New-York tribune., 1874-12-25
TIE 1ROCBLES IN CUBA.

PROSPECTS OF THE INSURRECTION.
COMMENTS ON PRESIDENT GRANTS REFERENCE IN
Ills MESSAGE TO THE STATE OF THE INsURREC-
TIoN-OFFENsIVE MOVEMENTS OF TIE CUBANS
frRoM Az OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNs
HAVANA, Dec. 1S.-Thc most engrOssing topic
of interest IN all political circles for the last week mas
been the Presidents message. The Diario dfd Marina
which is the official organ in Havana comments ON IL III
long article. 1t says:
kThe most alarming have hcen In circulation
the last lew days REGARDING the Presldcnts messaSe
hours The NewYOrk papers have gwen us the SUD.
stance Of the inessage and althousn we are on not
Thoroughly pleased with some parts OF IT, We DO not ma
a single sentence TO inspire us with serious 1tars Con-
Grant, who sees things at distance OF q great many
leagues, express Ds non III terms more or lc's
Ambiguous; hut he has said noth'ng "a""'aed To dls-
@ % p wrq nd sys m @ r
stance In the Virg!nus question. At that time there
Ipe but to-day there dor. not exist tie slightest cause
ills true Tnat the struggle still continues in Spain;
but we object to the sentence tnat no cinGc Las oe
Cured We object also 10 tue statement that SPAIN mas
not obtained superiority IN the struggle. SIX nOnth3
atrr the rising IN lara SPAN had obtained great ad
vantage the CubInS III the Stcrn Department,
IN 1ne the meens Of a"a the ." reScS Months passed
ami Spain still ahead III the struggle ana had re-
nese and negroes. Almost a OF cnicfs at the out
break Of the rebellion have pcrished; many arc III
in the Cuban ranks All this clearly shows that Spain Is
the superior and is far ahead of Cuoa In SAYING tnat
"
which cannot be dculed, Cen Grant makes Etat mis-
take Iu the first part OF February ;s6o ne coui nave
thought that the idea OF separation h. strons root III
the minds of the Cuban people, ana was tneh very pOpu.
bat the past six years have proved tho idIci oi
idea, and II only exists nov III tG minds Of rev
people, many not even natives OF CuDt but avehurcrs
and foreigners Tue struggle has lasted so long on c
n the OF the mountains ANA III he woods ana
who has every advantage Ot cliue aud territory III his
favor. We have already said tlat the reoc at tho
prt sent time only dOZ chefs III It's ranks Among
tbcY are the socaed NJ rlucs DE santa Lacla Vicente
mt Sal We q
pose Cuban army aud they are mostly negroes anu
tn tbe Spaulsh at huritles rs they AFRAID
ing slavery, aud the Chinese are well pleased to Eh
In the Cuban ranks, as they EXERCISE sort of uhorty
there unknown before. Tuis Is the true explain
alton but the lnsurrecIon has not true sentneht for
base, not even one elevated aspra ON, oI;y an gno
ble END Gen. Grant says tat Spain - III Tie
midst OF internal Troubles and that rs there exists no
manifest power Cuba, Olher nations may possibly
udopt energetic measures Tor srliicfcnsc. Pfcslucnt
Graut Will allow s ~ believe tnat no foreign natioh
VIII dare 10 Interfere II tue all nr' OF p iiety indc
pendent nation. Gen. Grant siodd LOOK at home Iho
war OF determination against the Indians has already
la, tea many years United States, hut the United
States lcel dsericned on tnat account should
Cuba connu" Tor ei-ht ccnu les, aS lJLg as
the war with the MoUrs In SPAN, no orcIgn power
would justified III interfering, under the prrtersc OF
All foreign intervention. REaIUinS the Prcsidcnts
allusion the settlement OF Ic m"rtan question of
We harS , To n ne * sfsI. 70 & ne M W aGr TN. 10 i @
orly =" propcr IN reaIing Win friendly nation Ike
Spain, mas always shown nsl kcd dctrcnce 10 tao
United States 1t TIE UaIed States attend strictly To
me ,uslice OF it's claims Spain will satisfy t1in. for
though ene haugny nation. quick to Resent eghts,
sne sway WAYS ~" We sue sspnco =, Gs Grant m does
not go iurtner back than the end o Nvcnuc 1873 au
we acknOw edge there nns been change inC Cen
tral Department but there s Dccn III the E,stfL De-
par,eut marked improvements. The principal reason
why cauRc III tllc auiirs or The Cen
tral Department the continued ani avy rams. tnt
have paayzed tine movements or INC troops Tor many
anu in consequence nave sent " tLe hospitals
thousands Of sick soldiers, without tue encmy
eucIug any heavy losses.
On the 9th OF December the insurgents, numbering 10
or 80 men entered the village of l.. Sierra ami sacked
and puDdered the store belonging TO Joaquin Andanas
They tried surprise the fort short tine before by
advancing against it crying Viva E'panav But TIE
Volunteers guard too wary to bc thus deceived
and the nsa gents, seeing that their attempt
less opened fire the fort 1t was promptly returned
by the Volunteers aud proved fatal to the insurgents,
as they were driven away with the loss o! thtr leader
Limo Leras and two other nsur- -ents The fort OF Mati
empo which is garrisoned by the Guardia Civil, was
attacked the 9th by 80 insurgents who also sacked
Mendez Albueruess store and carried away from
n OOo The fort was defended by the vounteers and
nuay they ordered out detachment OF troops to
gage In hand-touaud hlnt. Atter haf
an hours steady firing the rebels were Obliged to re-
treat, On the 9th OF December five prisoners
taken from Camarones to Clenfuegos, and lodged In l
there They belong the bdni tnat attacked te store
and depot, called the Aonzo Moran on the Oh Oh the
3Oth of November 1O Insurgents tried to surprise the
fort OF CascOrrO while 800 300 others awaited the
suit at u short distance from the village, hidden IN
busb The vanguard succee lea in surprising me guard
and entered the fort, but Immediately driven out
aud their leader kl1d. Tue repels retroated to the
vicinity OF CascorrO. According tO Telegram from
Ceniuegos dated the l7th OF NoVcmDrr the captain OF
10th IN Sierra QilrOs, wnere the INSURGENTS CarDo,
Aguilar and MadI were stationed Tie Spandrds
killed veral OF the enemy took several prisOncrs and
seized many valuable papers.
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