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Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbole — ► signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbole V signifie "FIN". Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at diffe'")nt reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: . Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent §tre filmds A des taux de reduction diff6rents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul cliche, il est filmd d partir de I'angle supdrieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 HON. LYMAN J. GAGE Sec'y of the Treasury HON. JOHN D. LONG Sec'y of the Navy HON. JAMES WILSON Sec'y of Agrlcullure HON. WM. R. DAY. Sec'y of State PRESIDENT Mckinley HON. JOHN W, GRIGGS Attomtv-General HON. HON. . CHARLES EMORY SMITH Posttnasier-General. RUSSELL A. ALGER Sec'y of War. HON. CORNELIUS N. BLISS Sec'y of Interior REAR ADMIRAL GEORGE DEWEY Commanding Asiatic Squadron COMMODORE W. S. SCHLEY Cumnianding Flying Squadron HEAR ADMIRAL Wm. T. SAMPSON Commanding North Atlantic Squadron CAPTAIN R. D. EVANS Of the Battleship Iowa CAPTAIN C. V. GRIDLEV Of the Cruiser Olympia ...PICTORIAL HISTORY.. OF Our War with Spain CO U z < Q s Z D O UJ O! X n H Hi O o ^ 5= Ul X C^ p H m Z w ^^ X H H X H a < Oi Oi ^ UJ Z 5 g 1 < H Z f1 < r z UJ K H W ri > u u 3 g Q Z < < u OQ (/I X (*) 1 ) •t (A c (rt Z tl) 5 < < u (U ui s u H u 1" i g n z w X O u Oi u fc d. g at t,,0tmtiimimmmmm V m -^^^Hi^Z/ '"^v -'». v ._ VJsM*zKir, ^r H W.'i^ \ „' V r i s* r. ;■■ ■ "S*^ p^ ■-.,. ." , .,' * "^ , -> '■ ' ,'i '.■ y • .«te^ f^- .^^^^HH9lillv\Vv'^^ " . •» ' "^f ^^ " ' '^SP^' 'f^ ''■".v.-# ^3r ' " *"^'i ■ f ' <^ "■i^'-<'a *^^ ^ \...:-d-u " ' . ' ^"^^W' "-r. ' V ^W . J^ . ^^|||a "iS^gl^^^mm , ^' ' * ^ 1. ' ,i- -ft'. ■ . ;\ - ^^^K^m/ ."'"' '>^.r li^ii^^ittl ^1^ if ^l^M^^ ' 'il^ ' '^ ' ! ^ f) .;^^ * '' ' ' ' ,, * H o i i LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Photograph Group— President McKinley and His Cabinet. Photograph Group— Dewey, Sampson, Evans, Schlej, and Gridley. Photograph Group— Shafter, Merritt, Wheeler, Broolie and Koosevelt. Photograph Group— Sagasta, Wejler, Don Carlos, August! and Camara. t lerce Fighting at El Cauey, showing the Block House. Services at the Burial of the "Maine" Victims. Headquarters of Cuban I'atriots- Key West. Cuban Soldiers and Recruiting Offlcer"^in the Insurgent Army— Cuba A Cuban Home. Harbor View— San Juan. Panoramic View of San Juan. Main Business Street in Manila. Patrol Boats Guardiug American Fleet at Night. The Heroic Dash of the Seventy-First New York Volunteers. An Artillery Dash. Troop Transports leaving San Francisco for Manila. Field Practice with Artillery and Surgical Work. Clara Barton and Her Work in a Cuban Hospital. U. S. Artillery to the Front. Captain Sigsbee of the Ill-fated "Maine." General Stewart L. Woodford— Late U. S. Minister to Spain. General Nelson A. Miles. United States Soldiers Marching to the Front. General Fit'D HUMANITY. - ri»:,, ■■'■ Except for protoction against Indian outbreaks, the United States had been at peace for thirtj^ years, Avhen tlie war cloud began to loom in the horizon. It was with a full realization of the blessings of peace that the American people yielded to the demands of humanity and righteous justice, to take up arms again in the cause of liberty. There was no haste, no lack of caution, no excited plunge into hoslilities with- out proper grounds. The nation made sure that it was right. An intol- rrable condition of affairs resulting from years of agony in a neighbor island, with half a dozen immediate reasons, anj' one sufficient, was the absolute justification for this ludy war. Spain is the Turk of the West. Spain is an obsolete nati'on. Living in the past, and lacking cause for pride to-day, she gloats over her glonous explorations and her intellectual prowess of the middle ages when nmch of Europe was in darkness. Then Spain's flag led pioneers throughout the world. But her pride wa« based on achievements, many of which, to the people of any other nation, would have been the disgrace of its history. No indictment of Spain can ever be more severe, more scathing, if its true significance be considered, than the famous phrase which (me of her proudest poets created to characterize her flag of red and yellow. "Sangre y oro," he said, "blood and gold — a stream of gold between two rivers of blood." It is almost a sufficient characterization to indicate the whole na- tional spirit of Spain, to recall that this phrase is the proud expres- sion used by the Spanish people to glorify their own flag. That senti- ment is in no stronger contrast to the American phrase, "the star-span- glepearance of ofi'ense or threat against the authority of Spain, with which v>e Avere living in amit}-, that immediately upon the outbreak of hostilities in Cuba tnis practice was suspended, so far as it applied A WAR FOR LIBERTY AND HUMANITY, 35 to that island. Our ships cruised through the oceans of the world and called at all ports where the.y were not needed, but the waters of Havana harbor for three years were never disturbed by an Amer- icau keel. Out of deference to the expi'essed wishes of the local Spanish author- ities in Havana, Dr. linrj^'ess, the splendid surgeon of the United States Marine Hospital service in Havana, who for thirty years lias guarded our southern ports fivim the epidemics of yellow fever and smallpox, which would invade us annually as a result of Spanish misgovernment in Cuba, except for his watchfulness, ceased flying the American flag on his steam launch, by means of which he carried out his official duties in those foul waters. The American flag was a disturbing influence upon the minds of the Cubans who might see it flashing in the clear sunlight of the tropic sky, suggested the Captain General. It must have been (he language of diplomacy that wa.s in mind, when the satirist explained that "language was intended as a medium for concealing thought." President McKinley, in his message to Con- gress transmitting the report of the naval board concerning the catas- trophe to the Maine, explained that for some time prior to the visit of the battle-ship to Havana harbor, it had been considered a proper change in the policy, in order to accustom the people to the presence of our flag as a symbol of good will. The decision to send the vessel to that harbor was reached, it was explainetl, after conference with the Spanish minister, and, through our diplomats, with the Spanish author- ities at Madrid and Havana. It was declared that this intention was received by the Spanish government with high appreciation of the cour- tesy intended, which it was offered to return by sending Spanish ships to the principal ports of the United States. We are bound to accept this expression from the officials on both sides as frankly indicative of their feelings. But it is just as necessary to recognize that to the mass of the people in both countries, the signifi- cance of the Maine's courtesy call was very different. Americans be- lieved that it indicated a changed policy on the part of the national government at Washing-ton which would be more strenuous and more prompt in resenting outrages against the life and property of Amer- ican citizens in Cuba. The people of the Cuban republic believed that the change meaut an expression of sympathy and friendship for their cause, with probable interference in their behalf, and tools courage from that sign. Finally, the people of Spain resented the airpearance of the Maine in the harbor of Havana as an affront, and a direct threat 36 A WAR FOR LIBERTY AND HUMANITY. ill'. n^ainst them and in favor of the insurgents. If the policy of making frequent calls in warships had never been interrupted, they would not have had this sentiment in the matter, but the resumption of the practice after three years' cessation, carried a threat with it in their minds. Treacherous Destruction of the Maine. The Maine entered the harbor of Havana at sunrise on the 25th of January and was anchored at a place indicated by the harbor-master. Her arrival was marked with no special incident, except the exchange of customary salutes and ceremonial visits. Three weeks from that night, at forty minutes past nine o'clock in the evening of the 15th of February, the Maine was destroyed by an explosion, by which the entire fonvard pai't of the sliip was wrecketl. In this frightful catas- trophe 2G4 of her crew and two officers perished, those who were not killed outright b}' the explosion being penned between decks by the tangle of wreckage and drowned by the immediate sinking of her hull. In spite of the fact that the American public was urged to suspend judgment as to the causes of this disaster, and that the Spanish authori- ties in Havana and in Madrid expressed grief and sympathy, it was impossible to subdue a general belief that in some way Spanish treach- ery was responsible for the calamity. With the history of Spanish cruelty in Cuba before them, and the memory of Spanish barbarities through all their existence as a nation, the people could not disabuse their minds of this suspicion. One month later this popular judgment was verified by the finding of the naval court of inquii*y which had made an exhaustive examina- tion of the wreck, and had taken testimony from every available source. With this confirmation and the aroused sentiment of the country con- cerning conditions in Cuba, the logic of events was irresistibly drawing the country toward war with Spain, and all efforts of diplomacy and expressions of polite regard exchanged between the governments of the two nations were unable to avert it. For a few weeks, history was made rapidly. Conservative and emi- nent American senators visited Cuba in order to obtain personal infor- mation of conditions there, and upon their return gave to Congress and to the country, in eloquent speeches, the story of the sufferings they had found in that unhappy island. The loss of the Maine had focused American attention upon the Cuban situation as it had never been be- fore, and though there were no more reasons for sympathetic interfer* A WAR FOR LIBERTY AND HUMANITY. 37 ence than there had been for many months, people began to realize as thej' had not before, the horrors that were being enacted at their threshridfj. The sailors who died with the Maine, even though they were not able to fight their country's foes, have not dlcnl in vain, for it is their death that will be remembered as the culminating influence for American intervention and the salvation of scores of thousands of lives of staning CJuban women and children. Vessels were loaded with supplies of pro< visions and clothing for the suffering and were sent to the harbors of Cuba, where distribution was made by Miss Clara Barton and her trusted associates in the American National IJed Cross. Some of these vessels were merchant steamers, but others were American cruisers, and Cubans were not permittetl to forget that there was a flag which typified libert)', not far away. The strain upon the national patience increased every day, and was nearing the breaking point. President and Congress Act. After a period of restlessness in Congress which was shared by the whole country, the President finally transmitted an important message. It included a resume of the progress of the Cuban revolution from its beginning and considered in some detail the workings of that devastat- ing policy of General Weyler, known as reconcentration. The message related the progress of diplomatic negotiations with Spain, and dis- closed a surprising succession of events in which the Spanish govern- ment had submitted to various requests and recommendations of the American government. The message ended with a request that Con- gress authorize and empower the President to take measures to secure a full and final termination of the intolerable conditions on the island of Cuba. Having exhausted the powers of the executive in these efforts, it was left to the legislative authority of the American people to estab- lish such policies as would be finally efficient. Congress rose to the occasion. The facts were at command of both houses, their sympathies were enlisted at the side of their reason and. there was little time lost in acting. The House and the Senate, after mutual concessions on minor details, passed as a law of the land for the President's signature, an act directing him and empowering him to require Spain to withdraw her troops and relinquish all authority over the island of Cuba. The President was authorized to employ the army and navy of the United States for the purpose of carrying into 38 A WAR FOR LIBERTY AND HUMANITY, effect this instruction and the interft'i'eucc was directed to be made at once. Best of all, from the point of view of the Cuban patriots, the act declared that the p(H)ple of Cuba are and ouf^ht to be free and inde- pendent. But a few days more of diplomacy, and war was to begia. Spain Defies America. It was hardly to be expected that the Spanish ld of the present dynasty upon the throne of Spain, that it Avas readily understood th'it any concession upon the part of the Queen Kegent would arouse Spanish Indian; tion beyond the limits of endurance. The Queen-mother had to think of her baby son's crown. If she Avere to yield to the superior poAver of the United States AA'ithout a struggle, Spanish re\oluti()uists AA'ould over- throAV the dynasty before he could come to the throne, IIoAA'evor aa'cII she might know that the logical outcome of a Avar would be overAvhelm- ing defeat to Spanish arms, political neceissities compelled her to take the position dictated by Sj)anish pride. The Spanish Cortes met in s])0('ial session at Madrid, and on the 20th of April the Queen Begeut delivered her speech befoi'e that legis- lative body and declared that her parliament was summoned in the hour of peril to defend her country's rights and her child's throne, whatever sacrifice might be entailed. It Avas on that same day that President McKinley presented the ultimatum of the United States to Spain, in language diplomatic in form, but carrying A\^ith it a definite notice to yield Cuba's freedom and relinquish her pretense of authority in that island Avithout delaj'. A copy of the ultimatum was forAvarded to the Spanish ambassador at Washington, Senor Polo y B^rnabe, who responded by asking for his. passports and safe conduct out of the country-. Having reached the point where diplomacy no longer availed, the Spanish government for the first time made an aggressive move a^.iinst the United States. Instead of Avaiting for the transmission of the ulti- matum by American Minister SteAvart L. Woodford, the ministry fore- stalled him and dismissed him from Madrid without affording him an opportunity to present that important document. It had been trans- mitted to Madrid by cable from the Spanish Minister in W^ashington, and the government felt no need to wait for formal messages from the enemy's representative in Spain. Minister W^oodford left Madrid with- A WAR FOR LllJKKTV AND UUMANITY, n9 out «lola.v, and finally reached the French frontier, after bein}; snbjectoin;? the tires of the wheels with steel hannners to test them for ii possible Haw or break in the wheel, and it was thig that made the Spanish Minister believe that he was tlie victim of an American outrage. First Guns Are Fired. The United States cruiser Nashville of the North Atlantic squadron, with headquai-ters at Key Wesit, had the honor of flnng the first shot in our war with S]>ain. Early on the morning of Friday, April 22, the American fleet sailed from Key West, and, steaming southward across the straits of Florida, came in sight of Havana, and the frowning fortifications of Morro Castle before six o'clock the same aftcn'uoon. The sailing of the fleet, as dawn Avas creeping over the Florida keys, was a beautiful sight and a signiticant one, for from the time the first signals were hoisted until many days after, there was hardly an hour of inactivity. It was at three o'clock in the morning that the signal lights began to Hash from the New York, Admiral Sami)son's flagship. Answering signals appeared on tlje warships all along the line, and in a few moments black smoke began to belch from the funnels of all the ships and the crews woke from (piietness to activity. As soon as day began to break, the cruisers and gunboats inside the harbor hoisted anchors and moved out to join +he big battleships which Avere already' lined outside the bar. At five o'-'clock, when all th'^ fleet were gathered around the battleships. Captain Sampson signaled from tlu New York to go ahead. The forn it z H b >^ H Z u > u (/) u as X O 'J C ac ^ o £ a: •£ w i 3= * c X e h 3 M y 5 I y u (A u K O u fO (n OU 8 ira !