That May the 20th !Did you know that the Cuban flag at 12:10 PM of May 20, 1902 was hoisted on the roof of the old Palace of the Captains General become the presidential palace, to announce that Cuba was already Republic, although not the one for who fought several generations of Cubans, was lowered fifteen minutes late because the U.S. comptroller Leonard Wood, already ceased to hold office, wanted to take it as a trophy? What that day at the inauguration of Thomas Estrada Palma as its first President of Cuba was not invited to any woman, not even Genoveva Guardiola, the wife of the president, because the newly adopted Constitution of 1901 did not recognize political rights to females and therefore were excluded from the protocol? Did you know that, despite the withdrawal of troops from U.S. intervention, which left the Island the same day, stayed here three Army companies of that country that would train Cuban gunners and the guardians of the strengths?
About the establishment of the Republic of Cuba, on May 20, 1902, 110 years ago today just, will be talking about now: When I was growing, National Day date was greeted with pride and putting the flag in the window of the living room. Ceased to be held from 1963 and thus give away Cubans across the street, forgetting that it is ours too. The State born to life on May 20, 1902 remains unchanged its name and symbols that identify it.
That day, the people, even unknown, was greeted and hugged in the street, laughing and crying, shouting and singing. Cuba vibrated whole patriotic enthusiasm. Tens of thousands of people gathered in the Havana seawall incipient remained on his knees in a gesture of devotion, while the national flag was hoisted on the Morro. The ceremony began at the old fort where an American lieutenant told from the street lamp, which was flying the national flag and the presidential palace. Was lowered then the Stripes and Stars and General Emilio Nunez, governor of Havana, and Morro watch ours tied the ropes to start the lift. He could not proceed as planned or stay the order because of the Liberation Army officers who were present rushed into the ropes and threw them also.
Write, full of healthy chauvinism, the chronicler Federico Villoch in one of Old faded postcards “On May 20, 1902-a day of glorious sunshine and blue sky, as if God had come down to take part in the feast- Morro mast down the flag of American Intervention-no more than a handkerchief, small-and up our “flag that” national-large, beautiful, big-clutching himself the world, and swallowing the air, waving victoriously in frenzied whips. ”
Further states: “It was not window, door, roof, roof, balcony or post road from where colgase a Cuban flag, more or less great, nor man’s chest did not show its three colors woven into a button or rosette in the buttonhole of his coat, sweater or chamarreta, nor woman’s hairstyle where the high and thick bow shone not the national flag at the tip of an artistic and upright pin. ”
Synthesized the historian Ramiro Guerra in 1932: “Those who were privileged to watch that apotheosis can not ever forget.”
They were wrong Cubans who cried of happiness on the street before the founding of a state with internationally recognized Republic even a crippled and castrated? Is it wrong when Maximo Gomez, his eyes clouded with tears, embraced Jose Miguel Gomez, that on May 20, in the old throne room of the palace of government, and said, “I think we’re”?
Have we really come? Emilio Roig wrote in 1959: “The Republic that emerged on May 20, 1902, there was, no doubt, who conceived and for which they fought and died several generations of Cubans …
“Our long struggle for independence fully fulfilled its historic mission. And the Cubans should feel very pleased to have left the Spanish despotism and conquered the country. “Very happy … we also feel that after achieving independence from Spain, could destroy the annexation plans of President McKinley and Governor Leonard Wood and thanks to the tenacious struggle maintained by our people for the U.S. military intervention, which brushed aside victory of the Liberation Army, the Republic was achieved, even with castration which meant the Platt Amendment, terrible factor of disturbance and dissociation citizen. ”
AGENDA OF THE REPUBLIC
On February 24, 1902, the provinces Tomas Estrada Palma validated for high office. On May 11 President-elect landed in Havana, and 15, the Senate and House of Representatives, which formed the same day, President of the Republic proclaimed. He wore 25 years off the island and a well-orchestrated publicity campaign in favor praised the teacher, parent, friend of Marti, the man who for the sake of the country renounced his U.S. citizenship. New York Cubans had been fired with a banquet and presented him a gold pen.
