The times., 1898-12-13
General Lee,s Return.

dent is not insensible to the appeals of
fancy and is willing to advance poetic
justice. The war with Spain has had
many dramatic features, but among its
events few are more spectacular and sig
nificaEt than the return of General Lee
to Havana, not as a civil agent of a
friendly power, but at the head of an
army and as the representative of the
iron hand that beat down the naughty
and inso.ent Spaniard. A little more
than half a year ago General Lee was
the American consul general at Havana.
where he showed rare tact and judgment
in preventing outrages that would have
precipitated a war which the Govern
ment at Washington was not yet pre-
pared to proclaim. There were Ameri-
cans there whose interests and even lives
had to be guarded in way to give to the
Spanish governor no excuse for their ar
rest and perhaps their murder. There
was a volunteer force ready at any mo-
ment to become riotous and assault the
Americans. General Lees amiability
and his unrelenting firmncss enabled the
last of our countrymen to escape before
the Inevitable and imminent war could
make of them the victims of Spaaizh
hatred. 1t was as much his cool. placid
and successful manner of avoiding the
situation into which Bianco hoped
to place him. that brought on General
Lee the bitter animosity of that yindic-
tive Spaniard, as his known sympathy
with the Cubans. At the last our repre-
sentative, always urbane and punctiiious,
was treated with scant courtesy by
glanco, and when he made his final call
at the palace he was not received
HIS still smiling farewell was in the
promise that he would return. the next
time at the head of an army.
General Lee will keep his promise on
Thursday. it is expected. but it is less
difficult than he had expected or hoped.
1t has been his misfortune as a soldier
to have been reserved for the anticipat-
ed assault on the capital The amazing
work of Dewey and Schley, however,
made it impracticable for Spain to sur
yive the surrender at Santiago. There is
no need to assault the dismantled works
that surround the place. Still. his entry
into Havana is full of dramatic interest.
The place is yet under the authority of
SPAIN her soldiers fill its streets and
terrosize its people her volunteers, I'M
paid and under arms, are a constant
menace to good order and to the lives of
the Cubans. The Americans have made
no impression on the community The
three useless and impotent Commission
ers. with their scores of subordinates ard
servants, fill one of the largest hotels of
the place, but they are not familiar fig
ures in the public places where drunken
or reckless Spanish soldiers are eager TO
display their hatred and contempt. The
occasional American who walks down a
principal street is still an object of popu-
lar curiosity and sometimes of insult.
The coming of the Commissioners was
not an event. There was no enthusiasm, no
loud acclaim-nothing to suggest that the
reign of the Spaniard was closing Dis
appointment at the quiet installation at
Havana of the tinlid and inactive ad-
vance guard of Americans was followed
by disgust and anger at their subservi-
ence to Blanco.
This coming will be different. Into the
harbor will enter the transports covered
with American flags while from the forts
will thunder the few remaining cannon
to be answered by the booming of the
guns of the ships. The regimental bands
will blare the American national airs and
the tune of Cuba Libre, to the cheers
of thousands of American soldiers and a
whole city full of Cubans emboldened by
what deeps of degradation the people
have been forced by the tyrant in the
past half year can fancy the ecstasy of
this return of General Lee in the minds
of the wretched natives. Here will be
visible and audible proofs that Spain was
defeated. of which Havana has hitherto
had none. Here is the real ending of
Spanish rule and the beginning of life
1t means food for the starving. work for
the Industrious, safety for the timid
peace to people worn to despair by Sc
we're military government It means the
establishment OF courts of justice, the
release of political prisoners, and what
ever is essential to any tolerable sort of
living, For nearly five months the Presi-
hell of Havana, one day of which
would drive the people of Washington to
desperation. He has permitted thou
sands to die of hunger-innocents whose
sufferings had inspired the whole Ameri-
can people to cry for war. They have
had no reason to know that Weyler was
not still the highest authority in Cuba,
since his policy has confirmed reJeutless
ly. The coming of General Lee long the
friend of Cuba and hated of all the Span
iards, is the beginning of the end. The
friendship he displayed for Cubans when
it was full of danger now brings them
final release from all the horrors of the
past.
The Administration and the Senate have
most TO lose by the policy of secrecy that
the Peace Commissioners nave adopted