^ o oi D u 0< U] A WAR FOR LIBERTY AND HUMANITY. 45 •^51 First Spanish Ship Captured. The fleet had proceeded twelve miles from Sand Key Light, which lies seven miles southeast oT Key West, when the Nashville signaleil the llafi'ship that a vessel flying the Sjmnish colors liad been sighted. Admiral Sampson signaled fr(;m the New York for the Nashville to go and take it. The Nashville bore down on the Spanish ship and fireil a bhlnk shot from the port guns aft. This did not stop the Spaniard, and, to give a more delinite hint, a solid shot was fired close over its bows. The Spanish ship immediately hove to and waited to know its fate. The vessel proved to be the Buena Ventura, with a crew of about !; vty men, bound from rascagoula t<> Ilottenlam with a cargo of : .liber, caftle and mis. cllaneous frei'^iit. As soon as possible a boat was lowered from tin- Nashville oiu\ an officer was sent aboard the Baena Ventura. WJien the Spanish captain was informed that his ship could not proceed, he took his capture gracefully, shrugged his shoul- ders, and said he suppc^sed it was only the fortune of war. It was sug- gested to him that the cai)ture of a ship bearing that name, wliich, translated, means "good fortune," as the first prise of the A.iierican fleet in the war, seemed to be a striking coincidence. A prize crew of marines under Ensign T. V. Mngruder was placed aboard, and, with the Nashville in the lead, both ships set out for Key West. Inasmu<'h as the Buena Ventura was the first capture by the Amer- ican navy in the war, it liad a mc.re definite interest than a success of the samf t^o' ; would have a few mouths later. The first shot was fired by GUx O'i M'cl.ael Mallia of the Nashville, who therefore has the dis- tinctio ; I'v :•• the first shot in the war. The prize was a rich one, estimated i > he worth, including vessel and cargo, nearly f 500,000, and the prize nxjuej' resulting became a teaipting amount. Captain Washburne Maynard, commander of the Nashv,ile, who g'dnwl the dis- tinction of makin.g the first capture, is a native of Knox^ ille, Teun. lie is a son of former United States Senator Horace ]\i..ynard, and at t])e time of the cajjtui'e was about fifty yeo'-i old. lie entered the An- nap(!lis Naval Academy at the age of seventeen and graduated at the liciul " his class. lie was far a number of years stationed in Alaska, and ; 1 *>'e time of gaining his present distinction had been in command of the ]■ v 'vilu for four years. Blockade of Havana Begun. After the Nashville left the fleet to return to Key West with its prize, the remaining vessels of the squadron steamed onward toward 46 A WAR FOK LIHEKTY AND HUMANITY. the Cubiiu cuast, Cominj^- withiu fiftoeu miles of Moito Castle, the fleet scattered iu a more open line of battle, some of the vessels turning to the east and others to the west, and making the blockade of the port complete. Xo ship conld enter or leave the harbor, and every day brought new prizes to the vessels of the blockay tlie issuance of orders to tlie organized militia of the District of Columbia. Before dinner time the drums were beating and tlie roll was being called within sight and sound of the White House, and before night the drum beats were heard fr{)m the Atlantic to the Pacific and from the Ciulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes. There was no interruption in the sequence of ca])t.ures by the Ameri- can ficet ai'ound Havana, and two prizes of considerable value were added to the list. On Saturday the gunboat Helena took the big steamer Miguel Jover, a vessel of more than 2,000 tons, with a full cargo of cot- ton and staves on board. The prize was worth not less than ^100,000. Friday night the Helena left Key West to follow the main fleet, but instead of sailing directly for Havana, turnexcept contraband of war, is not seizable under llie enemy's llaj;. :'.. A blockade to be obligatory must be elTective — viz.: It must be main- taiued with snllicient force to lucvent access (o the enemy's littoral. ■i. Th(> Spanish government, upliolding its right to grant letters of manjue, will at present confine itself to oigani/ing, with the vessels of the mercantile marine, a force of auxiliary cruisers which will cooperate with the navy according to the xieeds of the campaign and will 1> under naval >ntrol. n. In order to capture the enemy's ships and confiscate the enemy's mer- ..adise and contraband of war under whatever form, the auxiliary cruisers will exercise the riglit of search on the high seas and in the waters under tile enemy's jurisdiction, in accordance with international law and the regu- lations which will be ]»ublis]ied. (5. Defines what is inchided in contraband of war, naming weapons, am- munition, e(piipments, engines, and, in general, all the ajjpliances used iu war. 7. To be regarded and judged as i)irates with all the rigor of the law are captains, masters, oflicers, and two-thirds of the crews of vessels wliicli, not being American, sliall commit acts of war against Spain, even if provided with letters of marque issued by the United States. Following is a snnnnary of the more important of the five clauses outlining the rules Spain announced she Avoukl observe during the war: The United States Makes Reply. It took the ITcuse of Representatives just one minute and forty-one seconds on Monday to pass a declaration of war which replied to that of Spain. The Senate acted almost as promptly, and their respective presiding officers and the President of the United States signed the Act of Congress immediately, so that it became at once a law of the laud. The declaration of war was passed by Congi"ess in response to a message from the President requesting that action in the following terms: 3 56 A WAR FOR LlliERTY AND HUMANITY. TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED stated; OF AMERICA: I tniiismit to CoiiRn^ss for its consideration and appropriate action copies of correspondence recently had witli the representative of Spain in the United States, with the United Sta-es Minister at Madrid, and through the latter with the government of Si)ajn, showing tlie action taken nnder the joint resolution ajtproved A])ril 20, 1S98, *'for the recognition of the indt'- j)endence of tlie people of Cuba, demanding that the goveriiiiient of Spain relinquish its autliority and government in the island of Cuba and to with- draw its land and naval forces from Cuba and Cuban waters, and directing tlu- Tresideni of tlie Ignited Statcvs io carry these resolutions into effect." Upon communicating with the Spanish Minister in Wasliingtou the de- mand which it became the duty of the executive to address to the government of Spain, in obedience to said resolution, the said Minister asked for his pass- ports and withdrew. The United States Minister at Madrid was in turn notified by the Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs that the withdrawal of the Spanish representative from the United States had terminated diplo- matic relations between the two countries, and that all ofHcial communica- tions between their resj)ective representatives -eased therewith. I recommend to 'your special attention the note addressed to the United States Minister at Madrid by the Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs on the iilst Inst., whereby the foregoing notification was conveyed. It will be per- ceived therefrom that the governmejit of Spain, having cognizaace of the joint resolutive: f the United States Congress, and in view of things whid- the President i« thereby required and authorized to do, responds by treating tlie representative demands of this government as measures of hostility, fol- lowing with that instau : and coTuplete severance of relations by its action nhereby the usage of nations accompanies an existent state of war betweu sovereign powers. Tlie position of Spain being thus made known, and the demands of the United States being denied, Vvilh a complete ruptu'"*' of intercourse by the act of Spain, I have been constrained, in exercise of the power and authoriiy conferred npo?i me by th(> joint resolution aforesaid, to proclaim, under date of April 22j 1S!'/S, a, blockide <•! certain ports on the north coast cf Cuba lying between Cardouas and liahia Honda, and of the port of Cientuegos on the south coast of Cuba; and further, in exercLse of my constitutional powers, and ii;:;ng the iuithority conferred upcm me by the act of Congress ajtjiroved April 22, 1898, to issue my proclamation, aated April 2:5, 1X'.)H, calling for volunteers in order to cairy into effect the said resolutions of April 20, 1898. Co])ies of tliese proci. mations are hereto ai)pended. In vitw of the nieasuies so cakeu, and with a view to the adoption of such other measures as may be necessary to enable me to carry out the expressed will of the Coiigress of the United States in the premises, I now recommend A WAR FOR LIBERTY AND HUMANITY. 57 to your honorable body the adoption of a joint resolution declaring that a state of war exists between the Jnited States of America and the Kingdom of Spain, and I urge speedy action thereon, to the end that the definition of the international status of the United States as a belligerent power may be made known, and the assertion of all its rights and the maintenance of all its duties in the conduct of a public war may be assured. WILLIAM M'KINLEY. Executive Mansion, Washington, April 25, 1898. War Is Declared. The formal declaration of war as passed by the houses of Congress wvlh short and pointed, worthy of recollection as a model for such uii« pleasant documents. It read as follows: A BILL DECLARING THAT WAR EXISTS BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE KINGDOM OF SPAIN. Be it enacted, e+c: First — That w r be and the same is hereby declared to exist and that war has existed since tin- 21 st day of April, A, D. 1898, including said day, between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Spain. Second — That the President of the United States be, and he hereby is, directed and empowered to use the entire land and naval forces of the United States and to call into the actual service of the United States the militia of the several States to such extent as may be necessary to carry this act into effect. Diplomacy was still taking a hand in the war. Spain was indignant at the attack on Spanish possessions and endeavored to arouse sympathy among her Europ(>an neighbors. The Queen Kegent addressed tele- grams to all the sovereigns of Europe protesting against ^h(i vitiation of the rights of Spain by the United States, and declaring that her gov- ernment was firmly resolved never to j'ield until cruslic I. This was a personal communication from one sovereign to her brother sovereigns of the continental kingdom. At the same time there was made i»ublie Spain's memorandum to all the Eul'o])ean jHJwers which was an ollicial utterance of the Si)auish ministry and siguetl by Seiior Qullon, the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs. The memorandum began by recording the "moral and material aid the Cuban rebels have received from the United States" in filibustering expeditions and the operations of the junta. It mentioned Spain's re- HH* HPHIIII 58 A WAR FOR LIBERTY AND HUMANITY. peated and positive denials to the allegations of cruelty toward the Cubans, and laid great stress upon President Cleveland's dispatch of Dec. 7, 1896, to the effect that peace would be possible if Spain gave a sufficient autonomy to Cuba, The memorandum contended that, in the face of the new liberal constitution granted Cuba, which "has already borne fruits," it was difficult to understand why President McKinley, in his message of Dec. 6, 1897, and General Woo(^lford, in the note of Dec. 20, 1897, should still doubt Spain's loyalty. The document then spoke at some length of the Maine accident, and asserted that the Americans, under the pretext of the extra territori- ality of the vessel, never allowed the Spanish authorities to visit the wreck for purposes of investigation; and it most solemnly asserted the absolute innocence of Spanish officials and of Spanish subjects gen- erally. The fairness and loyalty of Spain were then shown by a reference to the equitable treatment which American filibusters, more especially those of the Competitor, received at the hands of Spain, and in order to show more fully how pacific and correct have l>een the attitude of the Spanish government the memorandum enumerated the four clauses of the Spanish proposals. They were: Proposals of Spain. 1. An offer to submit aJl questions arising from the Maine affair to arbitration. 2. An order to Governor-General Blanco to retire into the western provinces and to apply 3,000,000 pesetas for the relief of the agricultural population, with an acceptance by the Spanish government of relief for Cubans sent by the United States, provided such relief were sent in merchant vessels. 