PROGRESS OF HOSTILITIES.
Eagerness to Fight--Matanzas Bombarded--Weyler's Brother-in-law a
Prisoner of War--The Situation in Havana--Blanco Makes a Personal
Appeal to Gomez--The Reply of a Patriot--"One Race, Mankind"--The
Momentum of War--Our Position Among Nations.
The striking peculiarity at the commencement of the war was the
general eagerness to fight. There have been wars in which there
was much maneuvering and blustering, but no coming to blows. There
have been campaigns on sea and land in which commanders exhausted
the devices of strategy to keep out of each other's way, but in
this war the Americans strained strategy, evaded rules, and sought
excuses to get at the Spaniards.
Given a Spanish fortified town and an American fleet, and there was a
bombardment on short notice. Given a Spanish fort and a Yankee gunboat,
and there was a fight. There were no "all-quiet-on-the-Potomac" or
"nothing-new-before-Paris" refrains. The Americans knew they were right,
and they went ahead.
MATANZAS BOMBARDED.
The first actual bombardment of Cuban forts took place on April
27th at Matanzas, when three ships of Admiral Sampson's fleet, the
flagship New York, the monitor Puritan, and the cruiser
Cincinnati, opened fire upon the fortifications. The Spaniards had
been actively at work on the fortifications at Punta Gorda, and it
was the knowledge of this fact that led Admiral Sampson to shell
the place, the purpose being to prevent their completion.
A small battery on the eastern side of the bay opened fire on the
New York, and the flagship quickly responded with her heavy guns.
Probably twenty-five eight-inch shells were sent from the battery
at our ships, but all of them fell short. A few blank shells were
also fired from the incomplete battery.
One or two of those whizzed over Admiral Sampson's flagship. After
completing their work the ships put out to the open sea, the
flagship returning to its post off Havana, while the Cincinnati
and the Puritan remained on guard off Matanzas. While the flagship
New York, her sister cruiser, the Cincinnati, and the monitor
Puritan were locating the defenses of Matanzas harbor the
batteries guarding the entrance opened fire on the New York. Their
answer was a broadside from Admiral Sampson's flagship, the first
fire being from the forward eight-inch gun on the port side. The
monitor attacked the Point Maya fortification, the flagship went
in close and shelled Rubalcaya Point, while the Cincinnati was
soon at work shelling the fortification on the west side of the
bay. In less than twenty minutes Admiral Sampson's warships had
silenced the Spanish batteries.
The explosive shells from the forts fell wide of the ships. The
last one fired from the shore was from Point Rubalcaya. The
monitor Puritan let go with a shot from one of her twelve-inch
guns, and its effect was seen when a part of the fortification
went into the air. The battery at Maya was the stronger of the two
and its fire more constant, but all its shells failed to hit our
ships.
The target practice of the flagship was an inspiring sight. At
every shot from her batteries, clouds of dust and big pieces of
stone showed where the Spanish forts were suffering. The New York,
after reducing the range from over six thousand to three thousand
yards, fired shells at the rate of three a minute into the enemy's
forts, each one creating havoc. The Puritan took equally good care
of Point Maya. When she succeeded in getting the range, her
gunners landed a shell inside the works at every shot.
When permission was given to the Cincinnati to take part in the
first battle between Yankee and Spanish forces, the cruiser came
up to within 2,000 yards of the shore, and almost immediately her
guns were at work. Cadet Boone on the flagship fired the first gun
in answer to the Spanish batteries.
The Spanish mail steamer Argonauta, Captain Lage, was convoyed
into Key West harbor by the United States cruiser Marblehead on
May 3. Colonel Vicente De Cortijo of the Third Spanish cavalry,
who, with nineteen other army officers, was taken on the prize, is
a brother-in-law of Lieutenant General Valeriano Weyler. Colonel
De Cortijo and the other officers were transferred to the Guido
and the privates to the Ambrosio Bolivar, two other trophies of
the first week of the war.
The Argonauta herself was no mean prize, being of 1,000 tons
burden, but the value of the capture was mainly in the prisoners
of war and the mail matter going to General Blanco. Her cargo was
general merchandise, with a large quantity of ammunition and
supplies for the Spanish troops in Cuba.
THE SITUATION IN HAVANA.
A correspondent wrote from Havana, on the 3d of May, as follows:
"The dispatch boat succeeded again to-day in opening communication
with Havana, and your correspondent brought away with him the
morning papers of yesterday.
"The City of Havana is a sad sight. There are still a few of the
reconcentrados about the streets now, but starvation has ended the
misery of most of them, and their bones have been thrown into the
trenches outside of the city.
