Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1906-10-05

armies were made of tried fighters
The Spanish were raw leyies. constant
Is renewed. Production OF sugar began
10 lessen. and agriculture generally was
on the wane. Spanish reforms took the
shape OF more obnoxious taxes. until
the Cuban paid SS4 yearly, while the
Spanish in their own land paid 81.
In 1871 the Cu0ans had issued az
appeal to civilization. showing the con.
litions that had grown from the declar-
alton Of independence at ManzanillC
in 1868. 1t was an appeal to touch tho
heart of humanity, and perhaps it did
but to no practical effect The Manza-
lilo declaration but embodied the sen.
riment sought to be put into practice by
Lopez in 1S4S. In that year Lopez
had landed with a small expedition and
met defeat In 1850 hv. made second
essay, and was again defeated. His
third attempt resulted in his capture,
and he was executed. Vain also were
the efforts Of Gen. Quitman in 1855. but
the seed such men sOwed was ripening
for the harvest.
Real Leader Arises.
It was in October, 1868. that Carlos
Manuel de Cespcdes. q lawyer raised
the standard of revolt. lie had but a
few hundred followers, and they but
partly armed. A month later his army
consisted of 12.OC0 men They won vie
tory after victory. Man for man the
Spanish were no match for Them and
so the regiments were poured in TO
perish of battle aud disease When
that he could not hold it. with the full
consent of the Inhabitants. it was his
wont to destroy ii before abandonment
so that into the hands OF the enemy
there fell naught but ruins. Don Do
mingo Dulce, the Spanish commander
made overtures of reconciliation. Mes
sengers sent to confer with him were
assassinated, and negotiations fell
through. The war degenerated into Il
guerrilla strife, as was unavoidable.
and for long years the Spanish were
harassed by foe they could not sub
due and never did subdue. For decades,
with intermittent periods of peace
that but presaged fresh outbreak, the
contest went on. Then opposition to
Spanish rule became impIacable. The
time for the final struggle had arrived.
The War of Yesterday.
That which followed is remembered
81 low Tho ~ Il
children OF the patriots were herded in
camps, there to die Of famine. Want
stalked through the fertile island be-
cause there WAS none to do the work.
The plow rusteI ana the hoe was idle.
The mill turned no more. But the pat
riots would not yield. though the whole
fair island be dcsolated and the last
Cuban give his life for liberty.
What would have been the outcome
had not the United States ordered
Spain back to her own continent and
driven her hence no man can say. That
there would have been practical exter-
mination is hardly to be doubted. In
the conduct of the Spanish there was
no hint of mercy or compromise. Wey-
ler placed in supreme control, was 4
man with soul untouched Of pity, Il
| hardened, brutal nature dominating his
every move He claimed the right to
make war in his own fashion, and the
United States arbitrarily took the right
! from him. For this Cuba had been
imploring for weary, almost hopeless,
years.
When liberty was first an accomplish
ed fact the Cubans chafed under the
| benign rule of the liberators. They
could not understand that there should
be restraint upon them. Had they noi
devoted their lives to securing freedom,
and where was the freedom? The Gu
ban. whatever his precise lineage, re-
coils now from anything that seems in
the least to curtail his prer0gatiye as 4
freeman.