3. The co-operation of the Cuban parliament in formulating the extent of the powers to be reserved for the central government. 4. In view of the Cuban parliament not meeting before May 4, the proclamation of an immediate armistice. The memorandum pi-oceeded to declare that the United States had not accepted even these far-reaching concessions, and that the good offices of the pope had been equally unavailing. It asserted that the Maine accident was used by political parties in America as a means of hurling "most gratuitous and intolerable calumnies , at the Spanish A WAR FOR LIBERTY AND HUMANITY. 59 government," and yet, the document said, Mr. Olney, in an official note dated April 4, 1896, to the Spanish minister in Washington, himself expressed very serious apprehensions lest the only existing bond of union in Cuba should disappear in the event of Spain withdrawing from that island. Mr. Olney, as the memorandum argued, feared at that time that a war of races would ensue, all the more sanguinary in proportion to the experience and discipline acquired during the insur- rection, and that two republics would at once be formed — une white, the other black — the upshot being that one of the two would swallow the other. The grave view thus taken by Mr. Olney of the future of Cuba freed from Spain's rule was then enlarged upon, and inevitable racial wars were foreshadowed, which were "ceri:ain to wreck the existence of Cuba as a state, should Spain be deprived of sovereignty" over the island. Thus, being convinced, as Spain was, that right and equity are on her side "she will not and cannot surrender her sovereignty in C*uba." Trouble for Spain at Home. Spain's embarrassments at home were multiplying, and threatening .danger only less than that from the hostilities of the Uniled States. Twenty thousand republicans of all shades of op' ion in Madrid signed and addressed to Seiior Castelar, the republi loader, under the pretext of congratulating him upon his recovery from rciont sickness, but in reality offering him their services if he would i m laim a republic. At the same time Don Carlos, the pretender to the Spanish throne, was a disturbing element, threatening a revolution against the present dynasty if an opportunity were to offer. During all these complications, which included at one time even a threat that the Spanish ministry would resign, there was no discordant note of any sort in the United States. Secretary of State John Sherman and Postmaster General Gary resigned from President McKinley's cabinet because of ill health, in order that the government might be in no way handicapped during the time of emergency. Secretary Sher- man was succeeded by Assistant Secretary Judge William R. Day of Canton, Ohio, who had displayed remarkable aptitude for the office during his term of service, while Mr. Gary's successor was the Honor- able Charles Emory Smith, of Philadelphia, a newspaper editor and formerly ambassador to Russia. r,o A WAR FOR LIBERTY AND HUMANITY. Along the Cuban Coast. It was the torpedo boats which kept things exciting duiing the early blockade of Cuban ports. They are like hornets, which travel faster than anytJiing that tries to escape them, sting when they strike^ and vanish in an instant. T^vo of these brisk tighters distinguished them- selves on Sunday, while the diplomats were busy in the cabinets of the world. The torpedo boat Poi-ter, which is as fleet as an express train, has a dare-devil crew and an intrepid commander with an honored name. He is Lieutenant John C. Fremont, a. son of the famous "Path- tinder," who himself never hesitated to lead the way, whether in wilder- ness exploration or any other duty that canje before him. Lieutenant Fremont, with the Porter, made a landing on the north coast of Cuba with a small force of his men, in search of certain informa- tion which was desired by Admiral Sampson' for the guidance of his plans. It was a dangerous undertaking, for the squad might have been wiped out in spite of their readiness to tight, if they had stumbled upon Spanish troops. None were met, however, the jouraey was made in safety, and the landing party returned to the tleet in triumph with the distinction of being the first actual invaders (»f the Cuban soil in this warfare. Earlier in the same day the torpedo boat Foote, in command of Lieutenant W. L. liogers, was directed to take soundings of the ap- proach to the harbor of Matanzas, an important city on the north coast of Cuba fifty miles east of Ilavaiia. The Foote drew the first fire definitely known to be directeil against the blockading squadron. The little scoiit was taking soundings within three hundred yards of shore, when a Spanish masked batteiy on the east side of the harbor, command- ing the entrance, fired three shots in quick succession. They all went wide of the mark, striking the water nearly a quarter of a mile away from the boat. The officers and men were momentarily startled by the volley, and then continued their obsei-vation. The cruiser Cincinnati, 'w hich was not far away, was hailed by the torpe all others, is extraordinarily large, and this one extremely so. In it are many seaports, with which none that I know in Christendom can boar comparison, so good and capacious that it is a wonder to sec. The lands are high, and there are many lofty mountains, with which the islands of Teneriffe cannot be compared. They are all most beautiful, of a thousand different shapes, accessible, and covered with trees of 70 HOW COLUMBUS FOUND THE "PEARL OF THE ANTH.LES." a thousand kinds, of such great height that they seem to reach the skies. I am told that the trees never lose their foliage, and I can well understand it, for I observed that they were as green and luxuriant as in Spain in the month of Maj'. Some were in bloom, others bearing fruit, and others otherwise, according to tlieir nature. The nightin- gale was singing, as well as other little birds of a thousand different kinds, and that in November, the month 'n which I was roaming amongst them. There are palm trees of six or eight kinds, wonderful in their beautiful variety; but this is the case with all other trees and fruits and grasses. It contains extraordinary i)ine groves and very extensile plains. There is also honey and a great variety of birds, and many di.fsrent kinds of fruits. In the interior there are many mines of metals, and a population innumerable." CLARA BARTON AND HER WORK IN A CUBAN HOSPITAL a u Oi UJ u CHAPTER III. SPAIN'S BLACK IIISTOIMCAL RECORD. Present Men of Prominence Are Types of Those Who Were Infamous Years Ago — Roman Rule in Spain — Wealiness of Spanish Power of Resist- ance — Discoveries in America — Horrors of the Inquisition — Spanish Rule in Ifolland — Expulsion of the Moors — Loss of American Colo- nies — Later Uistory of Sjmin. The siffnal fact that will present itself to the student of Spanish history is that from the earliest times the country has been in a con- tinual state of conflict, internal, with its colonies, and with other nations; aud seldom has it been a war of defense. In almost every instance Spain has been the agj>Tessor. The Spaniard has ever been perfidious, avaricious, ferocious. In his veins still ilows the blood of Ferdinand, of Toniuenuula, and of Philip II. Weyler is a ])r()tolype of Alva, and in Blanco we tind another Antonio de Mendoza. Spain is the China of modern Europe. Her spirit is still the spirit of the inijuisi- tion. Her policy is not to conciliate, but to coerce; not to treat justly, but to rob and enslave; and her dependence is the ignorance and su- perstition of her people. All reforms wrung from rulers must first be baptized in blood, and it is possible that the end of the present century may see a new nation, built on the ruins of the old, which will be a credit to civilization, in- stead of a disgrace. Roman Rule in Spain. Prior to the first war between Rome and Carthage, which (>nded 241 B. C, there is little or no authentic information regarding the his- tory of the couD^^ry now known to the world as Spain. To the ancients it Avas a land of mystery and enchantment, the home of the setting sun; and Iberia, as the^- called it, was but a name for an indetinlte extent of territory in the far west, peopled by barbarous (Vlts and Iberians, with a few Phoenician settlements, for the purposes of trade, on its southern coasts. 7t 74 Bl'Al^'fcl BLACK HlSTOltiCAL KECOiSD. At the close of the lirst ruuit* war, llamikar Barca, at the head of a Carthagiuian host, crossed the strait of Gibraltar and commenced the conquest which his son Llaunibul completed, and which resulted in the undisputed supremacy of Carthage throughout almost all of Spain. This brings us to 218 li. C. and marks the beginning of the second Punic war, when the lloman legions first entered Spain. After a struggle which lasted for thirteen years the Carthaginians were com- pletely routed, and the country was conquered by the arms of Rome. It was many years, however, before the inhabitants were really sub- dued, but eventually they became more completely Komanized than any province beyond the limits of Italy. When brought under the iron rule of the Empire they were forced to desist from the intestinal wars in which it had been their habit to indulge, and adopting the lan- guage, laws and manners of their concjuerors, they devoted them- selves to industrial pursuits, and increascnl remarkably both in wealth and numbers. Their fertile fields formed for a considerable time the granary of Home, and from the metal-veined mountains an immense amount of gold and silver flowed into I{oma.n coffers. However, these were not voluntary offerings of the natives. Thi-y were comixdled to labor in the mines for the benefit of strangci's, ajid thus Spain, in the early ages, was the type of Spanish America in the fifteenth and suc- ceeding centuries, with the ditTerence that in the flret case the Span- iards were the slaves, and in the second they were the slave-holders. For more than 300 years Spain remained under Konian rule, until in 409 A. D., hordes of barbarians crosswl the Pyrenees and swept over the Peninsula. Suevi, Alani and Vandals ravaged with ecjual fury the cities and the open country, and brought the inhabitants to the lowest depths of misery. They were finally subjugated by a Visigothic host, and in 415, Walia, a war-like and ambitious chief, esbiblished the West-Gothic kingdom in Spain, on the ruins oi the old Koman prov- ince. Walia concluded a treaty with the Emperor Ilonorius, and, put- ting himself at the head of the brave Goths, in a three-years' war he destroyed or drove the barbarians from the land. Sp{iin, thus re-'-on- quered, was nominally subject to Itome, but soon became really indc pendent, and began to be the seat of a Christian civilization. This West-Gothic kingdom lasted for about three centuries, from 418 to 711, when it fell before the Moorish invasion. Sf A1K*S htACtL filSTDORlCAL tlECOliD. t8 Weakness of Spanish Powers of Kesistance. Few things in history are more lemarliable than the ease with which Spain, a country naturally fitted for defense, was subdued by a mere handful of invaders. The misgovernment of the Visigoths, the internal factions and jealousies, and the discontent of numerous classes, notably the Jews, co-operated to facilitate the conquest and to weal-en the power of resistance. These conquerors were of the Mo- hammedan faith, but while they were united by relijrion, they were of different races. Besides the Moors there were the A.'abs, the Egyp- tians and the Syrians, and when the task of conquest was achieved, and the need for unity removed, quarrels arose between them. So diffi- cult was it to prevent these quarrels, that it was fou' 1 necessary to subdivide the conquered territory, and to allot separate settlements to the different tribes. During the period of Moorish domination a number of small inde>- pendent kingdoms were fonned in opiX)sition to Moslem rule. These comprised Castile, Leon, Navarre and Aragon, and sometimes sepa- rately, sometimes in combination, they were iu constant war with the common enemy. The age of the great crusades came, and all Chris- tendom was absorbed in the struggle against the infidel, both iu the East and West. Spain, like Palestine, had its crusading ordei-s, which vied with the Templars and the Hospitallers both in wealth and mili- tary distinction. The decisive battle was fought in Jul.y, 1212, when the combined forces of Castile, Leon, Navarre, Aragon and Portugal met the Mohammedan army, and gained the most celebrated victory ever obtained by the Christians over their Moslem foes, the latter losing, according to the account transmitted to the i)*)pe, 100,000 killed Jind 50,000 prisoners. The king of Grenada wass])ee(lily forceil to be- <'ome a vassal of Castile, and from this period all danger fi'om Moor- isli rule was over. Following this time until the different king discovery, rei)ression and punishment of heresy and unbelief. It originated in liome when Christianity was established as the religion of the Empire, but its history in Spain and her dependencies has ab- sorbed almost entirely the real interest in tlio painful subject. As an ordinary tribunal, similai* to those of other countries, it had existed there from an early period. Its functions, however, in those times were little more than nominal; but early in the reign of Ferdi- nand and Isabella, on account of the alleged discovery of a plot among the Jews to overthrow the government, an application Avas made to the Pope to permit its re-organization. But in reviving the tribunal, the Crown assumed to itself the right of appointing the inquisitors, and of controlling their entire action. For this reason Catholic writ- ers regard the Spanish inquisition as a state tribunal, and refer to the bull of the Pope, Sixtus IV., protesting against it. Notwithstanding this protest, however, the Spanish Crown maintained its assumption. Inquisitors were appointed, and in 1483 the tribunal commenced it}^ terrible career, under Thomas de Torquemada. The inquisition arrested on susi)icion, tortured for confession, and then punished with lire. One witness brought the victim to the rack, two to the flames. The prisoner was not confronted with his accuser, nor Avere their names ever made known to him. The court was held in a gloomy dungeon at midnight, a dim light gleamed from smoking torches, and the grand inquisitor, enveloped in a black robe, glared at his victim through holes cut in the hood. Before the examination, the accused, whether man, maid or matron, was stripped and stretched upon the rack, whei'e tendons could be strained without cracking, bones crushed without breaking, and the body tortured without dyirg. When the prisoner was found guilty, his tongue was cut out, so that he could neither