tion of Cuba, increasing in prosperity and civilization, imbibing
liberal ideas from its geographical position, and yet denied
participation in the few shadowy rights which the peninsular subjects of
the enfeebled, distracted and despotic parent monarchy enjoyed. We have
seen that, in later years, the adoption of more liberal ideas by Spain
produced no amelioration of the condition of the colony; and that, on
the other hand, a conformity to the legal enactments of the mother
country was punished as treason. The result of the movement in the
western department, under Tacon, showed the Cubans that they had nothing
to hope from Spain, while the cruelties of General O'Donnell increased
the great discontent and despair of the people. They now became
satisfied that the hope of legal reform was but a chimera; and a portion
of the liberal party, seeing no issue from their insufferable position
but that of revolution, boldly advocated the intervention of arms.

In 1848 a conspiracy was formed, in Cienfuegos and Trinidad, with the
purpose of throwing off the Spanish yoke; but it was soon discovered,
and crushed by the imprisonment of various individuals in the central
department. The principal leader in this movement was General Narciso
Lopez, who succeeded in effecting his escape to the United States, where
he immediately placed himself in communication with several influential
and liberal Creoles, voluntary and involuntary exiles, and established a
correspondence with the remnant of the liberal party yet at liberty on
the island, at the same time being aided in his plans by American
sympathy. The result of the deliberations of himself, his correspondents
and associates, was to try by the chances of war for the liberation of
Cuba. The disastrous result of the expedition boldly undertaken for this
purpose is already well known.

Before sketching the principal features of this attempt, we may be
permitted to declare that, although we deplore the fate of those of our
countrymen who perished in the adventure, though we readily concede that
many of them were actuated by lofty motives, still we must condemn their
action, and approve of the vigorous measures adopted by the federal
government to suppress that species of reckless adventure in which the
_flibustiers_ engaged. No amount of sympathy with the sufferings of an
oppressed people, no combination of circumstances, no possible results,
can excuse the fitting out of a warlike exped