The New York herald., 1873-03-03

ing information, and said to be perfectly
reliable, that Mr.. James J. O'Kelly, our
Special Commissioner to Cuba, has safely
reached the camp of the insurgents. On the
| 10Th ult he set out from Santiago de Cuba,
and, after journey of two days into the
mountain Businesses, arrived, at four o'clock
on the morning of the 2lst, at his destination.
This news confirms all he has said for
himself in his dealings with the Spanish
authorities-namely, that whatever the OBJ
stacles thrown in his way he would persevere
until he had performed his task. As jour
nalist of the school Of moral courage and
discipline he could do no less, but the especial
danger of his surroundings makes the exploit
the more notable.
The history Of our Commissioners visit up
to his departure for the insurgent lines may
: very aptly be recalled here. Upon the return
of our first Commissioner from the island of
Cuba it was thought desirable in the interests
of civilization, to have further and more COM
plete information of the character and extent
of the struggle which has been bloodily waged
there for the past five years. Accordingly Mr.
which he has since repeatedly explained to the
authorities. His request for safe conduct,
made to Captain General Ceballos, was met
with fiat refusal from that high functionary.
The HERALD Commissioner was naYvely in
formed at the same time by the Captain Gen.
eral that he was at liberty to proceed through
the island 'tat his own risk" No explanation
of this ominous phrase was vouchsafed at the
time Our Commissioner, thus given very
equivocal carte blanche, resolved to dis
cover the exact meaning of the four
words. While he continued within the
''paci6ed'' districts the phrase seemed trans
latable into, "Go where you please 30 long as
you pay your way there is no risk worth
mentioning On reaching Santiago de Cuba,
the capital of the Oriental Department, where
the rebellion boasts of its greatest strength,
the aspect Of things began to change. The
lines of suspicion and surveillance were drawn
suddenly around him, and his real difficulties
began. Courteously received by the Spanish
officers, this restraint came with velvet pad
ding at first Processing desire to accom-
pany a column of Spanish troops starting for
the interior. permission was graciously ac-
corded. He, however, found himself and the
column brought to halt after days march,
and the significant information was rendered
him that he was at liberty to return to Santi-
ago if be desired. Thus brought to stand
still, SO far as observing the conduct
Of the war from the Spanish side,
he openly made his preparations to
reach the rebel lines, which he had all
along declared to be one of the necessities
Of his mission. Finally equipped, he set
forth alone into the mountains, and made
several excursions hither and thither, as his
information or sagacity suggested, in the
hope of reaching the mystic land of Scuba
Libre" somewhere. From two of these un-
successful excursions he returned to Santiago,
and the authorities continued apparently to
regard his movements with indifference. This
it is particularly necessary to note. He set
out again; but, as detailed in the letter we
print in this issue, he found himself detained
at the mountain village of Ramon las Yeguas
while General Morales was communicated
with. He was suffered to proceed; but was
arrested at the village of Palma, and for some
time forbidden to leave his hotel. Astonished
at this new turn Of affairs. he telegraphed to
Santiago, and was informed by the British
Vice Consul, Ramsden, that General Morales
had decided to ''treat him as spy in case
he should leave the Spanish lines or if he
afterwards attempted to return. The Consul
added that this meant he would be shot i'm
mediately. Determined to probe the matter
to the bottom the HERALD Commissioner re-
turned forthwith to Santiago de Cuba and
sought On interview with General Morales in
person. This meeting was rendered the
more important by the presence of the At
torney General of the Department. This in
terview will be found at length elsewhere, and
for its curious expressions of opinion alone de-
selves attention. It was, first question Of
sending telegram to this journal announcing
the arrest and the threat to shoot him as
spy. The sensitiveness of Spanish oficialdom
cannot be better instanced than in this case.
The General absolutely declined to allow the
telegram to be forwarded unless the word
detained was substituted for 'ar-
rested 1t was in this form that the
report reached us. But the feature of the
interview lay in the discussion regarding
the threat to shoot the newspaper man as q
rebel spy 1t will be evident from its careful
perusal that the governing idea of the Spanish
soldier was to throw such terror around visit
to the insurgent camp that the HEnALp Com
missiohef Would fstoii from It as from Certain
death. 1t is certainly highly discreditable to
the Spanish government in Cuba if General
Morales fully represented its intentions,
that this effort to frighten away On i'm
partial truth-seeker should take such visibly
logical forms. few minutes conversation
between the General and the correspondent
sufhced to show how disingenuous was threat