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that it was undertaken on false information ; proves that the Creoles were far more hostile than the troops , from whom he says they received nothing but kind treatment . He lays the blame to the speculators in Cuban bonds , who had bought up that stock and made money by the rise . Lopez he exonerates from the charge of low motives , and speaks of the invaders as men not led away by love of plunder , but their own generous impulses . ' Lopez , he says , was ambitious , but " prohably as much or more deceived ( by false reports ) than any man in the expedition . " THE LIFE AND DEATH OF GENERAL 10 PEZ . Narciso Lopez , the chieftain of the Cuban invasion , was a man whose name will not be allowed to pass away into oblivion on the Continent and among the Islands of the West . He has been sneered at as a coward ; it has been shown that he was one of the bravest of the brave . He has been branded as a buccaneering plunderer ; it is clear now that he risked life , reputation , and property , for the independence of Cuba , the land of his adoption . Men have said that he was base and ignoble ; the friendship of Valdez should have shielded him from the accusation . The land where Munoz triumphs , and where Iliego fell under the balls of legal assassins , will know some day that , for her ingratitude to men like Iliego and Lopez , she is where she is—only next above Naples amon" the Red Monarchies of Europe .
Narciso Lopez was born in Venezuela , about fifty - two years ago . His father held lands , and was master of flocks and herds upon the plains in that tropical region . His mother , still living , is said to be a woman of rare moral dignity and mental power . The only surviving son of his house , young Lopez was early habituated to a hardy life , accustomed to scour the plains on the back of the fierce wild steeds of his country . When he was fifteen that desolating civil war , which cost Spain her ill-governed South American colonies , was raging in the land . Bolivar had been beaten , it was thought conclusively at Puerta , when , in 1814 , Narciso
Lopez , young as he was , had charge of his father s main establishment at Valencia , a town in the interior . This was held by and for the patriots , and Bolivar sent them orders to hold out to the last . For three weeks the gallant inhabitants defended a town without walls against the victorious Spanish army . The house belonging to the father of Lopez formed one of the angles of the square , and the defence consisted in maintaining the approaches to this square . This post was held by a body of men who soon felt that they had a leader in the gallant boy . But they instead of
fought in vain , Bolivar withdrew from , hastening to relieve , Valencia , and after a heroic defence ^ the town surrendered . Massacre followed . The father of Lopez was among the prisoners ; the eon , unsuspected , escaped . But he did not the less hover about to help , if possible , his father . The next morning he found , in his searches , eighty-seven bodies with their throats cut like sheep . What could he , a boy of fifteen , accomplish ? Nothing . For some time he lay concealed ; but at last , in despair , he enlisted in the Spanish army , and soon proved himself of almost unmatched coolness and
daring . Shortly , indeed , after he entered the army under Morales , he showed himself a man of mark and courage . The Spaniards were engaged in attacking a fortilied position , defended mainly by a curtain about fifty yards in length , and flanked by two bastions . The attack was made in two divisions , one on each flank . It chanced that one division exhausted its ammunition , and signalled to the general for more . Three mules were loaded , and volunteers called for to lead them along the line of the enemy ' s
fire . Lopez alone walked from the ranks . The mulea were tied together head and tail , and the adventurous young Boldier started on the road . At about half distance one of the mules fell dead . It ¦ was the middle one . Lopez stopped , coolly disengaged it from its fellows , faatened the two remaining together , and amid a ahower of bulls pursued hit ) way . And he reached his destination , liia gun broken by <>» c hall , hin cap pierced by a second , his pantaloons cut by a third , and both mules neverely but not mortally wounded . The place was taken .
