Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-04-02

ing the ten-years war, was written by
the la.l Lieut.. Richard Mitchell and Is
especially timely Just now:
Every page OF Cuban history is
stained with the record of Spanish
atrocities. Long and persistent mis-
government has borne its fruits of
revolutions until today the most fer
tile and productive garden of America
is a blackened ruin. The severity of
the home government. that since the
first years Of occupation to the present
day has followed the recommended
lions OF the avarlcious and despotic
officials sent out to govern the ever
l ithful isle" became 30 unbearable
Rat many attempts have been made
to cast off the Spanish yoke. our own
example combined with that OF the
successful South American republics
was ever an object lesson to encour-
age them In their attempts to gain the
freedom for which they longed. but
all efforts thus far have been uniform
failures on the part of the poor Gu
bans, whose blood has flowed like
water to satisfy their cruel oppressors.
Thrice have we witnessed the nassa-
ere of our own citizens who hau
offered their services to the cause.
once under Crittenden and Lopez and
later the Virginius massacre almost
identical in numbers. The latter oc-
Cured during the l0-years war, from
'Gs to rs. when cuba spilled Its
choicest blood hoping against hope for
assistance from the free and powerful
republic but few miles away and
finally yielding to overwhelming num-
bers and the promise of concessions
and reforms. never carried out NOW
they are again asked to lay down
their arms under similar promises,
but the loss of their president MART.
and their devoted leader Maceo. with
hundreds of others who preferred
death to Spanish tyranny. and with
the experience of what Spanish du-
plicity and cunning can accomplish in
broken faith and promises, they de-
clare that nothing but absolute free
dom from Spain will ever be accepted.
Are we not. In view Of past events,
rather straning point in keeping our
men of-war away from Cuban ports
for fear of woundlng the sensibilities
of the proud ana over-sensitlve donsY
The massacre Of 80 of the Nirginius
crew would have been prevented had
there been one ship in the harbor of
Santiago de Cuba, when the Tornado.
after lowering and insulting our flag,
brought the doomed crew into that
port. When one reads the details OF
refined Spanish cruelty, 1t seems all
the more cruel because so unneces-
sary. But for the timely arrival of Sir
Lambert Lorraine in the English man
of-war NiOhe the list Of victims would
have been increased by one hundred.
The presence of one American war
ship would have accomplished two OBJ
jects. First. II would have prevented
the loss of II single life, and secondly
would have prevented Spain from
staining her escutcheon with so foul a
blot that IL can never he eradicated.
The arrival Of the Niobc proves this.
for from the moment that her COM
mander walked into the governors
palace the massacre ceased There
are moments when diplomacy is too
slow moments that mean months,
aye. years OF history, and here was
one. on the action Of the commander
OF the Niobe depended the lives OF one
hundred and two human beings.
Before another order could have
reached Santiago de cuba from Spain.
Burriel would have had them all muir
dered along the walls of the matadero
and their bodies huddled In the
trenches already dug for them. But
where was our navy? II was an En-
glishman that stopped II, The answer
is this: They Were kept away from
Cuba for fear of woundlng the deli
cate sensbilitles OF men like Jovellar
and Burriel. Spanish cavaliers! Dig
niiied Spanish dons. with lnordinate
Spanish PRIDE The nearest ship that
could be reached was the Wyoming
at Aspinwall, commanded by Cush-
ing. What American boy does not
know him? 1t was said that he es-
peclally was kept away from the
cuban coast, knowing his too hasty
temperament and fighting tendencies.
The consul at Kingston, learning that
tuIa nod "a. Ar. In
wall, and Gushing, not finding time to
notify the department and ask in
structions, took ON coal and proceeded
at once to Santiago The account
stated that Burrel wrote the most
arrogant letters TO Cushing" He did.
but the sequel was That Cushing not
only threatened TO lombard the town,
but said he would sink anything he
found in the harbor flying the Spanish
flag.
Braine with the Juniata now came
in, and more sailor diplomacy took
place. Burriel sent his prisoners un-
der cover of night to the MORO, os-
tensibly to give them up, but really
to ship them to Cienfuegos; but
Braine, catching him at that, de-
manded their return, and gave the
worthy general good breezy nautical
opinion of such dastardly work, tell
ing the Don with the inordinatc
worthless. Meanwhile, what more
could those noble chevaliers do hut
prepare their victims for death, time
inter time. They knew that they
could not shoot them, but then the
victims We're In ignorance of that and
so they could have their little Spanish
game They could see the poor fell
lows bid each other good-by, and
watch them suffer mentally, although
they still had strength enough to hide
much from their tormentors. Well
they had SO at any rate. That was q
comfort They didn't get plenty OF
American beef" at the matadero, but
they got a fair portion. Now the
wretches were under the protection OF
their men of-war and Spanish beef
is down to the same price as "Ameri-
can beef" Burriel is now roaring as
gently as sucking dove. He dare moi
attempt to bully the commanders oil
those ships as he did the American
vice-consul. although Mr., Schmitt ~
the most dignifled way showed In his
REPLIES how little he feared him. and
which of the two was the Caballero
He would not think OF stopping the
officIal kilograms of Braine of Cush'
ing ''by reason of right vested In me,
nor reply to them az he did to Mr.
Schmitt when questioned that he had
maid no attention to three most i'm
portant official communications be,
cause "for the past two days, and
my officials were engaged In the piou'
duty of meditatlng on the divine mys'
tories of All saints and the com
memoration OF All Souls day, as pre-