On May 16 were initiated acts of farewell to the U.S. occupiers. The veterans of the independence, politicians and businessmen welcomed the controllers with dances and banquets and gave Wood a machete with a gold handle and jeweled. On 19, the seventh anniversary of the death of Marti, was a day of recollection, with flags at half mast and black ribbons of mourning, solemn wreaths and evenings. At twelve o’clock, however, the unthinkable happened: he spent, in minutes, from mourning to festivity. 20, the program to celebrate the establishment of the Republic was national, with events in each provincial capital, city, town and village. The major ceremonies were held in Havana, the Palace of the Captains General, in an official capacity and more popular, the esplanade of the Morro.
At the appointed time, Maximo Gomez, accompanied by several generals of the Liberation Army, took his place in the reception hall of the palace, and Wood, with his staff, he held his own, back to the Plaza de Armas. Estrada Palma, with his council of ministers (ministers), stood in front of the outgoing auditor. Wood read a brief proclamation and ordered the Cuban flag hoisted the same flag that flew in the sessions of the Constitutional Convention and who led the acts for the reception of Estrada Palma Havana. Then, as already stated, this flag was lowered and Maximo Gomez and another hoisted Wood himself, who was in office. As he raised the first of these flags, you could hear the National Anthem and teaches it was saluted by 21 guns, the ringing of the bells of all churches of Havana and the wailing sirens of the ships anchored in port.
At the reception hall, the president was sworn before the President of the Supreme Court and it was recorded in the minutes. Occurred shortly after the first meeting of council of ministers. At four in the afternoon, Estrada Palma accompanied Wood to the pier and there they parted.
The ovations occurred every time you walk, horseback or by car, passing some of the top commanders of the Liberation Army-García Menocal, José Miguel, Cebreco. Montalvo, Quintin Bandera … -. The crowd was renewed in the Plaza de Armas to leave the balcony of the palace to the President and his secretaries of office. Tomas looked out and retired to repeat the same after a while. It was a busy day. To greet the President came the Rector of the University of Havana and the director of the San Alejandro Academy, officers of the Economic Society of Friends of the Havana Mayor and his councilors, the heads of the Fire Department and the Guard Rural, the consuls and the foreign press, members of Congress and representatives of the Catholic Church headed by Archbishop Barnada, archbishop primate of Santiago de Cuba …. Francisco José Martí Zayas Bazán, the son of the Apostle commanded the company of ceremonies.
Estrada Palma attended a Te Deum in the Cathedral and oversaw a student standing in the Plaza de Armas. On the Prado, from La Punta to the Champ de Mars, there were parades of floats sponsored by institutions or businesses, bands, standard bearers in honor of the American republics and political groups. People also marched in costumes and danced and sang blacks who formed a parade. At night, at the National Theatre was a resounding cultural evening in which Luis Estevez y Romero, Vice President and his wife Marta Abreu occupied the Royal Box, Late at night the fireworks began. Ana Cairo says about it: “Havana Night shone like the sun and photographers capturing such rare pains.” The festivities ended on May 21, at dawn.
Triumphal arches were erected, and in Central Park, was placed a replica of the Statue of Liberty. He who could slurry gave a hand in front of his house. Not a few commercial establishments changed their name overnight in order to adjust to changing times. There were celebrations in Cuba in Paris and American universities and in some parts of Mexico. No lack of poems that exalted the event.
The magazine Le Figaro, a number that circulated the same day 20, published valuable insights on the emerging state and its future and an interesting photographic display. Juan Gualberto Gomez was strict in its considerations. In his view, the death of Martí changed the course of the Revolution and the deviation was the key to the great injury suffered by the ideal of absolute independence of the fatherland. Juan Gualberto concluded: “We must persist in claiming our sovereignty mutilated, and to achieve it, is the power to adopt again … the leading ideas and methods that will advocate Marti.”
Sources: CiroBianchiRoss/InternetPhotos/The CubanHistory.com
That May the 20th !/The Cuban History/Arnoldo Varona, Publisher