The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1898-05-05

. 10 AlHAduaf anu tue lHlNNlIhls OF thhl
city were disheartened especially as
bauds from Gomezs command mided
Havana Province mp TO the citya gates
Something occurred now to give JOY
although the Joy was but momeutary
to Havana and Madrid, This was the
death Of Antonio Maceo, ON December
/ g. 1896 Maceo, with his staff and a
small force crossed the traeha for a
conference with Gomez Near puntn
Brava Maceos force was ambushed
through the trcachery Of one of his
men il was said at the time and forty
of the force were killed, including
Macco. There was rejoicing in Wey
lers camp and throughout Spain when
the news Of the death Of the Cuban
Phil Sheridan was reported.
The Staying Of NIaceo. however made
Ino physical change in the fortunes of
the belligerents Gen. Ruiz Rivera, a
veteran cbieftain, succeed Macoo. and
carried on the campaign on Maceos
lines He haussed the spaniards. oc.
casionally destroyed forts along the
rocha by dynamite, and evaded
pitched battles with the more numer-
GUS bodies Of troops sent against him,
but was captured on March 2s, 1897.
On the east side Of the trocha Gomez
and the other insurgent leaders kept up
their forays into aud through Havana
Province to the end Of the year De.
spite WeYler's proclamations from time
to time that the central provinces were
paci6ed the rebels were stronger
and more confident at the close OF 1896
than they had ever been before.
The year l99, opened hopefully for
the Cubans At the same time Wey-
ler's forces showed considerable vigor
during the early months. intending to
end the rebellion before the rainy seas
on began, If possible Campos had said
about this time, in an interview in
SPAN, that unless the rebellion was
soon crushed the United States would
intervene, a desire for intervention or
the recognition Of the insurgents ne bel
ligerents, or both became strong among
the people Of the United States, and It
found vigorous expression in the news
papers and in congress. Concurrent
resolutions for the recognition Of Cuban
bolligerency passed the senate on Feb.
ruHry 2S, 1896 and went through the
house on April by large majority in
each case, but President Cleveland did
not act on them Recognition senti,
ment was still more pronounced In 1907.
Thinking that President Mckinley and
the republicans would take stronger
position againt Spain than President
Cleveland and the democrats held,
Weyler made supreme effort to end
the rebellion before March 4, 1897
Failing in this he was determined to
put it down before December, when the
regular session Of congress was to 30,
gin, but he was bailled at every point.
Resolved to carry the war into AZ
RIGA, Weyler entered Santiago Province,
the insurgents earliest fastness, in June,
1897 with strong force Of infantry
and cavalry, but the rebels eyaded his
superior force, harrassed the country
in his rear and made dash into Hava-
ma Province. Falling haQk in July,
Gomez laid a trap 10 capture Weyler,
but the latter escaped
Weylers Cuban career, however, was
near its end Premier Canovas, who
had appointed him, and who indorsed
his policy, including concentration and
all it's atrocities was assassinated on
on August g. 1897, and tbe Sagasta lib.
eral ministry, which succeeded the con.
servatve cabinet, in response to pres
sure from President Mckinley, removed
Weyler He was recalled oH October
2, and Blanco took hia place in the lat
ter end Of the month
Under Blanco's regime an attempt
was made to return to the milder
policy Of Campos, but 1t was not car,
ried ont Some of the rigoFs Of the
concentration baEbaity we're abated,
but very little perceptible difference
was made in the actual bondition Of the
people affected. Deaths from starva.
tion and disease continued at about the
same rate as under the Weyleg admin
istrahon, 1t is estimated that the NOR.
tality from tboas sources along to the
begipning of 1893 exceeded 200, OOO
The rest of the story Of the events In
connection with the rebellion since
Blanco assumed control last October
may be quickly told Rlancos mill
tary efforts were as unsuccessful as
those Of his three predecessors CalIeia,
Campos and WeyIer November "a,
| I1Sg7 the Madrid government ogeaily
published a decree gEsBtma satonop.y
to Cuba bat iAs insurgents rsiscted Il
ava MiRIlteF do II. A. r-ivsta Iette,
w,lleh r" to the public in February
,,7 confessed that ft was q sham Ihi'
letter forced De Lome.s recall.
a few days after the letter was mad'
public. or on February 10, 1898 th'
United States battleship Maine, anchor
"a III the har6or Of Hayana, was blown
np, and 266 lives were lost. This hast
ended decisive action IL the Uuitec
States although the action was fai
/ from being precipitate. The action tooh
/ concrete shape by the passage on ApTi
/ 10 Of resolutions demanding that spain
Q la. FaaEH ~