drill
ed. Yet, If this page should fab under
the eye of a military man, he will be
surprised at the inevitable conclusion of
inefficiency to which the most superficial
description of their movements must
lead them. They are the best trained
bodies on the islaTd. and are the boast
OF themselves and their compatriots, yet
they march through the streets at a gait
they could not sustain for two miles.
Some of their pieces are at half-cock,
some at full-cOck. . . Yet these vol
unteers' are the organizations which
have elected at least one captain general