The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-04-14

and children, We're condemned to die
from hunger.
From the date of those DEGREES until
November, 1896, 100000 people were
murdered thus in Cuba Since Novem-
Der, as a result of Weyler's sanguin-
airy orders, the number has been in
creased to 100000. What monster in
history ever did 80 much against hu-
manity and civilization? Nero, Cali
gula, Tamerlane, Torquemada, Alva,
when compared with Weyler appear
| mild and humane. \ poltroon. besides
pelng an assassin, he never offered
battle to the Cubans or took the field
to fight. In his time Spain sent 2OO, 900
! soldiers to Cuba. He kept them mac
tive guarding the trOcha from MarieI
to Majana in Pinar del Rio province
or from Jucaro to Moron in Puerto
Principe. At other times from his pal
ace in Havana, following on man
the imaginary positions of his enemies.
he ordered his columns to make COM
bined movements that always resulted
in defeats.
ESCAPED BY SEA.
One instance of the stupidity and
coWardice of Weyler occurred on Nav
l. lN96. He ordered one Of his favorite
combinations of columns against Ma
Geo at a place called Cacarajicara in
the province of Pinar del Rio. The re-
suit was that the forces of the Spanish
Colonels lnclan and Gelabert were shat
tered by the Cuban leader, and the
havoc made in the Spanish lines was
so great that the Spanish soldiers
panic-stricken, threw themselves into
the sea to escape the Cuban machete.
Weyler, as in all other cases, accused
his subordinates of not having obeyed
his orders exactly.
On Dec. I, 1896. Maceo, after having
crossed Weylers famous trocha and
entered Havana province, was assass-
mated in an ambush near Punta Bravo.
The revolution lost in him a great pa
triot and HEROIC soldier. But Weyler
soon understood that the murder of
Maceo was not the death of Cuba s
cause. In March, 1896 General CaliXto
Garcia landed in Santiago de Cuba. He
soon replaced Maceo as a dashing
fighter and a brilliant commander. At
the same time Gomez i'm Santa Clara
had won the important battle of Sara
toga and controlled the whole province.
The battle of Juan Criollo in February,
1897, was another Of Gomez's import
ant victories and in Santiago de Cuba
the latter part of the year was made
conspicuous by the triumph of General
Garcia at Victoria de las Tunas.
BLANCO AND AUTONOMY.
Weyler was recalled in November,
when after the death of Canovas and
the fall of the short-lived Azcarraga
cabinet, Senor Sagasta was selected as
Prime minister by the Queen Regent.
1t Is well-known fact that after the
message of President Mckinley Wey-
ler's recall was imposed upon Spain
by this country
General Don Ramon BlancO, who was
to change the sanguihary methods of
warfare of his predecessor, entered Ha-
vana Nov. 30, 1897 Spain granted to
Cuba an autonomist system, which has
been declared a mockery by all i'm
partial judges. The Cubans have re-
jected it, and the new regime inaH-
urated in Havana on the first day of
this year by General Blanco is now
generally considered as a complete
failure
The patriots have declared the ac-
ceptance of autonomy an act of treach-
cry To their flag. They have hanged
as spies all the Spanish agents sent to
them to propose such a scheme. They
have rejected with scorn the offers of
money made to them by Blanco. The
death Of the Cuban General Aranguren,
near Havana, has not discouraged the
patriots i'm the least, They keep up the
war as enthusiastically as ever, having
adopted as their motto Independence
or Death"