"Starvation now faces the Spanish citizens themselves. Havana is a
graveyard. Two-thirds of the inhabitants have fled. The other
third is beginning to feel the pangs of hunger.
"The prices rival those of Klondike. Beefsteak is $1 a pound.
Chickens are $1 each. Flour is $50 a barrel. Everything is being
confiscated for Blanco's army. Sleek, well-fed persons are daily
threatened with death to make them divulge the whereabouts of
their hidden stores of provisions.
"Several provision stores in the side streets have been broken
into and looted. General Blanco is being strongly urged to sink
artesian wells to provide water in the event of a siege, as a
joint attack by the Cuban and American forces would destroy the
aqueduct. It is not thought that Blanco will attempt this, as he
will not have sufficient time.
"A bulletin posted on the wall of the palace this morning
announced that the mail steamship Aviles from Nuevitasa and the
Cosme Herra from Sagua arrived last night. It is also stated that
the Spanish brig Vigilante arrived at Matanzas from Montevideo
with food supplies for the government.
"The palace of the Captain General is practically deserted since
the blockade began. Blanco has personally taken command of Mariena
battery, and is directing the erection of new sand batteries all
along the water front west of the entrance to Havana Bay.
Lieutenant General Perrado is making Guanabacoa his headquarters,
and is planting new batteries and strengthening the fortifications
as much as possible. Over 300 draymen are engaged in the hauling
of sand from the mouth of Almandres for use in the construction of
the earthworks along the coast, and in the city suburbs all
draymen have been ordered to report for volunteer duty with their
drays. The streets are riotous with half-drunken Spanish
volunteers crying for American and Cuban blood.
"At night the city is wrapped in darkness, all gas and electric
lights being shut off by order of Blanco. Spanish soldiers are
taking advantage of this to commit shocking outrages upon
unprotected Cuban families. In spite of these direful
circumstances Blanco has ordered the decoration of the city,
hoping to incite the patriotism of the populace."
BLANCO MAKES A PERSONAL APPEAL TO GOMEZ.
On May 4 General Blanco made a supreme effort to win over the
Cuban forces, writing a letter to General Gomez. A copy of this
letter and the answer of General Gomez were found upon Commander
Lima, who was picked up by the Tecumseh fifteen miles from Havana.
The letter of General Blanco was as follows:
General Maximo Gomez, Commander-in-Chief of the Revolutionary
Forces:
Sir--It cannot be concealed from you that the Cuban problem has
radically changed. We Spaniards and Cubans find ourselves facing a
foreign people of different race, of a naturally absorbent
tendency, and with intentions not only to deprive Spain of her
flag over the Cuban soil, but also to exterminate the Cuban
people, due to its having Spanish blood.
The supreme moment has, therefore, arrived in which we should
forget our past misunderstandings, and in which, united by the
interests of our own defense, we, Spaniards and Cubans, must repel
the invader.
General, due to these reasons, I propose to make alliance of both
armies in the City of Santa Clara. The Cubans will receive the
arms of the Spanish army, and with the cry of "Viva Espana!" and
"Viva Cuba!" we shall repel the invader and free from a foreign
yoke the descendants of the same people.
Your obedient servant,
RAMON BLANCO.
To this General Gomez replied as follows:
Sir--I wonder how you dare to write me again about terms of peace
when you know that Cubans and Spaniards can never be at peace on
the soil of Cuba. You represent on this continent an old and
discredited monarchy. We are fighting for an American principle,
the same as that of Bolivar and Washington.
You say we belong to the same race and invite me to fight against
a foreign invader, but you are mistaken again, for there are no
differences of races and blood. I only believe in one race,
mankind, and for me there are but good and bad nations, Spain so
far having been a bad one and the United States performing in
these movements toward Cuba a duty of humanity and civilization.
From the wild, tawny Indian to the refined, blond Englishman, a
man for me is worthy of respect according to his honesty and
feelings, no matter to what country or race he belongs or what
religion he professes.
So are nations for me, and up to the present I have had only
reasons for admiring the United States. I have written to
President McKinley and General Miles thanking them for American
intervention in Cuba. I don't see the danger of our extermination
by the United States, to which you refer in your letter. If it be
so, history will judge. For the present I have to repeat that it
is too late for any understanding between my army and yours.
Your obedient servant,
MAXIMO GOMEZ.
ONE RACE--MANKIND.