For this service he was offered and refused a commission , but he accepted a hor . se and relief from the common drugeries of a soldier ' s career , lie wan not u soldier by choice but necessity , and he cherished the hope of honourably quitting the service . Hut us he did his duty , so he roue . At nineteen he commanded a select body of horse with whom it waa a point of honour never to turn the buck . () a one
: — " Morillo at the heud of a force of seven or eight thousand men , was pursuing the patriot army of I'aa numbering about . 'WOO , over the llanos or plains of Vene .... lla trying " » vni" to bri " K lilt ! inatUr lo uu «««»««" * ' , ' 'l'l » i « Purz found no difticulty in avoiding , as lua whole force counted of first rate cavalry , while the KfiRiiiBh army * vua muinly infantry . Lopez waa at the K of tfie ^ ickcdBquadron , who never turned their Wk « lie hud lost hulf of it in a severe engagement that morning , and with the real , 38 in number was inTrehig m the extreme flank of the army , when he received uu order from the General to gallop ior ward and
inevitable before the swoop of that force . Lopez asked his men if they would stand or turn . They replied that they would do as he should . His answer was to fling himself from his horse , and command them to do the same , and to form into a line , standing their ground _ as long as they could with lances and carbines . He thus repulsed the charge of Paez and his guard , refusing to surrender , maintaining himself until Morillo could hasten up all his cavalry to their support , and until the able Paez withdrew his guard , and left Lopez with what remained of his dismounted squadron , to receive the cordial embraces of his General , and the plaudits of the whole army which had witnessed the scene . " ,
harass the rear of Paez's retreating army . Morillo had not recognized , at the distance , the fragmen $ wh * ch remained of Lopez ' s squadron , which he would never otherwise have sent on such a service , especially alter the morning ' s work . Rash as the order was , it was ol course obeyed . On the perfectly level prairie , which was the scene of the operation , what ensued was m view ot both armies . Paez , provoked at the insolence of the little squadron , halted , and put himself in person at the head of a splendid cotps of about 300 men , his guard , the well known flower of his army , in scarlet uniforms , and every man superbly mounted ; and this corps was seen to detach itself from the main body , and rapidly approach the little bandwhose destruction seemed
It was Lopez who brought the war of independence to its close in opposition to the Spanish general ; and on its termination in Spain ' s defeat , he was offered a command in the patriot army , so highly was his courage , devotion , and honour esteemed . Chance had thrown him on the side of Spain , but honour had kept him there ; and in 1823 he retired to Cuba . A singular instance is told of his high courage and devotion . He headed an expedition to the main land , and went on shore at a point inhabited by a wild and warlike tribe of Indians , with whom he had a severe engagement . He and his party were nearly perishing for want of water , and they sought it in
the interior . They could find none . In their extremitv , they met with an Indian on a creamcoloured * horse with black feet . He was searching for his wives , who had been carried off by a hostile tribe . They asked him where water could be found , and he offered to lead them to a spot which they could reach , by daybreak . Waa he a decoy , and should they follow him ? In the midst oLtheir doubt , Lopez proposed to mount himself behind the Indian , risking the chance of the Indian ' s fidelity for the sake of his band , and seek for the water . He went , the strange pair rode all night through the forest , and returned with the joyful news that the Indian was faithful .
From 1823 he was a Cuban , having married and settled in the island . Spain , as we know , with the aid of French bayonets , had restored absolutism ; the army was " purified" ; that is , the Liberal officers were dismissed . Lopez only retained his nominal rank of Colonel . He was a Democrat by principle ; but when the revolution began , which ended in the quadruple alliance and the
establishment of the present Queen of Spain on the throne , Lopez , who was in Madrid , entered heart and soul into the Christina cause . He fought all through the war against the Carlists , and won for himself a name amongst the bravest of the brave . On the great day when the Royalists were disarmed , Lopez was seen in the streets of Madrid , singly , and sword in hand , driving bodies of armed Royalists to the guard-house to deposit their arms . In this war he saved the army and the honour of General Carondelet , and he
rescued General Valdez by an incredible act of cool intrepidity : — " Valdez had allowed himself to be surprised with only a small part of his army , in a . village named Durango , where he had established his head quarters ; the rest ot the army being scattered iu various directions on different services . Suddenly , through one of those rapid movement of concentration , which marked the system of warfare of Zumalacarregui , the celebrated Our list comruander-in-chief , he found himself surrounded in every direction with greatly superior forces . Durango was situated iu a valley encompassed with hills of moderate elevation , of which the enemy suddenly took possession . Escape Hccmcd impossible ; u bird alone , as it
seemed , could curry intelligence to the nearest Chriotino division situated at J'irmoa , ten or twelve miles distant , so as lo summon it to the rescue . Colonel Lopez , however , volunteered to do it , claiming it aa his duly and light , as first aid de-camp , and pledging himself to bring up the division at hrmou . The commaiuler-inchief , though regarding the attempt as desperate , vet yielding to hits demand , he told him he might take what force he required for the purpose . ' 1 could not do it with the half of the division , ' wuh the answer ; 'but let me have your piebald horse which you bought on my udvice . ' It wan brought , and Lopez mounted it , taking with him only hi * orderly ( a fellow on whom he could
