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The Commoner.
WILLI AH J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
Vol. 2. No. 21.
Lincoln, Nebraska, June 13, 1902.
Whote No. 73.
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THE BIRTH OF THE CUBAN REPUBLIC
Article Written by Mr. Bryan for Collier's Weekly and Reproduced by Courtesy of that Journal.
Copyright 1902 by P. F. Collier & Son.)
"Viva Cuba Libre!" "Viva la Itepublica do
Cuba!" Tbese were the exclamations of delight
and of patriotism with which the Cuban people
greeted the 20th day of May, the day upon which
the American government of intervention formal
ly transferred authority to the newly formed Cu
ban government
For days the city of Havana had been busy
with preparations for the great event.. Fifty thou
sand dollars had been contributed by the citizens
and spent in decorations. Triumphal arches tow
ered above the streets; large Cuban Hags floated
from' the flagstaff s of the business blocks and little
flags fluttered from bamboo poles; streamers cov
ered the buildings and patriotic mottoes and pic
tures of dead heroes recalled the struggle of more
than thirty years, so full of sacrifice and so re
plete with valor, just-now culminating in a glori
ous victory. Everywhere were evidences of joy
and exultation.
From the time the president-elect landed at
the wharf of Havana the people were in a state of
suppressed excitement, impatiently waiting the
hour for which they had looked and longed. The
most notable evont of the Week preceding the in
auguration was the banquet tendered by the Cuban
veterans to Governor General Wood on Friday
evening, May 16. General Maximo Gomez, the
greatest of Cuban generals, the hero of the war
for independence, the idol of the Cuban patriots
and the tru.ted Jriend of the new president, sat at
the head of the table. On his left was President
elect Tomas" Estrada Palma and on his right Gen
eral Leonard A. Wood. At the same table sat the
principal military and civil officials of Cuba, min
gled with the officers of the United States army.
The banquet tables were made to form a shield
and occupied the entire floor of the Tacon Theatre,
while the five galleries of that splendid auditorium
were crowded with ladies in party dress. The
banqueters below and the spectators above pre
sented a combination of bravery and beauty ever
to be remembered.
AN INSPIRING SCENE.
General Gomez being a man of action rather
than of words, called upon Senor Gonzalo de
Quesada to act as toastmaster, and that the latter
discharged his duty well was evident from the
manner in which his introductions were greeted.
.Brief speeches were made by Senor Mario Garcia
Kohly, General Fernando Freyre Andrade and
myself. Then Governor General Wood was pre
sented, and tfca entire audience arose and stood
while he expressed in modest but felicitous lan
guage his appreciation of the courtesies shown him
and his good wishes for the Cuban republic. It
was an inspiring scene, the like of which has been
rare in the world's history the representative of
a great and powerful government voluntarily sur
rendering into the hands of a comparatively small
nation an authority that might have been with
held had the United States been actuated by the
motives which control most nations that go to
war. It was an act of magnanimity and of fidel
ity to principle that raised higher the flag about
to be lowered it was a moral victory more potent
for good than any triumph of arms.
General Wpod has had a difficult task, and
while mistakes have been made and an occasional
criticism is heard, these are outweighed by the
positive good that has been done.
The Teller resolution, which was added to
the resolution of intervention, contained the fol
lowing words:
"That the United States hereby disclaims
any disposition or intention to exercise sov
ereignty, jurisdiction or control over said
island except for the pacification thereof, and
asserts its determination, when that is accom
.plished, to leave the government and control
of the island to its people."
If any American citizen has regretted the
making of that promise or has favored its viola
tion he would have been converted had he at
tended the banquet given by the veterans on Fri
day evening. He would have learned that love la
better than homage and that our nation enjoys a
greater reward than it could possibly have secured
By conquest or violence. -GENERAL
WOOD'S FAREWELL RECEPTION.
On the Saturday night following the banquet
General Wood gave a farewell reception in the
same theatre, with President Palma as the guest
of honor. An immense crowd was in attendance.