speak nor swallow. On the morning of the exe- cution a breakfast of rare delicacies was placed before the sufferer, ftUd with ironical invitation he was urged to enjoj^ his last repast, 78 SPAIN'S BLACK HISTORICAL RECORD. Then the prisoner was led to the funeral pyre, where an address was given, lauding the inquisition, condemning heresy, and commanding obedience to the Pope and the Emperor. Then, while hymns were sung, blazing fagots were piled about the victim, until his body was reduced to a heap of ashes. Some conception of the appalling cruelty of the inquisition under Torquemada may be formed from the statement that during the six- teen years of his tenui-e of office nearly 10,000 persons were condemned to the flames, and the projjerty of 97,000 others was confiscated. Spanish Rule in Holland. riorrible as the atrocities of the inquisition were in the mother country, it is doubtful if they ever reached the acme of savage cruelty that they attained during the period when Spain was seeking to strengthen the fetters with which she nominally held Holland in her grasp. The Spanish government, from tJie time when it first acquired a place among nations, has never been satisfied with a reasonable tribute from its dependencies. Its plan ever has been to exact all, and leave nothing to supply more tlian a miserable existence. So it was in the middle of the sixteenth century, when Philij) II., yreedy of the treasures of Holland, determined to spoil them of their wealth, and i»lanned to establish the inquisition among them by the sword. The duke of Alva, already famous for his harshness and bigoti'y, was named commander of the forces, with almost unlimited powers He entered the Netherlands with about 20,000 tried troops, ready for cruelties, and all hopes of peace or mercy fled before ihem. There was a great and desperate exodus of the inhabitants; thousands took refuge in England, Denm.arlc and Germany, and despair and helpless- ness alone remained to greet the cold Spaniard and his train of ortho- dox executioners. The Council of Troubles — the "Blood-tribunal" — was immediately established, and the land was filled with blood. In a short time he totally annihilated every privilege of the people, and with unrelenting cruelty put multitudes of them to death. The more the peasants rebelled, the crueler were the methods of Alva. Men were tortured, beheaded, roasted before slow fires, pinched to death with hot tongs, broken on the wheel, fiayed alive. On one occasion the skins of leaders were stripped from their living bodies, and stretched upon drums for beating the funeral march of ^Oeir brethren to the gallows. Puring the course of six years A^v» SPAIN'S BLACK HISTORICAL RECORD. 79 brought charges of heresy and treason against 30,000 inhabitants, and made the infamous boast tliat, in addition to the multitudes killed in battle and massacred after victoi^, he had consigned 18,000 persona to the executioner. This unholy war with the Netherlands lasted with occasional ces- sations of hostilities for eighty years, and during its progress Spain buried 350,000 of her sons and allies in Holland, spent untold millions in the attempted destruction of freedom, and sunk from the first power in Europe, an empire whose proud boast it had been that upon her pos* sessiorfc the sun never set, to the level of a fourth-rate country, cruel in government, superstitious in religion, and ever an enemy to progress. Expulsion of the Moors. In addition to the terrible drain upon the country from losses in war, the exi)ulsion of the Jews and the Moors was productive of the direst results. In 1009 all the Moriseoes were ordered to depart from the Peninsula within three days. The penalty of death was declared against all who failed to obey, and against any Christians who should shelter the recalcitrant. The edict was obeyed, but it was a blow from which Spain never recovered. The Moriseoes were the back-bone of the industrial population, not only in trade and manufactures, but also in agriculture. The haughty and indolent Spaniards had will- ingly left what they considere^l degrading employment to their in- feriors. The Moors had introduced into Si)ain the cultivation of sugar, cotton, rice and silk. In manufactures and commerce they had shown superiority to the Christian inhabitants, and many of their products were eagerly sought for by other countries. All these advantages were sacrificed to an insane desire for religious unity. The reigns of I'hilip III. and Philip IV. witnessed a fearful accel- eration in the decline of Spain by the contests with the Dutch and with the (Jerman Protestants in the Thirty Years' War, the wars with France, and the rebellion of Portugal in IGIO, which had been united to Spain by Philip II. The reign of Charles II. was still more unfor- tunate, and his death was the occasion of the war of the Spanish suc- cession. Under Charles III. (1759-1788), a wise and enlightened prince, the second great revival of the country commenced, and trade and commerce began to show signs of returning activity. Previous to hia 80 Bl'AlNS BLACK UISTOKICAL RECORD. accession to the tlirone, Sjmin appeared to be a corpse, over which the powers of Europe could contend at will. Suddenly men were astounded to see that country rise with reneweil vigor to play once more an important part on the international stage. Commerce and agriculture were developed, native manufactures were cnicouraged in every way possible, and an attempt was made to remove all jjrcjudices against trade, among the nobles. Meritorious as these reforms were, it would give a false impression to represent them as wholly success- ful. The regeneration of 8pain was by no means accomplished, and many of the abuses which had been growing for cimturies, sul'vived the attempt to effect their annihilation. One of the chief causes of this failure was the corruption and ignorance of the lower officials; and a large portion of the population renmined, to a great extent, sunk in sloth and superstition, in spite of all that was done in their lialf. During the inglorious reign of CUiarles IV. (1788-1808), who left the management of affairs in the hands of the incapable Godoy, (at once the queen's lover and the king's prime minister), a war broke out with Britain, which was productive of nothiug but disaster to the Span- iards. Charles finally abdicated in favor of his son, the Prince of Astu- rias, who ascended the throne as Ferdinaud VII. Forced by Napoleon to resign all claims to the Spanish crown, Ferdinand became the pris- oner of the French in the year of his accession, and in the same year, Joseph, the brother of the French emperor, was declared King of Spain, and set out for Madrid to assume the kingdom thus assigned him. But Spanish loyalty was too profound to be daunted even by the awe-inspiring poAver of the great Napoleon. For the first time he found himself confronted, not by terrified and selfish rulers, but by an infuriated people. The rising on Spain commenced the popular move- ment which ultimately proved fatal to his power. In July, 1808, England, on solicitation, made peace with Spain, recognized Ferdinand VII. as king, and sent an army to aid the Span- ish iusun-ection. Joseph invaded the country on July 9, defeated the Spaniards at Kio Seco, and entered Madrid on the 20th. But the de- feat of Dupont at Baylen by the veteran Spanish general Castanos somewhat altered the position of affairs, and Josei)h, after a residence of ten days in his capital, was compelled to evacuate it. Meanwhile Sir Arthur Welleslcv. aften\'ards Duke of Wellington, at the head of the British auxiliaiy force, had landed at Mondego bay, and began the Peninsular war by defeating the French at lioliza an('rs appealed in the seaport (owns of France and Enelled t<» undergo, and Havana harbor itself was the last grave of many of these hapless ones. Great Britain Threatens Spanish Possessions. It was just after th<' micblb' of the sevent«'<'nfli century and during the rule of Oliver Cromwell in ICtigland, that the Spanish governors of Cuba began to fear an jiftaek by a lliilish fleet. A s«|Uiidron sailed in 1055 with the design of capturing Jamaica, a juirposc which wan easily accomj)lisIied. That island was taken l)y (Ireaf Ifritain, tlie S[»ani.sh forces defending it were utterly defeated, th«» governor was killed, and many <)f the inhabitants removed, in conse(|ue?>ce, to Cuba. From Jamaica the same fleet sailetl for Havana, but I lie Jitta«k was repulsed and the ships abandoned the attempt. Excojjt foi* the encroachmeuts of the French ujion th(» island <» Santo Domingo, and the continual pirati- cal incursions of French and English buccaneers, the Spanish in the West Indies were not threatened with any more hostilities except by feUCOANEERIXG IJf THE SPANISH MAttJ. their own intonial dissonsions until 17(52. At that time Spain and Eng- land were at war, Spain in alliance with the French, and it was decided by the British government that f'uba was a vulnerable possession and a valuable one that ought to be taken. The capture of Havana by foncs under the English flag fills little space in the history of England and Spain, because of the nfagnitude of the interests involved elsewhere. It is almost forgotten in America, in si)ite of the bearing of all its contemporary incidents upon the rap- idly approaching revolution, and yet it was an achievement of the col- onial troops and conseciucntly the lirst assault upon Cuba by Americans. It was an event of the first inipoi'tance in its own day and contained lessons of the first moment for the guidance of those who had to plan tlie conduct of the w.'ir against Spain in 1SJ)8. It proved that American tro(>ps und»>r efllcient oHlrj'rs couhl take the field with success against double their nun\lKT of Spariianls fully jjrovisioned and strongly in- trencheeenins»dar campaign, was niove of a i)rolonged struggle Ix'tween men who speak I-iUglish and men who speak Spuniub. llistory may be searched in vain, either iu the old or fetCCANElERINO IN THE srANlSH MAIN. fit Hew world, fcr a dofcuso as able iu [K)iut of jjeuoralship or as stubborn in resistance as the Spaniards made at tlie siege of Havana. In all other cases, from the Elizabethan campaigns in Holland to the war with Mexico, the men educated in the Spanish school of arms have been content to spend their energies upon a single assault and then flee, sometimes even when the odds were greatly in their favor. The English Armada left Portsmouth on March 5th, 17G2, under the command of the gallant Admiral Pococke and Lord Albemarle, the force moving in seA'en divisions. It consisted of nineteen ships of the line, eight(HMi frigates or smaller men-of-war, and 150 transports con- taining about 10,()()0 soldiers, neai'ly all infantry. At the Island of Ilayti, then called Ilisjjanola, the British were joined by the success^ ful expedition from Martinique. Together they sat down before Llavrr-. July Gth, 17(;2. Spain's Intellectual Dry Rot. Spain, sulToring, as it suffers to-da}-, from intellectual dry rot, had known for wcfks of the iutendctl beleaguerment. Tiicn, as now, »ioUi- ing adequate was done to meet it. The Governor of Havana, the Mar- quis de (lonzalez, was a gallant soldier, as \^e was to prove; but that ounc of i)revention which is proverbially worth more than the jH)und of cure, was not taken by liim, and the British found tlie forlilications in a partially ruinous condition, and the Amrtwn ships of tlie line which were lying in the harbor before the city in such a state that they couhl hardly be called in commission. The Spanish army of defense numbered 27,000 men, and was in better condition; but the Spanish sailors were utterly demoralized by the granting of too mucli shore lib- erty, and the iK'st use tiie SpaJiiard could put his ligliting sliijys to was by sinking them at the entrance to the anchoragi' to jn-event the en- trance of the British (ieet. Once tJie enemy wnw iM'fore the city, how- ever, all was activity. The fortifications, wiiich were too newly erecl<'d to hi' quite incaj>able of repair, were set in order, the guns of M«uto Castle and of the fort known an the Pnntal, across from it, were trained on the advancing foe, and the Spanish ships were sunk, as haa been said. Those familiar with the history of English iulministrativc methods during this jn'riod will llnd little to choose between them auain. The Ui- son of the yj'Jir most unwholesome to the inhabitants of c temiM-rute climate had alivady set in, with all lla M BUCCANEERINC; IX THE SrAXISn MAlN. train of pe.stiloncos, when the British arrivt'd. Thouj^li deluged by the trcuiendoiis rains of the tr()j)it's from day to day, the water supply was wholly insnflicient, and the little obtainable was so tainted as to make its use frauiilit. with danger. There was no i)i]ot who knew the road- stead in (uder to lead the ships against the Morro and the I'untal for many days. Tn throwing nji the parallels and approaches to the walls of the eity on the landward side, the soldiers found sueh scarcity of earth, the blanket over the rocks being of the tlunne.st scn't, that this necessai'v material for covering an atta( ' had to ix' bnnight from a distance. Then, too, i(, was chai'ged with tlie gi^rins of ilsease, and all who handled it sulTered extrenu'ly. I>es|;i(eall the ])recautions of the (ttlicers, the sanitary condition surrounding the <'amp was horrible, and the troops ditnl like dogs. Yankees in Cuba. Meanwhile there was a. large force of liritish regulars in Xoith America, stationed ihere ever sim-e the fall of the French empire in the new worhl in IKiO. Four thousand of tlirsc soldiers were gathered in Xew York City. To them I he colonies of lOast and NVest Jersey nthled a reginu'nt of HOO men. New York another of SOO, while Lyman raised a full thousand in Connecticut. When these, to(», had been asseudded in Xew Yitrk, l.yman was made I'rigadier (ieueral of the colonial troops, and his Lieutenant Colonel, Isi .el Putnam, wa.s nmde Colonel of the Connecticut soldiers in his slead. This was the same rntnam who foughf (he wolf si gl»'-handed in its cave, and who was to take that breakneck ride a few years later to escape the very troops with whom he was now associated. The entire force of 'J,.