The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-04-14
CUBA'S WONDERFUL
WAR FOR FREEDOM
Results OF the Three Years Of Fighting
Just Ended.
LIBERATION is WITHIN SIGHT
Victories Won Against Tremendous
Odds.-The Great March of Gomez
aud Mncoo--Weyler's Monstrous
Crime Against IIumanity--Oher
and FaiIuro OF Autonomy in cuba.


and Failure OF Autonomy in cuba.
From the New York Sun.
During the three years Of their war,
from Feb. "a, 1895, down to Feb. "a,
1898, the Cubans have endured more
sufferings and displayed more heroism
than any other people have done in a
strut gle for liberty In the face Of
trent Ndous odds-without the help of
a frie dly power abroad, without even
military training, their army being
composed principally Of enthusiastic
volunteers, without a regular supply
of arms and ammunition, with very lit
tie money and, what is Il disadvantage
even graver, with the official hostility
of every government, including the ma
tions nearest their shores-they have
nearly exterminated 10000 Spanish SOL
diers, the most powerful European army
ever sent to the American continent;
and neither fire nor sword nor bribes
nor fair promises of better govern
ment have been powerful enough to
make them agree to 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
Cubans to die or to win in a struggle
with all the odds against them, neither
does it present a case OF stubborn re-
sistance to justice and human rights,
and of barbarous cruelty which equals
the record of Spain in Cuba. The
eighty years of war for liberation car
ried on against Spain in the Neither
lands are not comparable with the
struggle in Cuba. That was princi-
pally a war of religion in the sixteenth
century, a time of monarchial Oppres-
sion and religious fanaticism. This is
war of determination, for no reli-
gious, no political principle whatever,
but only to reduce by force to the sway
of a rapacious government an Ameri-
can colony that has every right to be
free.
A BRIEF CHAPTER.
These three years of war to the death
form but a brief chapter in the his
tory of Cubas 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 scat
fold or in exile long before the first
military attempt against Spain, in 1919.
would fill many pages. In 1850 General
Narciso Lopez, after some ephemeral
victories, was finally defeated, caught,
and garroted in Havana But, his ex-
ample, no more than that of Pinto and
Estrampes, executed as he was in the
capitol of Cuba, was not lost to the
N Oft a;,rI,
teen years of turbulence and constant
conspiracies, a formidable revolution
broke out in Yara, which lasted ten
years. If peace was signed in 1873, it
was only for a truce in the terrible
contest. Spain was not going to keep
her promises of justice, and the Gu
bans would not accept the everlasting
rule of Spain. The year of 1895 brought
new and formidable revolt. If dur
ing the three years of war which have
elapsed since then the Cubans have
not given evidence enough of their un-
compromising stand, the history Of
their past uprisings will suffice to
prove that peace and prosperity are
impossible in the neighboring island
while the flag of Spain waves over
Moro castle in Havana.
ORGANIZED BY MARTI.
The present revolution was organ
lied by Jose Marti, a Cuban exile in
this country and man of genius and
courage. He organized here what is
called the Cuban revolutionary party,
an association of clubs of Cuban politi-
cal eXiles, for the purpose of raising
money to free their country. Poor as
10 of
who lived in the United States before
the beginning of the revolution, they
listened to the eloquent appeals of
Marti and gave him all they had on
earth to liberate Cuba from Spain.
Marti was appointed delegate of the
party, and his faithful friend, Benia-
min j. Guerra, was made treasurer.
There was not much money then in
the safes of the afterward famous
junta and their funds were soon ex-
hausted by an unsuccessful ATTEMPT to
start an expedition from the South.
But Marti had obtained the co-opera-
tion of General Maxine Gomez and
General Antonio Maceo, two veterans
of the last war He knew that the
discomfort against Spain was deep
throughout the island. He had import
ant connections with conspirators in
all the provinces. He gave without
hesitation the orders for the uprising
and went to Safito Domingo, to ioin
General Gomez and take with him the
field.
AT that grave and decisive moment
the total funds Of the patriots amount
ed to not much more than $4,000 1t is
wonderful that with a sum, compare
lively speaking, so paltry for so great
purpose a war should have been
raised which has cost Spain up to this
time, besides the sacrifice of SO many
OF her soldiers, $2JOO0O,0OO and has
caused to the United States a net loss
in trade and business OF $500, ,0l9, 900
MARTTs DEATH.
On May 10. 1895, Marti was killed in
the engagement at Dos Rios, but his
work had already been done. lie had
landed on April IL with General Gomez
at Sabana la Mar, on the southern
MSa "a B "a m "a -