It
took them nearly two weeks to disarm and disperse. Then Mr. Taft issued
a proclamation granting "a full and complete amnesty and pardon to all
persons who have directly or indirectly participated in the recent
insurrection in Cuba, or who have given aid or comfort to persons
participating therein, for offenses political in their nature and
committed in the course of the insurrection and prior to disbandment."
This amnesty, he added, was to be "considered and construed as covering
offenses of rebellion, sedition or conspiracy to commit the same, and
other related offenses."

Finally, Mr. Taft announced on October 13 the turning over of the
government of the island, with the full power which he himself had
exercised, to Mr. Charles E. Magoon, and on that same date Mr. Magoon
accepted and was installed in the office, thus beginning the second
Government of Intervention. The general feeling of Cubans at that time
was divided. The pessimistic elements rather suspected that the United
States, having been called there a second time, might never leave. On
the other hand, the thinking class, and those who had experienced the
United States government and its various administrations in Cuba,
especially under General Leonard Wood, were confident that it was only a
temporary regime that circumstances had made necessary, and they hoped
that out of it much good would come.

Thus ended the most pathetic and tragic incident in the history of the
Cuban Republic, and the one which was on the whole most discreditable to
the United States. Nothing could have been more deplorable than that a
statesman of the great ability, the lofty ideals and especially the
generally judicial mind of Mr. Taft should thus weakly and illogically
have yielded to a vile conspiracy, manifested through lawless threats
and unproved clamor, against a Chief of State who in validity of title,
in purity of character, in unselfish devotion to the public good, and in
potential efficiency of enlightened administrationship, was not
unworthy to be ranked even in the same category with the great President
under whom Mr. Taft himself held his commission.

Estrada Palma, according to Mr. Taft's intimation, had erred. History
will forever record that he erred chiefly if not solely in assuming, in
his own transparent integrity, that other men were as honest as himself.
He was, his enemies asserted, weak. But intelligence and justice must
discern and declare that his only