The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-02-26

mother country, he took the boy along.
According to Spanish law, the town in
which one is baptized is recognized as his
legal birth place, so it was easy enough to
legitimatze the infant Campos. He grew
UP in Spain, and when sent to Cuba as
captain general, TO his everlasting credit
be it said that one of his first acts was
to hunt up his mother. Having found her,
old and poor, he bought fine house in
Campo Florida the aristocratic suburb CT
Havana, established her therein, and cared
for her tenderly till she died. The cousins,
though on opposite sides OF the war, be-
friended each other in many instances and
il IS said that more than once captain
General Campos owed his life to his IN
acknowledged relative. Antonio Maceos
devotion to the cause OF Cuba libre was
like that of mother 10 her child Money
could not buy him, nor specious promises
deceive. and he died as he had lived,
standing nobly by his principles. His half
brother Jose Maceo, was captured early
In the war and sent to that dreadful
African prison, Ceuta, whence he escaped,
later on. with Quintin Bandera and others
OF his staff.
Quintin Bnndera's Career.
The last named negro colonel is today
prominent figure in Havana "Qulntin
Bandera" means Fifteen flags" and the
appelIation was bestowed upon him by his
grateful countrymen after he had captured
fifteen Spanish ensigns. Everybody seems
to have forgotten his real name, and
"Quintin Bandera'' he will remain in his
tory. While in the African penal settle
ment the daughter OF a Spanish staff off,
Ger fell in love with him. The blind archer
who laughs at locksmiths induced her TO
assist him to escape and flee with him to
Gibraltar, and there he became British
subject and married his rescuer. She Is
Of Spanish and Moorish descent. and Is
said to be lady of education and refine
mental any rate. she taught her husband
TO read and write, and feeis unDouhded
pride in his achievements
The noted general, Jesus Rsbi, OF the Gu
ban army is of the same mixed blood as
the Maceos-lndian, negro, and Spanish.
Another well-known negro commander is
Cen Flor Crombet, whose patriotic deeds
have been dimmed by his atrocious cruel
ties Somebody has aptly characterized
him as the Dessalines of Cuba and Antonio
Maceo its Toussant rOuverture.
Among all the sold-lace bedizened OIL
GERS now swarming Havana none attracts
more admiring attention than General Du-
casse a tall fne-looking mulatto, who was
educated at the French military school OF
ST. Cvr. He is of extremely polished man
ners and undeniable force OF character
can make brilliant address, ana mas great
| influence among the masses. To eject such
| a man as he from third-rate foreign res
! taurapt in his own land would be deemed
| sufficient cause for call TO arms. His
! equally celebrated brother, Col. Juan Du-
! casse, was killed last year in the Plnar
| del Rio insurrection.
The Poet valdez.
| Besides these sons OF Mars. Cuba has
! considered her history enriched by the
| achievements of coored men in peaceful
walks of life The memory of Gabriel Con-
| cepcion de la Valdez, the mulatto poet, Is
| cherished as that of saint. He was ac-
| cused by the Spanish government OF COM
plicity in the slave insurrection oil 18Th
and condemned to be shot IN his native
| town, Matanzas. One bright morning IN
Nav he stood by the old statue of Ferdi-
nand VII, in the Plaza d'Armas, calmly
facing a row of muskets along whose
shining barrels the sun glinted. The first
yolIey failed to touch a vital SPOT. Inc
brave victim bleeding from several
| wounds. still stood erect, and, pointing 10
his heart, said in clear voice, AIM
here"
Another mulatto author, educator, ana
profound thinker was Antonio Medina, a
priest and professor of San Basilio the
Greater He acquired wide reputation as
| poet novelist and ecclesiastic, both in
Spain and Cuba and was selected by the
Spanish Academy to deliver the ora ION on
the anniversary of Cervantes' de; h, in
Madrid.
His favorite Cuban pupil was Juan Gual-
| berto Gomez. the mulatto journalist, who
has been imprisoned time and again for
offences against the Spanish press laws
Senior Gomez. whose home is in Matanzas,
is now on the shady side of forty. spec
tacled and scholarly looking man. After
the peace of Zanjon he elaborated in the
periodicals published by he Marquis OF
Sterling. In 1879 he founded in Habana
the newspaper La Fraternidad. devoted to
the interests of the colored race. For 4
certain fiery editorial he was deported to
Ceuta and kept there two years. Then he
| went to Madrid and assumed the manage
ment of La Tribuna, and in 1890 returned
TO Havana and resumed the publication OF
La Fraternidad.
Equally famous as a journalist is Senior
Nestor Ponce de Leon, who shows scarce
ly trace OF the African blood in his veins
Senior de Leon was born in Havana about
sixty years ago but on account of his
revolutionary newspaper, La Verdad. was
exiled and his property confiscated, in 1869