Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-03-23

The Three Years History of the Third
Military Attempt to Free the Island.
Washington Post.
The Cubans have never been the
willing subjects of the Spanish crown.
The blood of many restless rebels red
dened the soil of the island long before
there was an uprising that mig ght be
called military. 1t was not until 1S49,
after repeated failures to induce the
people to conspire against Spanish
dominion, that any formidable revolt
occurred. Even then year sufficed
to suppress it, its leader, Narciso Lo-
pez, perishing on the scaffold in Haba-
ma in 1850.
In the succeeding Is years Cuba,
like all other southern dependencies,
saw the blood of unsuccessful plotters
flow, but at no time did the number of
their followers excite the fears of the
Spanish rulers. But in 1868 revolu-
lion broke out in Yara that was more
than commonly threatening. While
there was little fighting, harrassing
aud costly guerilla war was carried on
for 10 years, and Spain was glad to
gain peace at the price of certain con
cessions.
Six or seven years ago a Cuban ex-
lie living in this country, Jose Marti,
saw or corresponded with representa-.
tives of the various social clubs of Gu
bans living in the United States, and
of representatives of these he organ
lied the Cuban Revolutionary party.
The purpose was to raise funds to
make a third military attempt to free
Cuba. From the representatives were
selected, at first, three men, who were
known as the Cuban delegation, or
popularly as the Cuban junta-Jose
Marti, Benjamin J. Guerra and Coma
10 Quesada. Marti lived nearly all
his life in Cuba, Guerra is a New York
merchant, and Quesada is lawyer
and a graduate from the College Of
New York. The organization began
work in 1892. Tomas E. Palma, who
had fought in the Ten Years. rebellion,
was added to the delegation and later,
when Marti had been killed, DIR. Joa.
ouin Castillo, a surgeon in the United
States navy and a member OF the
Jeanette Arctic expedition, became
member. The exclusive business of
this body was to raise money and au.
thorize its expenditure. Before the
present outbreak all the funds were
lost in an unsuccessful attempt to send
an expedition south.
Early in 1895, Marti had received
pledges of support from two we'll
known military leaders in the preced-
ing rebellion, Maxine Gomez and
Antonio Maceo. With fund of only
$40, 900 in the hands of the delegation,
Marti went to Santo Domingo, gave
orders for the uprising, and issued d
revolutionary manifesto. A few men
in Baire and Manzanillo took the field
against Spanish force under General
Lachanibre, on February "a. Marli
ioined Gomez, and landed, April IL, at
Saban la Mar, on the southern coast
of Cuba. In the next five weeks he
had called for an assembly of represen-
tatives of all the provinces to elect a
provisional government. On May l9
he was killed in charge at Dos Rios.
The assembly did not meet until the
next September, when, at Jimagnayu,
Bartoleme Maso was elected president.
The captain general of Cuba made
proposals of peace to Maso, but they
were rejected.
In March, soon after the first gun
was fired February "a, 1885,, Antonio
Maceo landed at Duava, in Santiago
de Cuba province from a small boat,
in which he had come from Jamaica.
He and his brother Jose Maceo, with
a few followers, broke through the
Spanish lines, and reached the country.
In a few days many rebels gathered
about him-1O, ,OOOit is said. The news
of the landing of Maceo reached Ma
drid soon after the overthrow of the
Sagasta ministry. Canovas, his sue
cessor, resolved to send Spain's ablest
commander and most polite ruler to
the island. General Calleja was re-
called and General Martinez Campos,
with $4,000 troops, landed on Aplil l6.
During the first half of 1895 there