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 307 ^ U B A himself took the field with 60,000 men. _ Shortly before the north coast to Jucaro on the southern seaboard. Prehe left on this expedition he repeated his proclamation paratory to initiating this work, General Weyler determined that a free pardon would be extended to all insurgents who to march through the centre of the island in order to drive presented themselves to the Spanish authorities. The the insurgents towards the east, and with this object left rebels did not, however, take advantage of this concession, Havana early in February 1897 at the head of a large except in the case of sickness, and in that event left the body of troops. The route taken was through Havana revolt with the advice and consent of their comrades. An and Matanzas to Santa Clara and Cienfuegos. The system order was issued from the military headquarters followed was similar to the former one through Pinar del Weylev’s tqe effect that troops when marching through Rio. The insurgents made no attempt to oppose the seven y. ^ country would destroy all buildings or crops troops, and their inactivity apparently deceived General capable of sheltering or assisting the insurgents in any Weyler, for on his return to Havana he declared officially way, and that all persons encountered who had failed to that the western and central sections of the island might obey the order to concentrate in the fortified towns were be considered pacified. This statement was no sooner to be treated as rebels. This roused the indignation of made public than the rebels again began to make their the people of the United States, for it showed clearly that presence known by attacks on Spanish posts and the the policy Weyler intended to pursue was one of absolute destruction of a number of plantations where the owners extermination of the recalcitrant sections of the population. had failed to comply with their demands. The arrest of an American citizen named Rius served to The horrors of the march through the provinces of Havana and Pinar del Rio cannot be overestimated. The country increase the tension between the United States and Spain. people were mercilessly shot down, the animals that could Rius was a Cuban who had obtained naturalization after not be made use of were hamstrung, and the smiling residing for some years in Philadelphia. The United country was left a grim mass of smoking ruins. Constant States Consul-General demanded that he should be imskirmishes occurred with groups of insurgents, but no mediately tried and released if no offence could be proved against him. While the question was pending, Rius was advantage of importance was gained. Suddenly it was discovered that Antonio Maceo was not reported to have died suddenly. The United States in Pinar del Rio, but had slipped through the trocha and Consul-General insisted upon a medical examination of was in the province of Havana, in the rear of Weyler. the body, and it was found that Rius had died from the Maceo had crossed the Bay of Mariel in a boat with the effects of a blow on the back of his head. On the woodobject of organizing a demonstration and threatening the work of a chair in his cell was discovered a statement, city of Havana as an offset to the operations of Weyler in scratched with a nail, to the effect that the prison authoriPinar del Rio. This intention was never put into practice ties intended to murder him. General Lee, the United for the reason that on December 6 Maceo was killed in a States Consul-General in Havana, reported the facts of the skirmish. His death was a very severe blow to the in- case to Washington, and President Cleveland caused insurrection, and the Spaniards thought for a time that they structions to be sent to him to demand a full investigation, would have small further difficulty with the rebels. But promising all necessary support. Ultimately the Spanish here, again, the authorities underestimated the strength authorities appointed a commission of inquiry, but no and bitterness of feeling on the part of the Cubans. After clear proof was adduced that Rius had been delibera few weeks Rius Rivera, who had served throughout the ately murdered. The incident then dropped, but it former revolt, landed in Pinar del Rio to take command brought one step nearer the intervention of the United of the rebels, but in March 1897 he was wounded in a States. Meanwhile the country - people of Pinar del Rio, skirmish near San Cristobal, and subsequently captured and deported. About the same time, Layas, another prom- Matanzas, and Havana, concentrated in the fortified towns, inent Cuban leader, was killed in the province of Havana, were dying of starvation. In the village of Consolacion but these two additional difficulties did not cause the del Sur the deaths exceeded 10,000, and in the city of Matanzas the total was still larger. As the true situation insurgents to waver. General Weyler returned to Havana after the death of became understood in the United States, the opinion that Maceo, leaving General Arolas and General Bernal to intervention should take place, or in any case the recogcontinue operations against the rebels in Pinar del Rio. nition of Cuban independence, every day found expression Other factors arose to complicate the situation. The in emphatic terms in Congress. The number of lives authorities declared that the owners of sugar plantations sacrificed in the campaign had reached nearly 50,000 were making regular payments to the rebel leaders in without bringing the end of the trouble in sight, while order to protect their property. Ho doubt it was a fact the cost of the operations in Cuba was calculated at that such payments were made, but no other course was £2,000,000 sterling monthly. In view of the _ ca// Qf open to the planters unless they were prepared to abandon general situation, the United States Government weylen their properties. General Weyler issued a decree pro- approached the Madrid authorities with sughibiting the manufacture of sugar until such time as the gestions for a very liberal measure of local self-government different districts might be declared pacified, and stating for Cuba. This pressure from Washington, combined with that work would only be permitted as this pacification a change of Ministry in Spain, brought about the recall of progressed. This order affected Spaniards as well as General Weyler in October 1897, and the appointment of Cubans, and brought upon Weyler a storm of abuse, so General Blanco as his successor. The Sagasta Adminismuch so that he was obliged to rescind the decree. Large tration determined on a radical change of policy in Cuba numbers of persons suspected of sympathizing with the and Porto Rico. The Abarzuza reforms were abandoned, rebels were arrested and shipped without trial to the and a form of Constitution was drawn up for both islands Spanish penal settlements of Fernando Po and Ceuta, in based on that of Canada, but with certain restrictions as Africa, and executions after summary trial took place regards financial legislation. General Blanco was inalmost daily. structed to use every endeavour to conciliate the Cubans, The Spanish Commander-in-Chief decided to build a but the new policy came too late. The Cubans were second trocha across the island for the purpose of isolating convinced that it was only a question of maintaining the the central provinces from the eastern section of Puerto insurrection for another year to force Spain to evacuate Principe and Santiago, drawing the line from Moron on the island, unless American intervention brought about RECENT HISTORY.]