The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-10-28

| volt in Cuba, and he believed that the
powerful faction would rally to his sup
port Landing at Cardenas, he tooi
the Unattended city without mucf
trouble; bubt held it only two days
when he was compelled to retire. The
Cubans distrusted and failed to sup
port him, remembering that he was q
Spaniard, who had gained high rank in
the army Of the oppressor,
The following year he came again IN
| hls staunch ship" Pa1mpero," with SIX
hundred men. In our southern states
I there was no pretense of disguise in the
object of the expedition and the de-
talls OF it We're foolshly made public;
SO the Spanlards We're fully warned
and had time to lay a trap for Lopez.
| Being advised that he meant to land in
the eastern end of the island, they
sent letters to him. purporting to come
from Cuban patriots, persuadng him
TO land in the western portion and
| promising to support him. He stopped
| at Key West to take on coal, landed at
\ Bahla Honda, as the Spaniards had
planned and marched into the interior
! where the instruction was to take
| place. His second in commapd-W. S.
| Crittendon, a graduate of West Point,
| who had already enviabble laurels in
| the Mexican war, though only twenty
| eight years old-remained at the sea-
| side as a base of operations. Hearing
nothing from Lopez and KNOWING
therefore that his mission had failed,
Chittenden made desperate attempt to
| escape with his men in open boats; but
this attempt had been counted on by
the Spanlards and all We're captured
and taken to Havana. The United
States consul was appealed to for as
sistance, but declined to Interfere; and
it is said that, fearing for his own safe
ty, he did not even visit the captives in
prison to take last messages to their
sorroWing families. Proceedings were
prompt. Lopez was not permitted the
honrable death of a soldier, but was
garroted in the public square, where
all might see the horrible black bundle
tied In the fatal chair and hear the
bones crack under the iron collar as
the executioner slowly turned the fatal
screw. Forty-nne of his men were
shot, and the rest loaded with chains
and sent to that dreadful African pris-
on, Cueta, where they We're held in ser
vitude several months, during which
most of them died. Poor Crittenden, a
promising young fellow from an aristo-
cratic southern family, was shot under
the walls of old Port Atares, with all
his men. He refused to kneel with his
back to the firing party, according to
the Spanish custom, but fearlessly
faced the bullets, standing erect, say
ing that he knelt only to his God. Re-
port says that the bodies of the vic
Tins We're treated to frightful indgn-
les
Three times between Lopez day and
the late war with Spain did Uncle Sam
uel seriously consider the acquisition of
Cuba by purchase or conquest. 1t is
not new story, but it will do us no
harm to Turkish up our history Late
in the fifties bill was introduced into
both houses of congress declaring it
expedient that the key of the Antilles
should be in possession of the United
States, and that negotiations should beb
opened with Spain, looking to the pur-
chase of Cuba, for sum not exceeding
one hundred million dollars. 1t had
been expected that the solid south
would particularly favor the scheme;
but when the matter came up for dis
cussion in the senate Mr.. Soule, of
Louisiana. led a strong opposition. He
wanted the island, bubt not by pur
chase He was brilliant speaker and
his slightly foreign accent, fmpassioned
speech and personal magnetism added |
to the charm Of his oratory. The bill |
was lost in the senate and never came
out of the committee on foreign rela
lions, but Mr.. Soules words still live in
the Congressional Record, and his |
prophecy has been fulfilled. Said he, |
in final burst of eloquence: Let the
United States go and take the captive
Queen, of the Antilles to her ample bo-
som! / hope to live to see the day
when the golden and bloody flag of |
Spain shall float no more over any ter
ritory, be it island or city, which of
right should be dominated by the
American nation; when the flag of cru
city and tyranny shall be replaced by
the banner which to-day floats above
this Capitol-the flag of the free"
Meanwhile other influences were
luietly at workk. Colonel E. V. Sum
1er who was then in Europe. was COM
nissioned to ascertain how move
nent tending to the purchase of the is
and would be regarded by France and
spain, but it was necessary to go
about it very diplomat ically lest rela-
ions be strained with the French for
ign office. Hon. John Y. Mason, then
,ur minister to the court of st. Cloud
vas left out of the latter altogether
md Colonel Sumner sounded the Duke
# Morney. the emperor's half brother
Who was the ruling spirit of the French
oreign office. He declared himself
trenuously opposed to any attempt to
oerce Spain into yielding her island,
ither under threats or moral pressure,
nd minated that if the United States
PERSISTED in her effort to acquire Cuba
he would have France to deal with as
veil as Spain.
Then for a decade nothing more was
card about the purchase of Cuba. In
IS, after our civil war was over and
lavery dead, the suggestion came from
pain herself. 1t was General Prim,
ieneral Serrano and Marshal O'Donnel
the three liberal leaders of Spain
mo had been banished by Queen Iso-
ella, returned TO their native land and
'ere so successful in pushing their re-
.