*5(HI provin- cials under < ieueral Lyman's command was not a mere bevy of raw mili- tia. Xearly all of them Iiad seen service against tlio French in those well trained and active forces whicii were given (he gen»'ral name of ''Wangers;" the oflicers especially, of wliom Putnam was hardly more than a tyi)e, being nnii of extended experience. The fact that so many men were willing to vcdnnteer in this arduo\is and, ien no rejoicinj^ if tiie jieopU' of Connectieut, the Jerseys, and New York could iiave foreseen that hardly one of every fifty of their volunteers would see his home again. Americans Were Wrecked. Just before tlie an-ival of these welcome reinforcements on July 20, Honu? Ennlish nii'rchantnien had come along with cargoes of cotton bags, which were pressed into immediate use for the lines which were now closing around Havana; and in the ships w<'re also found several pilots. Then the forces from the N<>rtli came amidst general rejoicin!';^ii, but without Putnam and .">(I0 of his Vaid■ up breast- works, and were found ready to r<'pc| a. force of thousands of Si»an- iards when the shijjs from before Havana arrived for iiicir rescue, their own companions wisely pressing on and sending aid back frouj the head(iuai"ters. The American trooi»s went bravely to work, engaging themselves ihielly with the underminitig of one of the walls. To reach this it was necessary for theiu to pass al.ag a narrow eminence where tliey were in plain view and easy range of the Spaniards. A number were lost in this dangei'ons 'uterjirise, but their \alor was dimmed neither by this nor by tlu' st'll heavier hisses which cam,' upon them througli the di.sea.ses prevalent in every pf)rtion of the Hritish camp. Though men of such hardiness that they must have been e(jual in resisting power to the Hritish, their losses were < omparatl.'ely much greater, proving that they occupied jxisitions of greater danger, either from bullets or the fevers of the region. Morro Castle Taken. Five days after the airival of the reinforcements. Lord Albemarle Jndgea himself sul1i« iently stnuig to assault Morro CasJe, and the weril was accordingly given. The suidcen ships were blown \\\) early on the n>orning of July 25, and the IJritish ships sailed into the fury 98 BUCCANEEHINCJ IN TUE SPANISH MAIN. of the Spanish cannon, belchinj; shot from all alonj; the Hhoiv, The big gnns of (he ships could not be elevated suflUiently to silence the fire from Morro Castle, and this was accordingly l(>fl to be carried by assault. The I'untal was silenced, troops landed, and after live days of ferocious lighting, in which the British ami American losses were enormous by reason of their exposed position, and where every one concerned exhibited the utmost valor, Morro Castle was carried by the bayonet. The lighting within its walls after an entry had been made was exceedingly fierce. The M.inpiis of (lonzalez was killed by his own cowardly men for refusing to surrender. The cannon from the other Sjianish batteries were turned upon the Morro iis soon as the Spanish fiag had been lowered, and the British ensign run up in its jdace; and then the slow and disastrous work of the siege was taken up again. As the lines givw nearer and nearer, and the last hope of the Span- iard for relief was given ni>, there was the usual attempt made to buy the attacking i>arty oil". Though it would have been a hojteless under- taking ai, any time, tlie amount olTered for the ransom of tlie city was so far below the treasure which was known to be in tlie town that the offer was nmde a subject for derisive laughter. Fifteen days after Mori"o Castle had fallen, though the mortality in the trenches was so great that a few weeks more must have seen the abandoiiiuent of the i'uterprise, the city fell, the garrison stiimlating for a. i)assage otit with all tlu> lionors of war, which was freily accorded them, (»wing to the eated examples of giving a captiired city over to plunder in ihe face of a stii»ulation to the con- trar\. August 14, 17t)2, the British entertnl, the glory of their victoiy over such heavy odds even then dimmed by the emunious mortality. It was HN-koned that the few days of August had wrought mure damage to the invading forces than all the weeks of hard labor and opi;n assault which had gone before. In the city — ^the llavanuah, as U wiis then called — treasure was found to the amount of ^T,t)()t),(M)0, nmch of it in such sha]>e that there had be(>n abumlanl time to Aviliidraw it either to Spain ur info tin.' interior of the Island, had there been any other than Spaniards at the head of affairs. The occupancy of the British and colonial f(U'ces histed but a few months. Lord Albenuirle, Avith #l'J(),0()0 of tlie prize n\oney as his i)er- bUCCANEERlNO IN THE SPANISH MAIN. dS Honal share, roieiveil notice of the couclusion of the treaty of Paris and withdrew his army to Great Britain. A single sliip sufllced to reinove the shattered remnant of the soldiers from Connecticut, the Jerseys, and New York. Twenty-three hnndred sailed; barely fifty retunicd. It was a part of the gocMl fortune of Americji — all of the good fortune, to be e.xact — which bwught Colonel Israel Putnam safely homo again, though the i)aralysis which shortened his labors not many years after the Declaration of Independence was unciueslionably due to his ex- posure to the vertical sun of Cuba and to the poisons of its iK'stilenlial coast. In the hands of George III., then King of England, all this suffering and deprivation amounted to virtually nothing, lie was a coward at heart, a man who could not even avail himself of such hardly gained victories. The i)cace of Paris was signed, and by its terms George yiehled up Cuba ami the Pliilii)i)lues again to the power that has never ceased to misuse the advantages so obtained. The belief gained ground in Havana, in ISOT, that the I'^iiglish gov- ernment again contemplated a descent on llie island; and measures W(>re taken to put it in a more resiK'ctable state of dcfens',', although, from want of funds in the treasury, and the scarcity of indispensable supplies, the prospect of an invasion was suniciently gl(»omy. Tin? militia and the troops of the garrison were carefully drilled, and com- panies of volunteers were fonued wherever materials foi- them could be found. The French, also, not content with mere preparations, made an actual descent on the island, lirst threatening Santiago, and after- wanis landing at Patabano. The invaders consisteil chiefly of refugees from St. l)oming(»; and their intention schmus to have been to take jjossession with a view to colonize and cultivate a portion of the unappropriated, or at least un- occu|>ied, territory on tlu> south side of the island, as tiieir countrymen had formerly done in St. Domingo. Without recuiriiig to actual force, thecajjtain-general prevailed on them to take their dej)arture by offering transportutiuu either to St. Domingo or to France. CHAPTER V. COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF CUBA. ElTorts of till' Eai'ly Oovi'i'iiors to Eutourani' Tnulf — Ciillivation of Siij^ar One of llic Fii'Ht Iinliistrics — Decree Deliiiin^ Powers of the Captain Cen- enil — ^Attemj)le(l Annexation to llie I'niled Stales— The (»stena. The conniierce of Cuba ba.s {jjrown in spite of the liniltations that have been i)laee(l upon it and not beeauseof any encoura^eujent tliat has been j^iven to It. Columbus called Cuba the most beautiful land that eyes had ever seen. Its resources, ^{ranled by a j^enerous nature, have enabled it to recu])erate after destrtictive warfare Avith u rapldrty sini- })]y amazinj;- to those aecustomed only to the elinuite and the Hoil of the temperate zone. The immense industries (»f Cuba have been ham- pei-ed from the bej^inninj; by Spanish opi)ressi(>Ti ami the fact that they have flourished under such unfavorable conditions is a strikiu}; evidence of what nuiy be expected under a policy of oneoura^eiuent and freedom. Sujjjir, tobacco, and other tropical products have made fort tines for (^uba every year, only to ha,ve them si (den by Spanish brielly some of the more notable events in the history of the island after the Prilish ('omjuests and the relin<|uisliment of the prize to the Spanish aiilhonties ui>ou the return of peace. Near the end of the last century there came a period which ott'ered more encoura}^emer.t to the hoiM' of permanent prosperity in (■uba than had been offered before. The successive governors ap- jiointed varied in character, it is true, but several of them were liberal minded, public spirited men who gave to the colony far better admin- CO.MMKIii lAL l)KVKL()I'.MKNT OF (TIJA. 95 iHtrndon that it. luid l)t>(>ii acciistdiiicd to. One of tli(>s(> was l^iiis transfer of the remains uf Colunibus from Santo Domin^^o to their present resting i)laee in tlie cathedral at Havana, lie iMKoura^ed iil- eratiir*', science, tlu* line arts and tlie erection of various i)id)iir charit- able and educational institutions. He was the founder of the tirst pub- lic library and the tirst newspaper which had existed in the island. He showed his ability as an executive by restraining; the restless popula tion iinder the excitement which aiccomi)anii'd the revcdution in tlio neif^hborinK colony of Santo Domingo, which ended by the loss to Spain of that island. One of the earliest cause.^ ctf ill feelinfjj between the islanders of Cuba and the i)eopIe of Spain occurred just at the end of the adminis- tration of Las Casas in 17!)(». In the seventy years prior to that lime a great navy yard grew up on the liay of Havana, an«l 114 war vessels were built there to convoy the Spanish treasure ships. All at once this nourishing industry was closed on the ilemand of the shii)-builders of Spain that the work should be don(» in the mother country. As might have been expected, this aroused great indignation among a largo number of people in Havana who had been dependent upon the in- dustry. It was about the same time, or just a hundred years before the out- bi-eak of our war with Spain, that sugar became an impoHant article of general commerc<». Even then, however, it was not an article of common consumption, and was held at extravagantly high i)rlces, measured by the present cheapness of the article. Market reports of the lime show that the price approximated forty cents a pound, and this at a time when the i)tirchasing power of money was at least twice as great as it is now. As the price lii's fallen, the product and the con- sumption have increased, nntil of late years it has been an enormous source of revenue to the 3sUmri of Cuba. When Napoleon Bonai»arle abducted the royal family of Sj »in and deposed the Hoiirbon dynasty in 1808, every member of t' .' piDvincial counsel of Cuba took an oath to preserve the island for tiieir legitimate sovereign. The Colonial government immediately declared war against Napoleon and pro- claimed Ferdinand VII. as king. It was by this action that the colony earned its title of "The ever-faithful isle," which has been excellent as ^. ,%, .Ox IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) 7 A // A <■*■ ^ /// ^^ 7a 1.0 I.I 1^123 12.5 It lio 12.0 2.2 1.8 11-25 IIIIII.4 illll.6 <^ /a *;; ^ o 7 f lOl Sciences Corporation 33 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) 872-4503 7.x ^ ^ \\ \ 96 COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF CUBA. a comijlimentary phrase, but hardly justified by the actual facts. For some years following this action, affairs in the island 'yere in an em- barrassing condition, owing to the progress of the Napoleonic wars in Europe, which kept all trade disturbed and Spain in a constant condi- tion of disorder. If it had not been for the fortunate election of one or two of the governors things might have been even worse thaji they were, and it was considered that Cuba was enjoying quite as much peace and prosperity as Avere her neighbor colonies and the mother governments of Europe. In 1812 a negro conspiracy broke out and at- tained considerable success, and as a result of it the Spanish governors began to be more and more severe in their administrations. Under the influence of the spirit of freedom which was spreading all around them, Cubans became more and more restless. The revolu- tionary movements in Spanish America had begun in 1810, r. ud after fourteen years of guerrilla w'arfare, European power had yanished in the Western hemisphere from the Northern boundary of the United States to Cape Horn, except for the Colonies of British Ilonduras and the Guianas, and a few of the West Indian Islands. In 1821, Santo Domingo became independent, and in the same year Florida came into the possession of the United States. Secret societies, with the purpose of revolu'"on as their motive, began to spring up in Cuba, and the pop- ulation divided into well-defined factions. There was indeed an at- tempt at opca revolt made in 1823 by one of these societies known as the "Soles De Bolivar," but it was averted before the actual outbreak came, and those leaders of it who were not able to escape from Cuba were arrested and punished. It was as a result of these successive events that the office of Captain General was created and invested with all the powers of Oriental despotism. The functions of the Cap- tain General were defined by a royal decree of May 28, 1825, to the fol- lowing effect: His Majesty, the King' Our Lord, desiring to obviate the inconveniences that might in extraordinary cases result from a division of coiuraand, and from the interferences and prerogatives of the respective officers; for tlie important end of preserving in that precious island his legitimate sovereign authority and the public tranquillity through proper means, has resolved in accordance with the opinion of his council of ministers to give to your Excel- lency the fullest authority, bestowing upon you all the powers which by the royal ordinances are granted to the governors of besieged cities. In conse- quence of this, his Majesty gives to your Excellency the most ample and COMMEKCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF CUBA. 97 unbounded power, not only to send away from the island any persons in office, wluitevor their occupiitior, rank, class, or condition, whose continuance therein your Excellency may deem injurious, or whose conduct, public or private, may alarai you, replacinjf them with persons faithful to his Majesty and deserving of all the confidence of your Excellency; but also to suspend the execution of any order whatsoever, or any general provision made con- cerning any branch of the administration as your Excellency may think most suitable to the Royal Service. This decree since that time has been substantially the supreme law of Cuba, and has never been radically modified by any concessions except those given as a last and lingering effort to preserve the sov- ereignty of Spain, when after three years' progress of the revolution she realized that her colony had slipped away from her authority. The decree quoted in itself offers sufficient justificaition for the Cuban revolution in the name of liberty. Attempted Annexation to the United States. During the present century there have been a number of attempts on the part of men prominent in public life, both in the United States and Cuba, to arrange a peaceable annexation by the purchase by this countrj' of the island from Spain. Statesmen of both nations have been