The reply of Gomez to Blanco will live in history. Blanco's
strange appeal to the Cuban general was characteristic of a
Spaniard. It would seem that an intelligent man would not have
made such an appeal, well knowing that it would be useless. For
three years Gomez had waged what to many seemed to be a hopeless
fight. After these years of sacrifice he obtained the United
States as an ally, an acquisition that assured him of final
success. Under these circumstances Blanco, the representative of
the forces against which Gomez had been contending, appealed to
Gomez to join with him in an effort to repel the United States
forces. Such an appeal under the circumstances, in view of the
fact that Blanco was regarded as an intelligent man, showed the
Spaniard to be incapable of appreciating the sentiments which
prompted a people to maintain a struggle for liberty.
General Blanco based his appeal upon the claim that the Cuban and
the Spaniard belonged to the same race and worshiped at the same
shrine. He sought to stir up within Gomez' breast racial and
religious prejudices, and went so far as to suggest that in the
event Gomez united his forces with those of Blanco, Spain would
give liberty to Cuba, and would "open her arms to another new
daughter of the nations of the new world who speak her language,
profess her religion and feel in their veins the noble Spanish
blood."
Gomez' letter was interesting for several reasons. To those who
had pictured him as a coarse, illiterate man this letter was a
revelation. It was not, however, a surprise to those who had
carefully studied Gomez' career and who understand that he was a
scholarly man as well as a thorough soldier.
"I only believe in one race, mankind," said Gomez, and that
sentence will occupy a conspicuous place in the history of this
continent.
"From the wild, tawny Indian to the refined, blond Englishman,"
said Gomez, "a man for me is respectful according to his honesty
and feelings, no matter to what country or race he belongs or what
religion he professes. So are nations for me." Such excellent
sentiments were doubtless wasted on the Spaniard, but men of all
civilized nations, even we of the United States, may find great
value in these splendid expressions by the Cuban general.
The man who believes that there is but one race to whom we owe
allegiance, that that race is mankind, and that to that race he
owes all allegiance, must have his heart in the right place. The
man who discards the consideration of accident of birth and, apart
from patriotic affairs, applies the term "comrade" to all of God's
creatures, that man has not studied in vain the purposes of
creation. The man who forms his estimate of individuals according
to the manhood displayed by the individual, banishing from his
mind all racial and religious prejudices, must certainly have
studied the lesson of life to good advantage.
"I only believe in one race, mankind." That is a sentiment that
the religious instructors and the sages have endeavored to impress
upon us. But the combined efforts of all the instructors and all
the sages in teaching of the brotherhood of man have not been so
impressive as was the simple statement of this splendid patriot
wherein he repelled the temptation to racial and religious
prejudice.
Mankind is the race, and the honest man's the man, no matter to
what country he belongs or what religion he professes. That was a
sentiment of Maximo Gomez, the Cuban patriot, the clean-cut
American, a sentiment to which the intelligence of the world will
subscribe and in the light of which prejudice must finally fade
away.
THE MOMENTUM OF WAR.
As far as the American people were concerned, the destruction of
the Maine was the beginning of hostilities. The Nation dropped, on
the instant, the slow-going habits of peace, and caught step to
the intense and swift impulse of war. Great events crowded one
another to such an extent that we made more history in sixty days
than in the preceding thirty years. The movement was not a wild
drifting, but was as straight, swift, and resistless as that of a
cannon ball. There was an object in view, and the government and
the people went straight at it.
When the Maine was destroyed our navy was scattered, our army was
at thirty different posts in as many States, there were no
volunteers in the field, no purpose of war in the minds of the
people. The Spanish hold on Cuba seemed secure; no one thought of
Spain's yielding Puerto Rico or the Philippine islands. The people
could not be brought to serious consideration of the Cuban
question, and they were indifferent to the fate of Hawaii. They
held back when any one talked of our rights in the Pacific, and
had little enthusiasm in the plans to strengthen our navy and our
coast defenses. All these questions were urgent, but the people
hesitated and Congress hesitated with them.
The explosion that destroyed our battleship and slaughtered our
seamen cut every rope that bound us to inaction. In a week the
navy was massed for offensive movement. In three weeks $50,000,000
had been placed at the disposal of the President to forward the
preparations for national defense. In a month new war vessels had
been purchased, the old monitors had been repaired and put in
commission, the American liners had been transferred to the navy.
In two months war had been declared, the reorganized North
Atlantic squadron had blockaded Cuban ports, and the regular army
was moving hurriedly to rendezvous in the South. In another week
125,000 volunteers were crowding the State capitals.
Under the momentum of war we swept forward in a few weeks to the
most commanding position we had ever occupied among nations.
Without bluster or boast we impressed the world with our strength,
and made clear the righteousness of our cause. We proved that a
republic wedded to peace can prepare quickly for war, and that a
popular government is as quick and powerful as a monarchy to
avenge insult or wrong.