The New York herald., 1873-12-08


| sttuted government; second because they are
not strong enough in the field, and third. because
| they have no forts. A rapid examination OF these
| three points will be sufficient to show the futlty
| OF the pretext. IL is known beyond doubt that
| when the Cubans arose in arms they
ESTABLISHED A PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT.
composed OF an executive, residing In the eastern
part OF the island, aud committee. with head
Of April, 1869, duly appointed delegates
from the various districts OF the country
assembled at Guaimaro. Then they promuI
gated a constitution, by which the government
was established including the executive power
ana mio legislative chamber An election loilowea
Cespedes, wealthy planter and eminent lawyer
as President. He had figured at the head Of the
previous. This government has been acting since
that time, and In not single instance have its
chiefs and the civil officers as well as the represen
tatives In foreign lands. 1t is In fact the govern
signed could present to Your Excellenoy an
immense number OF documents from that govern
snona H. H. enea ~ & a e % u rs sa t
creduous to the struggling land, that the truth
may be made manifest. as was the presence OF the
Saviour OF mankind to st. Thomas. When great
philosopher denied the ex istence OF notion the
only answer oil his opponent was TO rise and walk.
When the existence OF the republican government
OF Cuba is Denied the only answer must be to show
It, The idea OF denying the existence OF SUCH
priests OF France, after the restoration of the
Bourbons, to deny the existence OF an Emperor.
known as Napoleon Bonaparte.
The second pOlnt-the military strength OF the
Cubans-can be established by the TACT tnat they
hold their POSITIONS, and have, as can be demon
numerous occaslons as, for example, the Occupa-
tlon Of Holguin and Santa Cruz and the land
Manzanio and Puerto Principe. II these facts are
doubted 1t Is only necessary to read the report Ol
Gazette Of Havana, in which it is stated that many
attacks have been made upon the Spanish positions
IN different localities and by thousands ol Cubans.
II still these reports are doubted 1t is well to refer
again to the official despatch of Mr.. SicKles,
already mentioned, stating that during the first
men. And IT, after all this. the DOUBT re-
mains, direct glance at the map OF Cuba Its
average width Is As miles. Let us fancy body Oi
land between two coasts, placed at less distance
than New York is from Philadelphia, In the inter-
yenlng space, with length OF several hundreds o.
miles, place as many forests and mountains as may
be wished. Would it be possible tor an army 0i
several thousand men to operate for five years
regular troops and $4,000 volunteers without beng
in many instances, victoriousa Is There any one
who can suppose that 1t does not
CONSTITUTE A REAL FORCE
and adequate TO contend against II not TO conquer,
g army % AM a ss suca ar Is tae s6 GDcu
with mountains and forests, what must 1t be
when the fact is considered that there is
indeed an immense extent OF open country, like
CamagueY, where the predominant ana more ei-
fective arm OF the service is cavaryY Would 1t be
possible 10 be in constant fight during these five
years and not iall into the power OF so large force
as the Spaniards have hadS No.. The narrowness
fortified positions OF the Spaniards have rendered
necessary an almost daily engagement. The ad-
vance guards of the Cubans are always within
sight oil the advance guards OF the Spanlards. The
undersigned can furnish the Department Of State
documents emanatng from the government which
he has the honor to represent, which are confirma-
tory OF the Spanish reports mentioning the aban-
donment OF The principal encampments occupied
Eastern State State a and the ' State % Of CANA ma
guey, and the stormng by the Cubans OF
many, many towns But as has 1sen SAID the spanish
creasng strength Of the liberatlng army without
rendering it necessary to recur to the despatch Of
the Secretary OF the Cuban government. There ex-
St to-day 20 900 patriot troops on war footing, sta
toned throughout the Eastern and the Camaguey
States and part OF Cinco Villas, under the COM
mand OF Major Generals Garcia, Gomez and
others, and this army increases in proportion to
the number OF arms received, while the Spaniards.
an equal number in the field. Let Your Excellency
compare this enthusiastic and increasing body OF
men with the 1900 troopA TO which the dsmayed
and disnearted army OF Washington was reduced
before the great foreign reintorcements and sup
plies were received, and from this an approximate
idea OF the strength OF the Cubans can be formed.
The third point Is the last stronghold OF those
who would deny belligerent rights to the Cuoans.
NoN-pOssEssroN OF PORTS
1t is known by everybody that the Spaniards.
having powerful navy, the Cubans, III order to
preserve to themselves any ports which they might
Lake by storm. would have TO aid their land opera
lions by maritime orce. The conduct or the
United States towards them does not permit OF
their having such force, and IL would be therefore
useless for them to attempt to retain IN their
power the ports they occasionally seize. Now II the
United states government does not allow them to
have men war, as has been proved on two oc-
casions, and without the assistance OF such men.
oi-war 1t IS impossible TO preserve ports, the de-
mand 81 sne American s government at in order
cruelty which cannot be within the 10.
tenton OF those making 1t. This is like
binding a man hand ana foot and exactlng
from him tnat he should run The natural answer
me / shall De able to run" The answer OF tie Gu
bans is:-"iied us recognition OF begercncv
then we snall have tue requisite maritime elements
and shall have ports"
Now in order to have the character OF be!ll
gerent, is 1T necessary to hold portss In treaty
In no work on international law, can there be
1ound any word in favor OF this strange theory.
History. on the contrary, often shows that the bel
ligerency and the Independence OF a struggling
people have been recognized without their possess
sing any ports. Greece, in reality, had none when
she was i assisted 3 against Turkey BY the allied ma
United States: % Mexico 'tS aa5oabisdy " had sai
the height OF his power and Juarez had but few
scores Of men near the United States frontier.
did this prevent the United States from treating
Mexico as an independant republic. st. Domingo
had none IN 1861, when 1t was recognized as bei-
gerent by England In It's second war OF indepcn-
tain the proposition that belgerents must nave
ports Beillgerency results from the existence OF
an armed lorce which fights against another force.
the ultimate result OF the contest remaining in
doubt. and this condition certainly exists within
the Republic OF Cuba. The fact Is that the question
OF the recognition OK belgerency is not
based on any liked rule and depends upon
the VIII and the interest OF the nation
having TO deal with 1t. The United States and Eng
land recognized the belligerency, anu afterwards
the independence OF the spanish American Rcpub-
lies not only because they thought 1t just, but be-
cause 1t harm0nzed with their own interest. The
allied nations, in their recognition OF the beger.
ency ana independence OF Greece, were actuaLed
by the same motives Belgium was recognized as
independents IN 1880 by the nations OF Eu-
rope because they considered 1t in Keeping
with their own interest. The United States
recognized the belligerency and Independence
oi Texas because tney considered II TO their
own interest. The same United states treated
Mexico as a republic when she was a de JnCtO
empire because they considered this course to
their own interest. Interest, and before every
thing, interest. has always ruled diplomacy since
TINS modern invention was applied by Louis xl.
ana Ferdinand V. And there Is no other concu-
sion than that, in the disposition OF the Cuban
question: interest, ana only interest, VIII control
the action OF this nation.
TINS principle accepted, the question VIII, at the