of the opinion that such a settlement of the difficulty would be mutually advantageous, and have used every diplomatic endeavor to that end. During Thomas Jefferson's term of office, while Spain bowed be- neath the yoke of Prance, from which there was then no prospect of relief, the people of Cuba, feeling themselves imcompetent in force to maintain their independence, sent a deputation to Washington, proposing the annexation of the island to the federal system of North America. In 1854 President Pearce instructed Wm. L. Marcy, his Secretary of State, to arrange a conference of the Ministers of the United States to England, France and Spain, to be held with a view to the acquisi- tion of Cuba. The conference met at Ostend on the 9th of October, 1854, and adjourned to Aix-la-Chapelle, where notes were prepared. Mr. Soule, then our Minister to Spain, said in a letter to Mr. Marcy, transmit- 98 COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF CUBA. ting the joint report: "Tlie question of the acquisition of Cuba by us is gaining ground as it grows to be more seriously agitated and con- sidered. Now is the moment for us to be done with it, and if it is to bring upon us the calamity of war, let it be now, while the gi*eat j)owers of this continent are engaged in that stupendous struggle which cannot but engage all their strength and tax all their energies as long as it lasts, and may, before it ends, convulse them all. Neither England nor France would be likely to interfere with us. England could not bear to be suddenly shut out of our market, and see her manufactures paralyzed, even by a temporary suspension of her in- tercourse with us. And France, with the heavy task now on her hands, and when she so eagerly aspires to take her seat as the acknowledged chief of the European family, would have no induce- ment to assume the burden of another war," The result of this conference is so interesting in its application to present conditions that its reproduction is required to make intel- ligible the whole story of Cuba, and we give it here: The Osteud Manifesto. Sir: The undersigned, in compliance with the wish expressed by the president in the several oonfideuiial despatclies yon liave addressed to us respectively, to tliat effect, we have met in conferent'e, first at Ostend, in Bel- gium, on the 9th, 10th, and 11th instant, and then at Aix-la-Chapelle, in Prus- sia, on the days next following, up to the date hereof. There has been a full and unreserved interchange of views and senti- ments between ns, which we are most happy to inform you has resulted in a cordial coincidence of opinion on the grave and important subjects sub- mitted to our consideration. We have arrived at the conclusion, and are thoroughly convinced that an immediate and earnest effort ought to be made by the government of the United States to purchase Cuba from Spain at any price for which it can be obtained, not exceeding the sum of If The proposal should, in our opinion, be made in such a manner as to be presented through the necessary diplomatic forms to the Supreme Con- stituent Cortes about to assemble. On this momentous question, in which tiie people, both of Spain and the United States, are so deeply interested, all our proceedings ought to be open, frank and public. They should be of such a character as to challenge the approbation of the world. ^Ve firmly believe that, in the progress of human events, the time has arri\ed when the vital interests of Spain are as seriously involved in the NELSON A. MILES— GENERAL COMMANDING THE U. S. ARMY UNITED STATES SOLDIERS MARCHING TO THE FRONT GENERAL FITZHUGH LEE— EXXONSUL^GENERAL TO HAVANA CONSUL nrZHUGH LEE^ DEPARTURE FROM HAVANA PRIOR TO DEO-ARATION OF WAR COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF CCHA. 103 sale, Jis these of llic United States in the purchase, of (lie island, and that the transaotiou will prove eijnally honorable to both nations. Under these eircumstances we eannot anticipate a failure, unless i)osslbly ihrcMigh the nial4>,n iniiuence of foreign powers who possess no right what- ever to interfere in tlie matter. We proceed to state some of Ihe reasons which have brought us to thisi conclusion, and for the sake of clearness, we shall specify them under two distinct heads: 1. The I'nited States ought, if practicable, to purchase Cuba with as little delay as possible. 2. The probability is great that the government and Cortes of Spain will prove willing to sell it, because this would essentially promote the highest and best interests of the Spanish people. Then, 1. It must be clear to every reflecting mind that, from the pe- culiarity of its geographical position, and the considerations attendant on it, Cuba is as necessary to the North American republic as any of its present members, and that it belongs naturally to that great family of states of which the Union is the providential nursery. From its locality it commands the mouth of the Mississippi and the im- mense and annually increasing trade which must seek this avenue to the ocean. On the numerous navigable stream.s, measuring an aggregate course of some thirty thousand miles, which disembogue themselves through this magnificent river into the Gulf of Mexico, the increase of the population within the last ten years amounts to more than that of the entire Union at the time Louisiana was annexed to it. The natural and main outlet to the products of this entire population, the highway of their direct intercourse with the Atlantic and the Pacific States, can never be secure, but must ever be endangered whilst Cuba is a dependency of a distant power in whose possession it has proved to be a source of constant annoyance and embarrassment to their interests. Indeed the Union can never enjoy repose, nor possess reliable security, as long as Cuba is not embraced within its boundaries. Its immediate acquisition by our government is of paramount impor- tance, and we cannot doubt but that it is a consummation devoutly wished for by its inhabitants. The intercourse which its proximity to our coast begets and encourages between them and the citizens of the United States, has, in the progress of time, so united their interests and blended their fortunes that thej now look upon each other as if they were one people, and had but one destiny. Coi sideratious exist which render delay in the acquisition of this island exceedingly dangerous to the United States. The system of immigration and labor lately organized within its limits, 104 COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF CUBA. and tlio tyranny and oppression which characterize its immediate rulers tlireaten an insurrection at every moment, which may result in direful conse- quences to the American people. Cuba has thus become to us an unceasing danger, and a permanent cause of anxiety and alarm. Hut We need not enlarge on these topics. It can scarcely be apprehended that foreign powers, in violation of international law, would interpose their influencf? with Sjjain to prevent our acquisition of the island. Its inhabitants are now suffering under the worst of all possible governments, that of abso- lute despotism, delegated by a distant power to irresponsible agents, who are changed at short intervals, and who are tempted to improve their brief opportunity thus afforded to accumulate fortunes by the basest means. As long as this system shall endure, humanity may in vain demand the suppression of the African slave trade in the island. This is rendered im- possible whilst that infamous traffic remains an irresistible temptation and a source of immense profit to needy and avaricious officials, who, to attain their ends, scruple not to trample the most sacred principles under foot. The Spanish government at home may be well disposed, but experience has proved that it cannot control these remote depositaries of its power. Besides, the commercial nations of the world cannot fail to perceive and appreciate the great advantages which would result to their people from a dissolution of the forced and unnatural connection between Spain and Cuba, and the annexation of the latter to the United States. The trade of England and France with Cuba would, in that event, assume at once an important and profitable character, and rapidly extend with the increasing population and prosperity of the island. 2. But if the United States and every commercial nation would be benefited by this transfer, the interests of Spain would also be greatly and essentially promoted. She cannot but see that such a sum of money as we are willing to pay for the island would affect it in the development of her vast natural resources. Two-thirds of this sum, if employed in the construction of a system of railroads, would ultimately prove a source of greater wealth to the Spanish people than that opened to their vision by Cortez. Their prosperity would date from the ratification of the treaty of cession. France has already constructed continuous lines of railways from Havre, Marseilles, Valenciennes, and Strasburg, via Paris, to the Spanish frontier, and anxiously awaits the day when Spain shall find horself in a condition to extend these roads through her northern provinces to Madrid, Seville, Cadiz, Malaga, and the frontiers of Portugal. This object once accomplished, Spain would become a center of attrac- tion for the traveling world, and secure a permanent and profitable market for her various jjroductions. Her fields, under the stimulus given to in- COaiMEIlOIAL DEVELOPMENT OP CUIU. 105 1 be and dnstry hy reiuum'rating prices, would tcom with cereal anun, and her vine- yards would bring forth a vastly increased quantity of choice wines. Spain would speedily become what a bountiftil Providence intended she should be, one of the first nations of continental Europe — rich, powerful and contented. Whilst two-thirds of the price of the island would be ample for the com- pletion of her nioHt important public; improvements, she might with the remaining forty millions satisfy the derriands now pressing so heavily upon her credit, and create a sinking fund which would gradually relieve her from the overwhelming debt now paralyzing her energies. Such if) her present wretched financial condition, that her best bonds are sold upon her own bourse at about one-third of their par value; whilst another class, on which she pays no interest, have but a nominal value, and are quoted at about one-sixth of the amount for which they were issued. Be- sides, these latter are held principally by British creditors, who may, from day to day, obtain the effective interposition of their own government for the purpose of coercing payment. Intimations to that effect have already been thrown out from high quarters, and unless some new sources of revenue shall enable Spain to provide for such exigencies, it is not improbable that they may be realized. Should Spain reject the present golden opportunity for developing her resources and removing her financial embarrass'meuts, it may never again return. Cuba, in her palmiest days, never yielded her exchequer, after deducting the expense of its government, a clear annual income of more than a million and a half of dollars. These expenses have increased to such a degree as to leave a deficit, chargeable on the treasury of Spain, to the amount of six hundred thousand dollars. In a pecuniary point of view, therefore, the island is an encumbrance instead of a source of profit to the mother country. Under no probable circimistance can Cuba ever yield to Spain one per cent, on the large amount which the United States are willing to pay for its acquisition. But Spain is in imminent danger of losing Cuba without remuneration. Extreme oppression, it is now universally admitted, justifies any people in endeavoring to relieve themselves from the yoke of their oppressors. The sufferings which corrupt, arbitrary and unrelenting local administration necessarily entail upon the inhabitants of Cuba cannot fail to stimulate and keep alive that spirit of resistance and revolution against Spain which has of late years been so often manifested. In this condition of affairs it is vain to expect that the sympathies of the people of the United States will not be warmly enlisted in favor of their oppressed neighbors. We know that the President is justly infiexible in his determination to lOfi COMMERCIAL l)E\ KI.Ol'.MKNT OF CUBA. t'X«'(ul(> tilt' nc'iilnilily Isiwh; but should the Cubans tUeniselvfH rise iu revolt jiKJiiiiHt the ()pi»rt'Hsion wliicli (licy sufl'cr, no human ixivvcr could prevent citi- zens (»r the United Slates and libeialnilnded men of other countrieH from rusiiinj? to tlieir asslHtance. IJesides, the present is au age of adventure iu which rest less and daring spirits abound in every portion of the world. It is not inii»robabl('. theri'loic, that ('ul)a may be wrested from Spain by a successful revolution; and in that event she will lose both tin; island and the price which we are now willing to pay for it— a price far beyond what was ever paid by one people to another for any province. It may also be remarked that the settlement of this vexed question, by the cession of Cuba to the I'nited States, would forever prevent the dangerous complications between nations to which it may otherwise give birth. It is certain that, should the Cul)ans themselves organize an insurrection against tiie Spanish government, and sm.'ild other independent nations come to the aid of Si)aiu iu the contest, no human power could, in our opinion, prevent the people and govei'inuent of the United States from taking part in such a civil war in support of their neighbors and friends. Hut if Spain, dead to the voice of her own interest, and actuated by a stubborn i)ride and a false sense of honor, should refuse to sell (.'uba to the Unitid States, then the question will arise, What ought to be thu course of the American government under such circmiislances? Self-preservation is the first law of nature with States as well as with individuals. All nations have, at different ])eriods, acted upon this maxim. Although it has been made the pretext for committing flagrant injusti(;e, as in tlu^ partition of I'oland and other similar cases which history records, yet the principle itself, though often abused, has always been recognized. The United Slates has never acquired a foot of territory except by fair jiurchase, or, as in the case of Texas, upon the free and voluntary application of the people of that independent State, who desired to blend their destinies with our own. Even our acquisitions from Mexico are no exception to this rule because, although we might have claimed them by right of conquest iu a just way, yi't we purchased them for what was then considered by both ])arties a full and ample equivalent. Our past history forbids that we should