trust to follow him Over and through anything ) , the hitler being mounted on Lopez's own favourite charger . Directing him to keep clone to him , and to regul . ite liin pact ; - by his own , and wince it watt not likely that both would escape , iimti ucting him as to the order to be carried to Eimou , lie « et out at full speed from Durango , along a road whiuh passed between I wo eminences , both occupied by the enemy . { Slackening Ium spe .-u , as he got well clear of tu « foiiuer place and approached the enemy , but riding with entire confidence , he and his companion presented tlie appearance of denei tern ; and two uquudrons , which had at first detached theinm . lveu from the enemy on both uidcu to intercept them , olackeuod the pace
Another act which brings recollections of Rome and Kegulus to our minds was performed by Lopez in the Carlist war . He was prisoner in a fortress in . the mountains of Aragon . The Christinos besieged the place , and the Governor threatened to shoot ° all his prisoners unless San Miguel , the Christino General , retired . Lopez was asked to send this threat to the General , and he did so , recommending at the same time that the siege should be vi gorously continued . Miguel persisted , and the Governor offered Lopez and his fellows another chance of life . Lopez was to go to the camp of Miguel , and so state things as to induce the latter to withdraw . He
at which they moved down the road for that purpose . He then , with a nice calculation of the distance at which he might venture it , suddenly clapped spurs to his horse and rushed through the shower of balls which immediately poured down from both sides , and in the pursuit cleared the gauntlet before they could cut him off , and the thin * was done . In the words of ValJez ' s certification ' to the astonishment of the enemy , and of the army , both of whom were watching the operation , he traversed the line ' and the army was saved . " '
went , breakfasted merrily , gave his message , a reiteration of the former threat , but he also gave Mi guel full information as to the best means of capturing the fortress . This done , he rode back to his prison . On the next day Miguel stormed the place , the prisoners got possession of some muskets , the Carlists were confounded , and the prisoners escaped ; Lopez only quietly remarking that " they had no time , and they were afraid of reprisals , that was all" ! When Christina was expelled Lopez was made Governor of Madrid , which post he resigned on the appointment of Espartero to the Regency . He was Senator for Seville , Captain-General of several provinces in succession ,, and Commander-in-Chief
of the National Guard at Madrid . In 1839 he insisted on returning to Cuba , which he had resolved to liberate or die . He had studied intimately the Spanish system , he had discovered what made up a Spanish Court , and to deliver Cuba from the Spanish yoke was the sole object of his life . While Valdez was Governor of the island honour and friendship kept his hand still , though his brain was busy . He was popular , admired , and respected by the men of the Interior . He was generous , his manners were affable and kindly , he showed no pride , and he knew no fear . But he had judged the inert Creoles by his own standard , they feared to follow where he would have led . In 1848 * his plan of revolt was discovered , and he fled from Cuba to the United States . In
1850 his expedition was unsuccessful , and he again escaped . The third and last attempt was fatal . His small band were surrounded by ten times their number . The Creoles did not rise ; he had been deceived ; the Americans fought desperately—killing hundreds of the Spanish forces . But they were outnumbered and dispersed . Worn down with fatigue and hunger , they wandered about the mountains hunted by troops of soldiers and packs of hounds . The result was that Lopez was captured on the 29 th
of August , taken to Havannah , and garotted on the 1 st of September . He died bravely . Ascending the platform with a steady step , he addressed the multitude with a firm voice , his last words being , " I die for my beloved Cuba . " Thus ended the life of Narciso Lopez , who had lived like a hero , and who died like a martyr . Clearly , he had more right to levy forces in America in aid of Cuban liberation , than the Emperor of Austria has to levy soldiers in Croatia to maintain Italian slavery .
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SPANISH AND AMERICAN DEFIANCES . Magnificent , magniloquent , and magnanimous Spain thinks , in her simplicity , that the Stripes and StarH may be compelled to lower to the flag of the bloody streak upon a golden field . Effete Spain thinks she can compete in nrms with the young Giant of the West , and bout him even on the ocean ! Let her try . In the Heraldo of the 11 Lh there i . s an article , thoroughly Spanish , and thoroughly absurd . War is inevitable , it says , between Spain mid the United States . The prospect of the war does not intimidate Spaniards . They would " gain much" and " lose nothing . ' ' Proceed Heraldo : —
" It might be that even then we should not possess a navy equal in mrength to that of the United States ; but we are not going to fight general actions ; no , the war will be waged by privateers , and the services of our menof-war will be confined to protecting them , wutching our coasts , and cooperating in military expeditions occasionally . In thin description of warfare we should have an immemtc advantage over the United States ; for l > y offering letters of marque to ull comers , which are lellcrB find
of credit upon fortune , payable ut hight , we . should piivateeid , not only among the Cataloniaiin and Majorcans , who ure the best in the world , but alno iu Hug h *" " hiuI the Philippine Islands , our last expedition against Zolo having deprived it « iuhubitunts of the profession of piracy they previously exercised . We should even find them in the Stales of the Union , tltrougli the iivalri < n of commerce , un < l because avarice in a bad adviser , and oflen make * people forget , thoir duty when it is opposed to their intercut .. " Whut would the Government of the United States do then ? What would become of tho commerce of thin
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914 tR ^ t % t&'btt * [ Saturday , ¦¦¦ ¦¦—~———^~ - > -1 . I ¦ . ¦¦ .
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Leader (1850-1860), Sept. 27, 1851, page 914, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1902/page/6/
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