New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-03-28
CUBAN AFFAIRS.

TON OF THE ISLAND BEFORE CONCHA FORMERLY
ASSUMED CoMMAND-THE CONDITION AFTER HIS
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF SENIOR JOyEIIAR.
lERor SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE IRIBUEEl
HA, ANA, March. 18.-It appears to be q settled
fact that Jose de la Concha is to relieve Captain
General Jovellar in the command of the island and
il is reported that COncha had already left Spain on
the 18th, and that Gen. Jovear would leave this
city on the 3Oth Several reasons are given for this
change. One is that Gen. Jovellar telegraphed to
the Madrid Government asking for 1900 to 1900
troops from Spain wherewith to crush tho rebellion
at once; upon the receipt of this telegram
Gen. COneha was called and asked how many men
he would need for that purpose. His answer was,
mot one soldier from Spain is necessary y he would
undertake to finish the insurrecton with the men
and resources of Cuba. Upon this reply he was
chosen to fill the post. This account fails to
spOnd with letter which Concha wrote from Paris
TO friend of his in 1869, published in the VOs de
Cuba. In that letter he stated that $4,000 men were
necessary for suppressing the rebellion COncha has
"a few warm friends from olden tines and it is also
said that partially through the pecunary influence
of these friends he is to be CaptainGener of Cuba
third time. The measures taken by JOyellar to
crush the insurrecton too vigorous to suit the
class of wealthy slave-owners whose riches would be
two-tbirds diminished by the ending of the struggle,
In November. 1850, Jose de la Concha was first APP
pointed to the command of this Island. 1t was
during this his first administration. that Lopez,
Crittenden, and about 80 more unfortunates were
executed. On the 18th of March, 1852. he
lieved of the command, and he sailed for Havana
on the 10th of April On the LIST of August. 1854, he
was for the second time appointed Captain-General
of Cuba. He arrived i'll Havana on the Dist of Sep
tember and was received with great JOY Upon the
anchoring of the vessel he was visited by multi
tude of people of all classes. and delegations from
official and private corporations waited upon him,
and the two days after his arrival devoted to
feasting and rejOicngs. During the first part of his
term telegTaphs were extended, Notifications and
public highways finished. The slave trade also
fOurished to such extent that IN the month OF
October 1853, steamer landed cargo of 800 Ari-
can slaves at the very wharf of Havana, When
Concha took possession of the Island $2,SO9,3lS
were in the Treasury gold flowed IN
on every side. and yet illicit traffic
and smuggling were at their hight In the month
of February, 1856 he had visited the Eastern de-
partment of the Island and, whether owing to this
visit or not during that year more African slaves
were landed in the Island than at any other period.
Along the whole journey there was one continued
scene of gambling and feasting Highwaymen ill.,
creased to such extent that the jewellers in the
country had to seek refuge i'll the villages and cities
People without number were transported. who had
committed no crimes but that of speaking against
some of his unwise measures, one of which was the
reinstatement of emancipated negroes
When in 1853 Francisco SerranO DomingueZ now
President of the Spanish Republic, came to Cuba to
assume the command of the Island, relieving jose
de la Concha, he found as legacy to himself be-
queathed from the NAL administration of his prede-
cessOr
First: 4 budget or estimate in which the expenses
were real, but MANY of the revenue items were
partly imaginary. This was proved by the dehcit OF
$4,000, which shown by the collection tables
as compared with their respective estimate There
was also an increase of S5,l50.0O0 over the amount
of the expenses when Gen. Concha assumed the
command in 1854.
Second: The Golfers of the treasury empty, which,
upon the arrival of COncha, held S23h3lS; ana the
army chest previously well filed i'll the same empty
Third: A number of obligations not due, collected
in advance with great detrment to SUBSEQUENT
Fourth: The funds belonging to the Freedmans
Bureau, which, when COncha arrived in September,
1854, amounted to S'9.T2, now nearly, II not COM
pletey, exhausted.
Fth: The country burdened with number of
imposts go
clothing and articles of luxury enough for two or
three years on which not more than a quarter part
of the duty to the State had been paid, Government
employees and importers having shared the profits,
thus endangering the income from future import
duties.
much deprecated in value III order To give fictitious
prosperity during the command OF COncha.
EiglM: A widespread distrust among all social
classes consequence OF the haste OF many 10 rush
into unknown and hazardous speculations.
Ninth: Many and impending bankrnpt,cle les as
consequence of the Needless operations ana specua
tons. TO which must be added the many frauds
which such circumstances promoted.
Gen Jovelars term has been of short duration;
hat in the short space of something less than five
months during which he has had command. events
of the utmost Importance have occurred. BY his
fTmness and superior intellect. as well as his thor
ough knowledge of the Spanish character, he has
caused himself to be ODE yed and respected by all
outside of the insurgent districts Cubans as well as
Spaniards He has been just in his dealings and has
shown no partiality either to Spaniard or Cuban.
An event. which will serve TO illustrate this, hap
pened not long ago. The right to large and valua-
bic piece of property was in dispute be-
tween spaniard and Cuban. The Span
iards title being rather SLIM and seeing that the
case would probably go against him in the courts,
he laid his case before the Captain-Genera at the
same time denouncing his opponent an insurgent,
and a sypathizer with the rebellion. The Captain
General listened patiently and after having studied
the merits of the case told the accuser that he had
no right whatever TO the property, and would HIM
self see that the Cuban who had been unlawfully
kept out of possession should be renstated that as
regarded the Cuban's being an insurgent, this had
nothing to DO wthlthat there were laws for such
ofenses and if any persons were caught transgress-
ing they should be duly punished.
The subordinate officers Of the Volunteers the
colonels reeedng at the last mOment have sent
protest via Key West against JOvellars being
relieved. This route had TO he selected because
Senior Jovellar would not allow any telegram in
IN, No.,
dav evening the directors of the Casino Espafol
:..1 ,,ror tba rantaiu-G pnpraI and presented