acquire the island of Cuba without the consent of Spain, unless justified by the great law of self-preser- vation. We must, in any event, preserve our own conscious rectitude and our own self-respect. Whilst pursuing this course we can afford to disregard the censures of the world, to which we have been so often and so unjustly exposed. After we have offered Spain a fair price for Cuba, far beyond its present CO.MMEUCIAL DIJVEl.Ol'MKNl* oF CUIiA. lot valuo, aud this shall have been irl'iiKcd, it will then be lime to consider the question, does ("iiba, in the possession of Spain, seriously endanger our in- ternal peace and the existence of our cherished Union? Should this (inestion be answered in the aillrnialive, then, by every law, human and divine, we shall be justified in wreatin^j; it from Spain, if we possess the i>ower; and this upon the very same principle that would justify an individual in tearinj^ down the burniu}; house of his ueij^hbor if there were no other ni ans of preventing the tlames from destroyinj:; his own home. Under such circumstances we ought neither to count the cost, nor regard the odds which Sjjain might enlist against We forbear to enter into the question, wliether the present condition of . island would justify such a measure. We should, however, be recreant 1 1 our dut^', be unworthy of our gallant forefathers, and commit bas. trea on against our posterity, should we permit Cuba to be Africanized .lud become r. second San Domingo, with all its attendant horrors to the white rare, and suffer the fiaraes to extend to our own neighl)or!ng shores, seriously to endanger, or actually to consume, the fair fabric of our Union. We fear that the course and current of events are rapidly tending toward such a catastrophe. We, however, hope for the best, though we ought certainly to be prepared for the worst. We also forbear to investigate the present condition of the questions at issue between the United States and Sjjain. A Jong series of injuries to our people have been committed in Cuba by Spanish otlicials, and are unre- dressed. Hut recently a most flagrant outrage on the rights of American citizens, and on the flag of the United States, was perpetrated in the harbor of Havana under circumstances which, without immediate redress, would have justified a resort to measures of war in vindication of national honor. That outrage is not only unatoned, but the Spanish government has deliber- ately sanctioned the acts of its subordinates, and assumed the responsibility attaching to them. Nothing could more impressively teach us the danger to which those peaceful relations it has ever been the policy of the United States to cherish with foreign nations, are constantly exposed, than the circumstances of that case. Situated as Spain and the United States are, the latter has forborne to resort to extreme measures. But this course cannot, with due regard to their own dignity as au inde- pendent nation, continue; and our recommendations, now submitted, are dictiited by the fli-m belief that the cession of Cuba to the United- States, with stipulations as beneficial to Spain as those suggested, is the only effective mode of settling all past differences, and ct securing the two countries against future collisions. 108 COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF CUfiA. We have already witnessed the happy results for both countries whicih followed a similar arrangement in regard to Florida. Yours, very respectfully, JAMES BUCHANAN. J. Y. MASON. PIERRE SOULE. HON. WM. L. MARCY, Secretary of State. Unfortunately for Cuba the suggestions oifered by this commis- sion were not acted upon, although it is not probable that Spain, ever blind to her own interests, would have admitted the justice or reason of the argument, had the offer to purchase been made to her. Exports and Imports. A table showing the amount of trade between Cuba and Spain during the year 1894 (the last authentic report), is instructive: Importations in Cuba from Spain | 7,492,622 Exportations from Cuba to Spain 23,412,376 Difference in favor of export $15,919,754 The Future of Commercial Ciiba. Under happier conditions, there can be no doubt that Cuba will ipeedily attain a much higher state of commercial importance and prosperity than it has yet enjoyed. Great as its productiveness has been in the past, well-informed writers assert that proper development of its resources will increase the value five-fold, and a liberal system of government will enable it to take advantage of its admirable posi- tion to gain greater prominence in the commercial world. CHAPTER VI. BEAUTIES OF A TROPICAL ISLAND. A Delightful Clianate — Grand Scenic Surprises — The Caves of Bellaniar— The Valley of the Yumuri — Under Nature's Dome — Gorgeous Sunsets — The Palm Tree Groves — ^The Home of Fruits and Flowers — The Zodiacal Light. When the little island of Cuba, "The Pearl of the Antilles," was assigned a place upon the terrestrial globe, Nature must have been in her most generous mood. Certainly no land beneath the skies was given a more perfect combination of mountains and rivers, forests and plains. Situated within and near the border of the northern tropical zone, the temperature of the low coast lands is that of the tomd zone, but the high interior of the island enjoys a delightful climate, and the verdure-clad hills, with the graceful palm and cocoa tree clear against the pure blue sky, may be seen at all seasons of the year. As in other countries on the borders of the tropics, the year is divided between a hot and wet season, corresponding to the northern declination of the sun, and a cool and dry period. The months from the beginning of May to October are called the wet season, though some rain falls in every month of the year. With May, spring begins in the island, rain and thunder are of almost daily oecuiTence, and the temperature rises high, with little daily variation. The period from November to April is called the dry season by contrast. On a mean of seven years the rain-fall at Havana in the wet season has been observed to be 27.8 inches, of the dry months, 12.7, or 40.5 inches for the year. July and August are the warmest months, and during this period the avcage temperature at Havana is 82 Fahr., fluctuating between a maximum of 88 and a minimum of 76. In the cooler months of De- cember and January the thermometer averages 72, the maximum being 78, and minimum 58. The average temperature of the year at Havana on a mean of seven years is 77. But in the interior, at elevations of over 300 feet above the level of the sea, the thermometer occasionally falls to the freezing point in W 115 BEAUTIES OF A TROPICAL ISLAND. Avinter. Frost is not uncommon, and during north winds, tliin ice may form, tliougli snow is unknown in anv pari of tlie island. The prevailing wind is the easterly trade breeze, but fi'om Novem- ber to Februaiy, cool north winds, rarely lasting more than forty- eight hours, are experienced in the westei'?^ part of the island, to which they add a third seasonal change. Hurricanes may occur from August to October, but they are rare and sometimes five or six j'ears pass without such a storai. Grand Scenic Surprises. Many "globe-trotters" who have never included this little corner of the world in their itinerary, do not appreciate the fact that nowhere under the sun can be found a more perfect climate, grander mountain scenex'y, more charming valleys, more picturesque ruins, and feriile fields than Cuba offers to tlieir view. In another portion of this Avork will be found descriptions of llu* cities of Cuba, and brief mention here of some of the beauties of llie country may not be amiss. One of the grandest bits of scenery in the known world is to be found in the valley of the Ynmuri, rivaling in sublimity the far-famed Lookout Mountain view and the Yosemite of the Sierra Nevadas. The journey leads over a winding trail, easily traversed by the native horses, up a steep hill, until, after a continuous climb of an hour and a half, the road turns around the edge of a grassy precipice, and the beautiful valley, with its patches of green and gold, spreads away in the distance. The little river of Yuniuri Avinds its Avay through its flower-decked banks until it reaches the bay beyond, wlilie in the dis- tsince rise the might}' mountains, clad in their coats of eA'ergreen, and over all the fleecy clouds, and the sky of azure blue. In this vicinity an opportunity is given the sight-seer to visit a sugar house and gain an idea of the sugar-nmking process, though on a A'ei-y snuvll scale, and enjoy a half an hour in the study of the natives, and their home life. A traveler, in Avriting of this place, says: "Our interview with the little black 'ninos' was highly amusing. On entering the court yard of the negro quarters, a dozen little black imps, of all ages and sexes and sizes, perfectly naked, rushed toAvards us, and crossing their arms upon their breasts, fell upon their kmn^s before us, and jabbered and muttered, out of which could be distin- CEI .L MAXIMO SOMEZ— LEADER OF THE INSURGENTS OF CUBA A HERO WITH A HISTORY GENERAL MACEO. LEADER OF THE INSURGENT ARMY OF CUBA t BEAUTIES OF A TROPICAL ISLAND. 113 guislied, 'Master, master, give us tJiy blessing,' whicli we interpreted to mean 'tin;' whereupon we scattered sundry 'medics' among tliem! Hey! presto! wLat a change! The little black devils fell over one another, fought, tugged, and scrambled to secure a prize, while any- one who had been lucky enough to obtain a coin, marched off in a state of dignified delight, his distended little stomach going before him like a small beer barrel, while the owner of it kept shouting out, 'Medio, yo tengo medio' (five cents, I have five cents)." The Caves of Bellamar. One of the most interesting trips that can be made is to the "Caves of Bellamar," whi(,'h may be found about two and a half miles south- east of the citj' of Matauzas. The journey takes the traveler up a winding and rugged road to the top of a hill, where the "Cave house" is I'eached, a large frame structure built over the entrance, and containing, ajiiong other objects of interest, a large collection of beautiful crystal formations found in the cave. Here the tourist enters his name in the visitors' register, pays his dollar, and follows the boy guide down the stiiii's into the cave. About one hundred and lifty feet from the eiii ranee a small bridge is crossed, and the "Gothic Temple" is reached. The only light comes from a few scattered lanterns, and is consetiuently very obscure, but one can see the millions of crystals, the thousand weird forms, and realize that it is surpassingly beautiful. The temple is about two hundred feet in length and seventy feet in width, and wl'ile it does not equal in size or solemn grandeur the temple of the same name in the Mammoth cave of Kentucky, it greatly excels it in the richness and splendor of its crystal formations and beautiful effects. The spectator possessed of strongly developed imaginative powers cannot fail to feel liimself in fairy land. From the gloomy corners come gnomes and demons, and in the crystal shadows he sees sprites and lovely fairies, keeping gay revel to dreamy airs, played on invisi- ble strings l)y spirit hands. One of the most beautiful objects in the cave is the "rountain of Snow," a name given to one of the great pillars, called by the natives the "Cloak of the Virgin." Others are known as "Cblumbus Mantle," "The Altar," and "The Guardian Spirit." "Who has not seen the Caves of Bellamar has not seen Cuba." 114 BEAUTIES OF A TROriCAL ISLAND. Under Nature's Dome. One of the most vivid pieces of descriptive aa ritiug, referring to the beauties of Cuban slcies, is from the i>en of James M. Phillippo: "The sph?udor of the early dawn in Cuba, as in the tropical islands in its vicinity, lias been refeiTed to. The whole sky is often so re- splendent that it is diilicult to determine where the orb of day will appear. Small fleecy clouds are often seen floating on the north wind^ and as they hover over the mountains and meet the rays of the sun, are changed into liquid gold and a hundred intensely beautiful dyes more splendid than the tints of the rainbow. During the cooler months, the mornings are delightful till about ten o'clock, the air soon after dawn becoming agreeably elastic, and so transparent that dis- tant objects appear as if delineated upon the bright surface of the air; the scenery everywhere, especially when viewed from an eminence, is indescribably rich and glowing; the tops of the rising grounds and the summits of the mountains are radiant with a flood of light, while the vapor is seen creeping along the valleys, here concealing the entrance to some beautiful glen, and there wreathing itself fantastic- ally around a tall spire or groves of palm trees that mark the site of a populous village. "The finest and most gorgeous sunsets occur in the West Indian Archipelago during the rainy seasons. The sky is then sublimely mantled with gigantic masses of cloud, glowing with a thousand gor- geous dyes, and seeming to collect at the close of day as though to form a couch for the sun's repose. In these he sinks, flooding them with glory, touching both heavens and eafth with gold and amber brightness long after he has flung his beams across the other hemi- spliere, or i>erhaps half revealing himself tlirough gauze-like clouds, a crimson sphere, at once rayless and of portentous size. "The azure arch, which by an optical illusion limits our view on every side, seems here, and in the tropics generally, higher than in England, even higher than in Italy. Here is seen, in a perfection com- pared to which even Italian skies are vapid and uninteresting, that pure, serene, boundless sky, that atmosphere of clear blue, or vivid red, which so much contributes to enrich the pencil of Claude Lor- raine. The atmosphere of Cuba, as everywhere within the tropics, except when the high winds prv:vail, is so unpolluted, so thin, so elas- tic, so dry, so serene, and so almost inconceivably transparent and UEAUTIES OF A TROPICAL ISLAND. 