ministration took notice of the Spanish general's Ukase, and the Secretary of State, Mr. Hamilton Fish, wrote to the Spanish Minister to the United States, Señor Lopez Roberts, the following letter:

"In the interest of Christian civilization and common humanity, I hope that this document is a forgery. If it indeed be genuine, the President instructs me, in the most forcible manner, to protest against such mode of warfare."

But the Spaniards continued their villainies, and old and young were slaughtered every day. The attitude of indifference observed by the nations during this special period of terror in Cuba, can be qualified only as cowardly, mean and criminal. The poor families suffered greatly without food or shelter, pursued across fields and woods, and lacking garments to cover their naked bodies. The patriots too, were suffering from lack of food and ammunition to cope with the enemy, being compelled to eat their horses and mules. When these gave out, they lived on fruits and herbs. The lack of salt to season their frugal and unwholesome food caused disease to spread, with fatal results, all over Bayamo, Holguin and Santiago. More than forty per cent of the population died of fevers, smallpox and cholera. It seemed as if all the calamities of the world had agreed to strike simultaneously at the patriots, but they continued to fight hard, notwithstanding their great suffering.

On the 10th of April, 1869, a Constitution was proclaimed at Guaimaro, and was signed by:

CARLOS M. De Cespedes,

MIGUEL GUTIERREZ,

SALVADOR Cisneros,
MANUEL VALDEZ,

HONORATO CASTILLO,
MIGUEL BETANCOURT,
José M. YZAGUIRRE,

ARCADIO GARCIA,

EDUARDO MACHADO,

ANTONIO LORDA,

ANTONIO ALCALA,

JESUS RODRIGUEZ,

FRANCISCO S. BETANCOUrt,
IGNACIO AGRAMONTE,

ANTONIO ZAMBRANA.

The American Confederate General, Thomas Jordan, gives a very interesting report of an engagement. Nobly and disinterestedly he had come from the States to help the Cubans

by his experience as a soldier, which he had gained during the American Civil War, under General G. T. Beauregard, the brave and skillful defender of Charleston. The report is transcribed to show what he thought of the patriots as soldiers:

the number of our forces did not exceed 548 men all told, with one artillery piece. Circumstances beyond my power to control prevented me from concentrating more men in time for the battle. The enemy had a trifle less than 2,000 troops of infantry, cavalry and artillery.

there were at least 100 cavalry and three artillery pieces. On the battlefield were found 200 dead, many officers amongst them, and 45 horses. The engagement lasted seventy-five minutes, and in that time, one after the other, three assaults of the Spanish regulars were repulsed. They advanced in compact columns of 500 metres. Then a thicker column charged on us, and it would have been defeated also had the reserve ammunition been at hand; unfortunately it was not there, and from lack of cartridges I was compelled to withdraw my force from the position. The retreat was performed with a coolness and precision that would have done honor to veterans of a hundred battles.

All the line of trenches that measured 490 paces was under my view, and I did not see one single case of reproachable conduct on the part of any officer or private. On the contrary, I remarked that they displayed superb spirit and gallantry.

By request of the officers and soldiers, I ordered a machete charge against the sharpshooters of the enemy at our left flank. It was made in a brilliant manner and with great effectiveness, yielding some booty to those that took part in it.

With twenty rounds more of cartridges the enemy would have been stampeded; they rallied only when our ammunition gave out.

I am proud of having had the opportunity to command such troops; their noble example has given great enthusiasm to all those that have joined us, and all are equally anxious to engage the enemy. This will be very soon, and I am sure the most satisfactory results will be obtained. After the battle the enemy were so down-hearted that, not daring to

advance towards Camaguey, they have countermarched three miles on the road and have entrenched themselves there, never moving from camp more than a few hundred yards, and even then with not less than 300 men.

Certainly this situation cannot last long and the column will have to move in one direction or another, burdened with 300 wounded, besides their arms and those of the dead.

The enemy has been reduced one-third of its total effective force, for the dead and wounded cannot be less than 500. THOMAS JORDAN, Major-General Commanding. GENERAL HEADQUARTERS, SAN AUGUSTIN, Jan. 12, 1870.