On the same evening the leading Spanish society
of the city celebrated the coronation of Spain's
young king by a grand ball in the Casino Espanol.
Here, amid the waving of Spanish flags and the
perfume of tropical flowers, the elite of the Span
ish element met and drank the health of Alfonso
XIII.
At midnight on the 19th the bells rang, the
engines and boats whistled, cannons fired and each
person seemed to try to make more noise than his
neighbor. From that time on, for several days the
city was given over to rejoicing and to the heart
iest manifestations of delight Firecrackers were
exploded everywhere, and that, too, with a reck
lessness that would have done credit to the
American email boy.
When the Spaniards evacuated Havana the
beautiful statue of Queen Isabella, which stood .'a
the centre of the most prominent park, was taken
down, but the pedestal was left standing. The
Cubans, to signalize the change which had taken
place in their government, secured a statue such as
is used- in the United States to represent the God
dess of Liberty and, on the forenoon of the 20th,
this statue was placed upon the pedestal. The
crowds that surged by it noted and commented on
the transformation that had taken place in the
ideas for which their government stood. At night
a light was placed in the uplifted hand of the
goddeaa, and the Western Hemisphere beheld a
new "Liberty enlightening the world."
As the hour of noon approached the human
tide that had ebbed and flowed through .the streets
began to form a stream, and this stream, passing
through Central Park, divided, one part going in
the direction of the Palace, where the formal
transfer of the government was to take place, and
the other passing down the Prado to the point
opposite Morro Castle.
The American soldiers occupied tho Placa de
Armas just in front of the palace and kept clear
the street between. Tho people filled all tho other
Btreets around, and looked down from windows and
from the roofs of the neighboring buildings.
In the reception room of tho palace gathered
those who by special invitation wore permitted
to witness tho simple ceremony which preceded
the retirement of General Wood and the inaugura
tion of President Palma. Tho room was not a
largo one and tho number of persons admitted did
not exceed one hundred and fifty or two hundred.
Tho members of the cabinet, members of tho su
preme court, members of the Cuban congress, the
archbishop of Cuba and his escort, the governors
of the various provinces, mayors, magistrates, and
a fow officers of tho American army and navy,
with members of the diplomatic corps, newspaper
men and less than a score of others gathered about
tho centre of the room. y&tr,
I found that but few Americans outside of the
military and naval officials were present. Senator
James K. Jones of Arkansas, chairman of tho
democratic national committee; Senator Money of
Mississippi and his son, Senator Mason of Illinois
and wife, ex-Senator Thurston of Nebraska and
wife, Congressman De Armond of Missouri, Gov
ernor Jennings of Florida, his wife and son,
a few without title and tho photographers repre
sented unofficial America. That the United States,
which appointed three special envoys to witness
the coronation of Edward VII. of England and ono
special envoy to witness the coronation of Alfonso
XIII. of Spain, had no envoy to testify to the in
terest which our people felt in tho birth of a re
public whose very existence was duo to American
intervention, was a fact frequently commented
upon by both Cubans and resident Americans.
THE CHANGE OF FLAGS.
At about five minutes before twelve Governor
General Wood and President-elect Tomas Estrada
Palma took their positions in the centre of the
room. General Wood inquired for General Gomez,
and, a' messenger having been sent to bring him
from the rear of the room, he was asked to take
a position next to the president. These three, to
gether with the president's secretary, constituted
the inner group. In a circle just outside this group
stood Captain Scott, the adjutant general of the
department of Cuba, tho members of the supreme
court, senate and congress and the archbishop,
while crowding around these without regard to
position were the remaining guests, each anxious
to be near enough to hear tho words spoken by
the principal participants. Mrs. Palma and fam
ily stood a few feet to the rear of the president
and General Wood, while General Wood's wife
and the other ladles of the company occupied
vantage ground near the windows.
Just at twelve a cannon shot fired at one of
the forts startled the audience. It was followed
by another roar and then by another. Then the
whistles of the ships lying at anchor in the harbor