The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-02
A THIRTY YEARS BATTLE
CUBA's LONG STRUGGLE FOR RE
LIEF FROM THE RULE OF SPAIN.
Resume OF the Many RevoIts Which,
Have at Last Brought Freedom.


New York Sun.
The dissolution of the Cuban Junto, which
sees its patriotic task accomplished. and the
complete evacuation of Cuba by the Span
iards, which is now close at hand, render the
present moment fit one for recalling the
vicissitudes Of a struggle for independence
that began thirty years ago and now ends
In victory. From the outset to the close
Of that memorable struggle the Sun has
never wayered in its support of the revolu-
tionists, and it would gladly join in the
erection of a monument to the martyrs and
the heroes who have died that Cuba might
be free.
In the early years Of this century, when
just and generous sentiments prevailed in
Spain, the status of Cuba, which had re-
manned faithful among many faithless col
onies, was assimilated to that Of a Spanish
province, and her deputies were admitted
to the Cortes. In 1925, however, autocratic
powers were conferred upon the captain
general, and, in 1886, although the Cuban
deputies to the Congress at Madrid had
been duly elected. they were not suffered
to take their seats. BY the constitution of
1897 the representation Of the island in the
Cortes was suppressed, and it was provided
that Cuba and Porto Rico should be ruled
by special laws, which, however, were
never enacted until after the ten years
war. That is to say, while all the former
Spanish possessions on the American main
land had their independence acknowledged
Cuba, the ever-faithful isle, was treated as
a foreign country. The product of its peo-
pies labor was confscated by ubiquitous
fiscal laws and by irregular but irresistible
exactions, while those Of its inhabitants who
dared to proclaim their love of liberty by
deed or word persisted on the scaffold.
In their despair the Cubans took up arms
in 1850, 1851 and 1855, but these ill-concerted
risings were quickly suppressed by massa-
ere. Fruitless, also, were repeated appeals
to the wisdom and equity of influential
statesmen at Madrid. In 1867 special com
missioners from Cuba and Porto Rico Were
sent to spain to implore social, political and
economic concessions, and Marshal SerranC
then regent and General Dulce, who had
been for some years captain general al
granting the request. Nevertheless, the pc
titlon was rejected; taxation was increased
and, although the island was then peaceful
a military court-martial was substituted FOL
the civil tribunals.
Convinced that they never could secure :
voluntary concession of justice from their
mother country the OUUduS ldQ RECOURSE
once more to arms. and a far more formld-
able inSurrection than any which had pre-
ViouSly occurred broke out on Oct. 10
1868, and continued for almost ten years
In the course Of that we'll organized re-
bellion, many important towns and some
SeapoTts were taken, and Spanish authority
was subverted in about two-thlrds Of The
island. In some respects indeed, a more
plausible case for the recognition of the IN
surgents as belligerents was presented II
the ten years war than during the recent
nd ig
Virginius affair in 1873. we not only should
have given such recognition, but should
have interposed on behalf of the insurgents
had not England and France notified Secre-
tary Fish that they could not permit us &c
treat the Cuban question as one in which
the United States and Spain were eXclu-
sivelv concerned. Such a notification was
of course, equivalent to q writ OF promol-
ton.
SPANISH BARRARITY.
That the acts of barbarism perpetrated by
the Spaniards during the ten years war af-
forded precedents for the regime of saw
agery maintained by General Weyler will be
evident when we recall that, in the twenty
seven months from October, 1868, to De-
cember, 1870, the Spaniards avowedly put
to death 1858 men. women and children,
outside of those who died fighting or
from wounds, or who were sent in irons to
Ceuta. Our secretary of state protested. but
a
1869, by the Condo De ValmaCeda to the
effect that every Cuban from the age of tf-
teen years who should be found out of his
house and not be able to give q good reason
for it should be shot, and that every house
without a white flag should be reduced to
ashes The policy of the Spanish command
ers was disclosed in letters, intercepted and
published in 1869, from Pedro Pardon, an Of
ficer of volunteers, to Rosendo Rivals:
Not single Cuban will remain in this isle.
because we shoot all those we find in the
fields, on their farms and in every hovel."
And again: I'VE do not leave a creature
alive where we pass, be 1t man or animal.
The island will become desert" This
policy drew the following comments from
the editor of a barcelona paper. the Fstad0
Catalan: "Blushing from shame, and with
hearts dripping blood we do confess, in
eigners are right; Africa begins at the Pyr-
enees, and not the Africa of the Moroccans,
but the Africa of the Kaffirs.
In spite of her recourse to indiscrlmi-
sacrifice Of 100000 soldiers and $500
100000, Spain proved unable to sup
press the insurrecuon. The ten years
war was stopped in 1873 not through the
superiority of the mother country in the
field, but by the treaty of ZanlOn, nego-
tiated by Marshal Martinez CampOs, relying
upon whose honor most Of the Cuban insur-
gent chiefs surrendered. believing that his
promises of political and fiscal reforms
would be honorably fulfilled.
1t was the fault. not of Marshal Martinez
CampOS. bit of the Madrid executive, that
SPANS phghted word was broken. For sew
enteen years the most strenuous endeavors
were made by leading Cubaus and by some
upright Sp2niardS to persuade the Madrid
government to comply with the terms of
the treaty of Zanjon. 1t was not until the
futiHty Of all such efforts was generally
recognized that the Cuban people deter
mined to recur once more to the funda-
mental right of revolution. In the winter
Of 1S9f-95, q new discretionary organiZa-
ton was started with Jose MART as its
civil head. the post of commander-in-chief
being allotted to Maxine Gomez by the
principal officers who had fought in the
ten years war. The date fixed for the upris-
ing was Feb. o. 1895. and the people re-
spOnded IL Santiago. Santa Clara and Ma
tanZas. In the two last named provinces,
however, the leaders were quickly impris-
oned, and thus, for the moment. the move
ment there was checked. On April ! Gen.
Antonio Maceo, Jose Maceo. and other vet
eran chiefs of the preceding revolt landed
in the province of Santiago, and thousands
arose to join them. On April II a detach-
ment of insurgents received Jose Marti and
Gen Maxine Gomez. Five days later Capt.
Gen. Calleja was succeeded by Marshal Mar
tinez Campos. who had the reputation of
being SPANS greatest general. and who
brought with him a reinforcement of some
1000 soldiers.
THE FAILURE OF C.AMPOS.
Campos's original plan of campaign was to
confine the Instruction to the province of
Santiago. He began by asserting that he