The History of Cuba, vol. 3Johnson, Willis Fletcher
History
The History of Cuba, vol. 3
Johnson, Willis Fletcher
Cuba -- Economic conditions; Cuba -- History
Thereafter, a reasonable degree of quiet prevailed throughout the
Kingdom, which was merely a lull before the renewal of the storm. On New
Year's day of 1867, the Junta at Madrid issued another proclamation,
announcing to the people of Spain that another revolutionary movement
was about to begin, and inviting them to join it, and share its success.
To this there was not apparently a sufficient response to seem to
warrant action, and it was not until the following August that anything
more was heard of the revolution. The revolutionists, however, were
merely outwardly quiet. Propaganda and organization were being
systematically carried on, and the way was being paved for a really
effective revolt, which would have widespread and far-reaching results
in purging Spain of a tyrannous rule and substituting in its place
republican justice. When the time seemed propitious, in August, General
Prim issued a third proclamation, calling the people to arms, the chief
result of which was an increased degree of vigilance and severity on the
part of the government. Many of the revolutionary leaders were
apprehended and expelled from Spain on suspicion of sympathy and
complicity with the revolution. Among this number were Generals
Serrano, Cordova, Duke, Bedoya, and Zebula, and persons of no less high
standing than the Duke and Duchess of Montpensier.
It is curious that all through history, movements like that which had
gained such force and impetus in Spain have been met with the high hand
of oppression. Instead of endeavoring to get at the root of the evil, to
realize that since there was so persistent a dissatisfaction there must
be real causes for grievance the removal of which would work toward a
harmonious solution, it has seemed to be impossible for those born in
the purple to understand the problems of the common people, and so when
the latter have risen in revolt, cruelty and injustice, if not actual
outrages, have marked the attempts to extinguish the trouble. The result
has ever been the same. The story of the attempts to suppress the revolt
in Spain differs not at all from the same story written on the pages of
the history of other nations. The increased oppression on the part of
the government only served to fan the smouldering fire into flame. The
popular wrath and indignation against the queen and her underlings bade
fair to burst into a huge conflagration.
In consequence, when the next overt act of insurrection occurred, at
Cadiz, on September 17, there was a very general response throughout the
Kingdom. General Prim was again at the head of the movement, supported
by General Serrano and the other officers, to whom the sentence of
banishment had not proved effective, since they had found their way back
into Spain. Revolutionary Juntas were formed in almost all of the
provinces, and in a number of the most important cities, and in the
course of a few days the insurgents were in control of a considerable
part of the Kingdom.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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