115 l» brilliant, that every object is distinct and clearly defined ah it cut out of the clear blue sky. All travelers agree in praising the calm depths of the intensely blue and gloriously bright skies of inter-tropical lati- tudes. In the temperate zone, it is estimated that about 1,000 stars are visible to the naJced eye at one time; but here, from the increased elevation and wider extent of the vault, owing to the clearness of the atmosphere, especially as seen from a high mountain diain, the num- ber is greatly augmented. If, however, these luminaries may not be seen here in greater numbers, they certainly shine with greater bril- liancy. The different constellations are indeed so greatly mag-uilied ii*j to give the impression that the power of the eye is increased. Venus rises like a little moon, and in the absence of the greater casts a dis- tinguishable shadow. "The Milky Way, which in the temperate zone has the appearance of a luminous phosphorescent cloud, and, as is well known, derives its brightness from the diffused light of myriads of stare condensed intO' Bo small space that fifty thousand of them are estimated to pass across the disc of the telescoi)e in an hour, is here seen divided into constella- tions, and the whole galaxy is of so dazzling a whiteness as to make it resemble a pure flame of silverj'^ light thrown across the heavens, turning the atmosphere into a kind of green transparency. Besides this, there are vast masses of stellar nebulae of indefinite diversity and form, oval, oblate, elliptical, as well as of different degrees of density, diffused over the firmament, and discoverable through a common tele- scope, all novel to an inhabitant of temperate climes, and recalling the exclamation of the psalmist: 'The heavens declare the glory of God, . . . the firmament showeth forth His handiwork.' " 'The stars Are elder scripture, writ of God's own hand, Scripture authentic, uncorrupt by man.' "An interesting phenomenon sometimes occurs here, as in other islands of the West Indies, wliich was long supposed to be seen only in the eastern hemisphere. A short time before sunrise or sunset, a fiush of strong, white light, like that of the Aurora Borealis, extends from the horizon a considerabfe way up the zenith, and so resembles the dawn as to prove greatly deceptive to a stranger. As he watches the luminous track he sees it decrease instead of becominjj more vivid, and at length totally disappear, leaving the heavens nearly as dark as previous to its appearance. This is the zodiacal light.'* CHAPTER VII. iWEALTH FROM NATURE'S STORES IN THE FORESTS AND FIELDS OF CUBA. The Palm Tree, the Queen of the Cuban Forests — Sugar Cane and Its Culti- vation — The Tobacco Industry — Tropical Fruits and Flowers — Beauties of a Garden in Cuba — Enormous Shipments to Spain — The Wealth of e fruit, dried in the sun, a palat- able and nutritious flour is made." The Tobacco Industry. Cuban tobacco is famous throughout the w dd, and is one of the most profitable of all its products. Prior to 171 J the crop was sent to the national factories in Spain, by the "Commercial Company of Havana," under government contract, but during that year the "Fac- toria de Tobacco" was established in Havana by the government. The tobacco was classified as superior, medium and inferior, and was re- ceived from the growers at fixed prices. In 1804 these were six, five and two and a half dollai*s per arrobe (a Spanish unit of weight, sub- ject to local variations, but averaging about twenty-seven pounds avoirdupois). By comparing the different prices with the quantity of each class of tobacco produced, we find that the "Factoria" paid an average price of |16 per hundred pounds for the leaf tobacco. With the expense of manufacture, the cigars cost the government seventy-five cents per pound; snuff, fine grain and good color, forty -three cents, and com- mon soft, or Seville, nineteen cents a pound in Havana. In good years, when the crop amounted to 350,000 arrobes of leaf, 128,000 arrobes were manufactured for Spain, 80,000 for Havana, 9.200 for Peru, 6,000 WEALTH FROM NATURE'S STOKES. 119 for liueiios Ayres, 2,240 for Mexico, aud 1,100 for Caracas and Cam- peachy. In order to iiialce up the amount of lU.'jOOO arrobes, (for the crop loses ten per cent, of its weiirlit, in loss and daniaj;e in tlie transporta- tion and nianufaclnre) wo nnist sujipose that 80,000 arrobes were con- sumed in the interior of the island; that is, in the country, where the royal monopoly did not extend. The maintenance of 120 slaves and the expenses of manufacture did not exceed !ii!l2,000 yearly; but the salaries of the otUcei-s of the "Factoria" amounted to !ji!r)41,000. The value of the 128,000 arrobes of tobacco sent to Spain, in the abundant ^eais, either in cigars, leaf or snuff, at the cu.stomai"}' prices there, ■exceeded the sum of live million dollars. It is surprisin<>' to see in the returns of the exports from Havana (documents jiublished by the Consulado), that the exports for iSl(> were only 3,400 arrobes; for the year 1823, only 13,1)00 arrobes of leaf tobacco; and in 1825 only 70,302 pounds of cigars and 107,100 pounds lit p)I(len yellow, Hti-enked here and there with red. The top is dark }«rt'en, with Ion;;, narrow leaves dej>ending, very nui»h like those of the eora stalk, from the center of which shoots ui)svjud a silvery stem, a couple of Un^t in hei^^ht, and from its tip grcnvs a white fringed plume of a delicate lilac hue. The effect of a large field at its mattirity, lying under a torrid sun, and gently yield- ing to the breeze, is very fine, a jHcture to live in the memory ever after. "In the competition .between the products of beet-root sugar and that from sugar cane, the former contrt)ls the market, because it can be produced at a clieaper rate, besides which its production is stimu- lated by nearly all of the European states, through the means of lib- eral subsidies both to the farmer and to the manufacturer. Beet sugar, however, does not possess so high a percentage of true sac- charine matter a.s the product of the cane, the latter seeming to be nature's most direct mode of supplying us with the article. The Cuban phuiters liave one advantage over all other sugar-cane protluc- ing countries, in the great and in<>xhaustible fertility of the soil of the island. For instance, one or two hogsheails of sugar to the ac)*e is considered a good y\vh\ in Jamaica, but in Cuba three hogsheads are the average. Fertilizing of any sort is rarely employtnl in the cane tields, while in beet farming it is the principal agent of success. Though the modern machinery, as lately adoptetl on the plantations, is very expensive, still the result achievc^l by it is so much superior to that of the old methods of manufacture, that the small planters are being driven from the market. Slave labor cannot compete with machinery. The low pi-ice of sugar renders economy inii>erative in all branches of tlie business, in order to leave a margin for profit. "A ])lant('r informed the autlior that he should s])read all of his molasses ujion the cane fields this year as a fertilizer, rather than send it to a distant market and receive only what it cost. He further said that thousands of acres of sugar cane would be allowed to rot in the fields this season, as it would cost more to cut, grind, jjack and send it to market than could be rc^^lized for the manufactured article. Had the price of sugar remained this year at a figure which would afford the planters a fair profit, it might have been the means of tiding over the chasm of bankruptcy which has long stared them in the face, and upon the brink of which they now stand. But with a more than average crop, both as to quantity and quality, whether to gather it or not is a problem. Under these circumstances it is difficult to say what WEALTH FROM NATURE'S STORES. l'4l is to btHoine, ttnancinlly, of tlu? people of Cuon, Sujf.ir \h their great staple, but all buslnes» has been equally suppreHstMl upon the island, under the bane of civil laws, extortionate taxation, and oppreswive rule. "The HUfjfar cane yields but one crop a year. There are several varieties, but the Otaheitan seems to be the most generally cultivatini. Between the time when enough of the eane is ripe to warrant the get- ting up of steam at the grinding mill, and the time when the heat and th(! rain spoils its qualities, all the sugar for the season must be made, hence the ncfesjslty for great industry on large estates. In Louisiana the grinding lasts but about eight weeks. In Cuba it continues fotir months. In analyzing the sugar produced on the island, and compar- ing Ic with that of the main land, the growth of Loui^iana, chemists could find no difference as to the quality of the '.rue sacchanne prin- ciple contained in each. "The great sugar estates lie in the Vueltra Ariiba, the ivgion of the famous red earth. The face of this region smiles with prosjK'rity. In every direction the traveler rides astonislierd of A])ril, 1870. .5th. All persons referred to in Article 14 oi the I'enal ('ode of the I'cninsula, which is in force in this Island, will be held responsible for said infractions in the same order as estal)lished by the said Article. (ith. Whenever a newspaper has twice incurred the penalty of said offense, and shall give cause for a tliird penalty, it may be then suppressed. 7th. The civil governors are in charge of the fulfillment of this decree, and against their resolutions, which must be always well founded, the inter- ested parties may appeal within twenty-four hours following their notifica- tion. VALERIANO WEYLEE. Havana, April 27, 1S9G. Population of the Island. Conflicting accounts render it impossible to amve at anything like a certainty as to the number of inliabitants in Cuba at tlie time of its conquest, but it may be estimated at from 300,000 to 400,000. There is but little doubt, however, tliat before 1560 the whole of this j)opula- tion liad disappeared from the island. The first census was takeu in 1774, when the population was 171,620. In 1791 it was 272,300. Owing to tlie disturbed condition of the island, no census of the inhabitants has been taken since tliat of 1887, when the total popula- tion was 1,631,687. Of this number, 1,111,303 were whites, and 520,684 were of negro blood. These figures make questionable the claim that the war for liberty is simply an insurrection of the colored against the Caucasian race. CHAPTER IX. HAVANA, THE METROPOLIS OF THE ISLAND. ITavanii and Its Attractions for Tourists — How to Roacli Cuba — Di-scription of tlio Harbor of Havana — How tlic Proverbial Unhealtlifulncss of tin? City May IJe Roniedit'd — (.-liaractcM-iHtics of tlie Business Quarter — Residences and How tlie People Live — Parks and Boulevards — Other Features of Life in the City . In spite of the little encouraj;ement which American tourists have had for visiting the city of Havana, for many years it has been a pop- ular place of resort for the few who have tried it or have been recom- mended to it by their friends. With the attractions it has had during Spanish administration, when an air of constraint and suspicion marked the intercourse with every American, it will not be surprising if under changed auspices and in an atmosphere of genuine freedom, Americans will find it one of the most delightful and easily accessible places possi- ble for them to visit. It is not all pleasant, but the unpleasant things are sometimes quite as interesting as the pleasant ones. If the traveler forms his judgments according to the actual comforts he may obtain, he will be pleased from beginning to end of his stay. If the measure of his good opinion is whether or not things are like those to which he is accustomed, he will be disappointed, because novelty reigns. But nov- elty does not necessarily mean discomfort. Havana may be reached by a sea voyage of three or four days from New York, on any one of several excellent steamers under the American flag, and even in winter the latter portion of the voyage will be a pleas- ant feature of the journey. Or the path of the American invading squad- ron may be followed, and the traveler, aftet passing through Florida by rail, may journey from Tampa by the mail steamers, and touching at Key West for a few hours, reach Havana after a voyage of tAvo nights and a day. The Florida straits, between Cuba and the Florida keys, which were the scene of the first hostilities of the war, are but ninety miles wide, and the voyage is made from Key West in a few hours. The current of ua 134 UAVANA, THE METROPOLIS OP THE ISLAND. the gulf stream makes the channel a trifle reminiscent of the English channel, but once under the lee of the Cuban coast the water is still and the harbor of the old city offers shelter. In the days before the war, Morro Castle had an added interest to the traveler from the fact that behind its frowning guns and under the rocks on which it was built, were the cells of scores of sad prisoiu^rs, some of them for years in the dungeons, whose walls could tell secrets like those of the inquisition in Spain if they could but speak. Iietwe<>n Morro Castle and its neighbor across the way. La Puntsi, the vessels «team into that bay, foul with four hundred years of Spanish misrule iiud filth, where three hundred years of the slave trade centered, and into which the sewers of a great city poured their filth. Once inside the harbor. Cabana Castle frowns from the hills behind Morro, and on the opposite shore rise the buildings of the city itself. The harbor always has been a busy one, for the commerce of the island and of the city has been large. In times of peace, scores of vessels lie at anchor in the murky waters. The American anchorage for mail steamers for years has been in the extremest part of the bay from the city of Ilavana itself, in order to avoid the contagion which was threat- ^ened by a nearer anchorage. Until the Maine was guided to her ill- fated station by the harbor master, it had been long since any American vessel had stopped in that part of the harbor. Perfect Sanitary Condition Easily Created. The shallow harbor of Havaui. Ima its entrance from the ocean through .a channel hardly more tiiaii three hundred yards wide, and nearly half a mile long, after whi'^;; 't broadens and ramifies until its area becomes several square miles. No fresh water stream, large or small, flows into it to purify the waters. The harbor entrance is so nar- row, and the tides along that coast have so little rise and fall, that the level of water in the harbor hardly shows perceptible change day after day. The result of this is that the constant inflow of sewage from the great city pouring into the harbor is never diluted, and through the summer is simply a festering mass of corruption, fronting the whole sea wall and throwing a stench into the air which must be breathed by everyone on shipboard. There is one part of the harbor known as "dead man's hole," from which it is said no ship has ever sailed after an anchorage of more HAVANA, THE METROPOLIS OP THE ISI^ND. 135 than one day, without bearing the infection of yellow fever among its crew. Along the shores of this very harbor are great warehouses for the sugar and tobacco 8hipi>etl into the United States by the thousands of tons every year. To preserve our national health, our government has maintained an expensive marine hospital service and quarantine sys- tem along our southern ports which trade with Havana, in addition to supporting a marine hospital service under the eminent Dr. Burgess in Havana itself. To arelle