554 CUBA that in certain contingencies, such as the eman- cipation of the slaves by the Spanish govern- ment, the United States ought to possess them- selves of the island by force. A proposition was urged in the United States senate in the session of 1858-'9 to place $30,000,000 in the hands of the president with a view to the acquisition of the island; but after debate it was withdrawn by its author, Mr. Slidell of Louisiana. In the mean time the agitation of the question of independence still continued in Cuba, and suspected persons were arrested and imprisoned or banished without trial in the most arbitrary manner. In 1852 a conspiracy was discovered, and the leaders were condemned to death or, to hard labor for life. In 1854 Gen. Jose" de la Concha, in anticipation of an up- rising of the Creole population, threatened to Africanize the island. He formed and drilled battalions of black troops, armed the native- born Spaniards and disarmed the Cubans, and made ready for a desperate defence. His en- ergy probably prevented a revolution at the time. The Cuban junta in New York had made preparations for a descent on the coast, and had enrolled a large body of men; but under the circumstances the attempt was post- poned. Pinto and Estrampes, Cubans taken with arms in their hands, were executed, and about 100 others were condemned to the gal- leys or deported. Gen. Concha was created marquis of Havana for his services. For the succeeding ten years the island was compara- tively quiet ; but the party of independence was only awaiting an opportunity to strike. On Aug. 2, 1867, Francisco V. Aguilera, Ma- nuel A. Aguilera, and Francisco Maceo Osorio met in the house of the last named in Bayamo, and formed a conspiracy to liberate Cuba from Spanish rule. A few months later their asso- ciates were so numerous that the leaders found it difficult to restrain them from striking pre- maturely. The revolutionary movement spread rapidly throughout the Eastern department. InManzanillo Carlos Manuel de Cespedes placed himself at its head ; in Holguin, Belisario Al- varez ; in Las Tunas, Vicente Garcia ; in Jigua- ni, Donato Marmol ; and in Santiago de Cuba, Manuel Fernandez. These men met in Sep- tember, 1868, to set a day for the rising. At this meeting all the deputies, with the excep- tion of those from Manzanillo, insisted on the necessity of delaying action for at least six months, but no decision was arrived at. An- other consultation was held on Oct. 3, at which Francisco Aguilera urged a delay of 16 days. His arguments were accepted as conclusive at the time, but two days afterward it was agreed definitively that the blow should be struck on Oct. 14. In the mean time news of the pro- jected outbreak had reached Havana. On Oct. 9 a letter carrier was detained at Ces- pedes's sugar estate, La Demajagua, and found to be the bearer of an order for the arrest of the conspirators. Cespedes deemed it expe- dient to strike at once, and with only 200 badly armed men at his command he declared for in- dependence on the field of Yara, Oct. 10. Yara was defended by a Spanish force too strong for the insurgents, but on the 13th attacks were made on Las Tunas, Cauto Embarcadero, Ji- guani, La Guisa, El Datil, and Santa Rita. On the 18th Bayamo was captured; the governor shut himself in the fort with a few men, but capitulated on the 22d. A Spanish force under Col. Quiros, numbering about 800 infantry, besides cavalry and artillery, which had left Santiago de Cuba for the relief of Bayamo, was defeated and driven back to the former place with heavy loss. Camaguey soon fol- lowed the example of Yara. A republican form of government was organized, at the head of which were placed Salvador Cisneros Betan- court, marquis of Santa Lucia, and Ignacio and Eduardo Agramonte. On Nov. 25 Gen. Count Valmaseda, who had been sent from Havana into the insurrectionary district with the San Quintin regiment, set out from Puerto Principe for Nuevitas by rail, but was attacked on the following day and forced to return, leaving his dead on the field. Five days later he reached San Miguel, his force being harassed the entire distance. In December Col. Acosta y Alvear was defeated bj the Cubans at Las Yaguas with heavy loss. Cespedes had proclaimed himself captain general in the Eastern depart- ment, and early in December a conference be- tween the leaders in both departments was held at Guaimaro, but no consolidation was ef- fected. Arrangements were made however to act in concert. Meanwhile Yalmaseda, who was still at San Miguel, increased his force to 4, 000 men and marched on Bayamo. He received a severe check at Saladillo, but finally succeeded in crossing the Cauto. The Cubans in Baya- mo, seeing the hopelessness of defence, burned the city. On Dec. 26 Gen. Quesada landed a cargo of arms and took command of the army of Camaguey. The railroad between Nuevitas and Puerto Principe was cut by the insurgents, and the situation of the latter place became so critical that heavy reinforcements were sent thither from Havana. In October, 1868, Spain had 19,700 men of all arms in Cuba. Before the close of the year 20,000 additional troops had been sent from Europe, over 12,000 contra- guerrillas recruited on the island, and 40,000 rolunteers organized for the defence of cities. The volunteers or national guard were raised from Spanish immigrants, between whom and the native Cubans has always existed a bitter jealousy and enmity. In 1873 they numbered about 60,000 in the whole island, and 11,000 in Havana. In January, 1869, they committed fearful atrocities at Havana, shooting men, women, and children in the Villanueva theatre, at the Louvre, and at the sack of Aldama's house. In February Gen. Dulce, successor of Lersundi as captain general, sent commission- ers to the Cubans to open negotiations, offering them everything but independence, but met with no encouragement. On Feb. 26 the " as-