The Revolutionary Congress, in session April 11, 1869, at Guaimaro, passed a resolution presented by a member, Eduardo Machado, for the adoption of the Cuban flag: ground, red triangle with a white five-pointed star in the center; three longitudinal blue stripes and two white ones. It was the same flag that Gen. Narciso Lopez raised. Considerable discussion went on before its adoption. Antonio Lorda had proposed that the triangle be blue with red and white stripes. In the same session Carlos M. de Cespedes was elected President, Manuel Quesada Commander in Chief, and Francisco V. Aguilera Secretary of War of the Republic. Mexico, Chile, Bolivia and Peru extended recognition of belligerency to the Republic of Cuba almost immediately after. Unfortunately, these republics were weak and poor, and their sympathy, although greatly esteemed, did not aid the patriots.

In 1869 the Secretary of State offered the intervention of the United States to General Prim, representative of the Spanish Government, on the basis of a purchase by the Cubans of their independence, under a guarantee by the United States, to which the General replied:

'We can better proceed in the present situation of things without even this friendly intervention. A time will come when the good offices of the United States will be, not only useful, but indispensable in the final arrangements between Spain and Cuba. We will ascertain the form in which they can be employed and confidently count upon your assistance." The United States answered that its good offices for that

object would be at any time at the service of the parties to the conflict.

A long and interesting diplomatic correspondence, treating of Cuban affairs, was kept up between the two Governments, the Americans tendering their good offices to stop the war, the Spaniards cunningly deferring a definite answer-the diplomacy of Rome foiling Anglo-Saxon diplomacy. The following document issued in the next year proves it:

By the President of the United States of America:

A PROCLAMATION.

Whereas, divers evil-disposed persons have, at sundry times, within the territory or jurisdiction of the United States, begun, or set on foot, or provided, or prepared the means for military expeditions or enterprises to be carried on thence. against the territories or dominions of powers with whom the United States are at peace, by organizing bodies pretending to have powers of government over portions of the territories or dominions of powers with whom the United States are at peace, or by being or assuming to be members of such bodies, by levying or collecting money for the purpose, or for the alleged purpose of using the same in carrying on military enterprises against such territories or dominions, by enlisting and organizing armed forces to be used against such powers, and by fitting out, equipping, and arming vessels to transport such organized armed forces to be employed in hostilities against such powers;

And, Whereas, it is alleged, and there is reason to apprehend, that such evil-disposed persons have also, at sundry times, within the territory and jurisdiction of the United States, violated the laws thereof by accepting and exercising commissions to serve by land or by sea against powers with whom the United States are at peace, by enlisting themselves or other persons to carry on war against such powers, by fitting out and arming vessels with intent that the same shall be employed to cruise or commit hostilities against such powers, or by delivering commissions within the territory or jurisdiction of the United States for such vessels to the intent that they might be employed as aforesaid;

And, Whereas, such acts are in violation of the laws of the United States in such case made and provided, and are done in disregard of the duties and obligations which all persons residing or being within the territory or jurisdiction of the

United States owe thereto, and are condemned by all rightminded and law-abiding citizens:

Now, Therefore, I, Ulysses S. Grant, President of the United States of America, do hereby declare and proclaim that all persons hereafter found within the territory or jurisdiction of the United States committing any of the afore-recited violations of law, or any similar violations of the sovereignty of the United States for which punishment is provided by law, will be rigorously prosecuted therefor, and, upon conviction and sentence to punishment, will not be entitled to expect or receive the clemency of the executive to save them from the consequences of their guilt; and I enjoin upon every officer of this government, civil or military or naval, to use all efforts in his power to arrest, for trial and punishment, every such offender against the laws providing for the performance of our sacred obligations to friendly powers.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the City of Washington, this twelfth day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy, and of the independence of the United States of America the ninetyfifth.

(Seal)

By the President:

HAMILTON FISH, Secretary of State.

U. S. GRANT.

The United States of Colombia, in February, 1870, extended to the Cubans belligerent rights. What a noble example of disinterestedness did those little, poor, South and Central American Republics give to the other nations of the world!

The Government employed the most stringent coercive methods in the course of this ten years struggle, to prevent demonstrations of sympathy towards the patriots by the inhabitants of the cities. The most ridiculous measures were taken to that end, and in a good many instances the proceedings were savage and barbarous. A mob of volunteers threw the city of Havana into consternation by forcing a court-martial, and passing capital sentence on eight innocent youths, students of the University there, on the suspicion that they had scratched somebody's tomb in the graveyard.