The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-05-17
THE BEGINNING OF THE END.
From the ~ Y. sun.


At length the world knows that there has BEEN
to use mild term, a serious encounter between
the Cuban patriots under Quesada the Com
mander-in-Chiet, and some twelve hundred
Spaniards under General Lesca at place called
Las Minas, on the railroad between Nueyitas and
Puerto Principe, and that the Spaniards were re-
pulsed with great slaughter. This engagement
is reported to have taken place the Sd inst,
that Is, two days subsequent to that already pub
lished at Alta Gracia. Las Minas is the halfway
station on the Nuevitas and Puerto Principe
Railroad about thirty miles from either place
and derives its name from some copper mines
in the neighborhood. Alta Gracia is the sta
tion nearest to Puerto Principe. Between
Alta Gracia and Puerto Principe the road runs
through barren, uncultivated plain. From
Alta Gracia to Nueyitas there are sugar estates,
some OF Importance on both sides of the road.
1t would seem probable from the meagre tele-
graphic accounts furnished, that Quesada al
lowed the Spaniards to advance on their way to
Principe as far MS Alta Graca, that he defeated
them there ON the LIST instant, and drove them
rs far us Las Minas, where he is now stated to
have again attacked them and forced them to re-
treat to their port, Nueyitas. San Miguel, which
Quesada is reported to have burned is a small
place opposite Nueyitas on Nuevitas bay
The details OF the fight are of minor import
ance with the sole exception that the Catalan
volunteers, of whom much was expected were
ON the side that did not win. General DuIce is
reported, some time since, and subsequent to
the last departure OF reinforcements from Spain,
!
Madrid that Cuba CoIld be preserved only by
still further military support; and that to over
come the Cubans and crush the revolution
large bodies of cavalry and a liberal supply of
field artillery were Indispensable To comply
with this request is simply an impOssibility
! Spain has long since sent to the island every
! regiment of regulars she could spare, besides
! sundry specially organized ,odies of volunteers
! The conscriptiOn law lately executed i'm the
! old country produced such violent outbreaks
| in some of the cities that there is no earthly
| probability of the experiment being repeated.
! As to the other vital snew of war-money-
! General Dulce has long known that Spain was
/ pOwerless to assist him. The depleted colonial
| treasury has been from time to time replenished
| by seizures and confiscaton5 of the property of
| both known and suspected patriots. But even
| this resource, 1t would appear is beginning to
| fail. The wealthy Cubans have been enticed,
| threatened, bullied into leaving the isla54d and
when once gone their town houses and estates
in the country are seized and offered for sale.
! The real estate is not easily disposed of by the
| Government very few even of the Spaniards
| caring to invest in so precarous q titles but the
! sugar crops ON the cOnflscated plantations are at
once converted into the Wherewithal to pay the
troops. Thus the cash of the Cubans has become
the hire of their slayers.
! But this measure Is one that can be made to
! work both ways; and so alarmed have the Spanish
| property-holders become lest the same law
| should be applied to them when once the funds
| procuIable from Cuban sources were exhausted
J that two of the leading Spanish millionaires of
~ ID. .a.