e, Senator Morgan offered a joint resolution, demanding the
immediate release of General Julio Sanguily.
General Sanguily, who was a famous Cuban general in the previous war
against Spain, has been many months in Cuban prisons, and was at one time
condemned to penal servitude at the Spanish settlement in South Africa.
Through the representations of our government a new trial was secured for
him, and he was finally set free.
The manner of freeing him was very Spanish. Word was sent to him that if
he would declare himself guilty of treason against Spain he would be given
his liberty. This he refused to do. He had not very much faith in the
Spaniards, and he was not sure that it might not be a trap which they were
setting for him. He feared that if he declared himself guilty, they would
make it a pretext for putting him to death.
Mr. Olney however, persuaded him to do as Spain wished, Minister de Lome
having explained to him that Spain would graciously pardon General
Sanguily if he acknowledged his guilt.
So the farce was played according to Spain's wishes, and the innocent
Sanguily declared himself guilty, that he might he pardoned for an offence
which he had never committed. He was thereupon set free, and made the best
of his way over to America and security.
This Sanguily farce has been made to answer another purpose.
Spain is very tired of Weyler, and the complete failure of the great
campaign in which he was going "to eat up the Cubans at his leisure," has
made Spain lose faith in him.
The constant battles in the provinces which he had declared pacified, the
ease with which Gomez crossed the Trocha which had cost Spain so much
money, and the repeated defeats of the Spanish arms, settled the business,
and it was decided that Weyler must be removed from Cuba.
For some unknown reason, Spain does not want to disgrace Weyler, in spite
of his failures, so they have allowed him to use the release of Sanguily
as a pretext for disagreeing with the government, and resigning his
position in Cuba. The Spaniards seem to be most careful of their friends'
feelings, and most polite in all their dealings with one another. It is a
pity that this very delicate code of honor does not prevent them from
murdering helpless prisoners, and insulting defenceless women.
The release of Sanguily has aroused some very bitter feeling in Havana,
and the Spaniards are saying that Spain ought not to submit to it, nor to
General Lee
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