The herald., 1895-12-26

utsu dt Tue elietIIy. only 10 De SnOt GOWN
or cut down or else to lind the Cubans dsap-
pear as If adorned with wings. The Cubans,
on the other hand, are animated with the
spirit OF patriotism, with the all-absorbiug
desire for freedom, with the fire which
drove the British before the American
patriots under the leadership of Washing
ton.
While these facts cannot be denied, there
is one feature of the march of the insur-
gents upon Havana which cannot be over
looked. Admitting they number 10000
men. it they capture this city aud if they
hold it. there is the strong garrison of this
place, the high walls of the fort and the
Spanish fleet to be reckoned with 1t must
be quickly done or fail altogether, it would
appear, for it seems impossible that Cam
pos could not gather together some kind of
"a force and start in pursuit of Gomez and
Maceo.
In anv case the next few days should lie
eide everything. Generals Val1ez and
Luque are pushing on for Sabanilla, but
the Cuban army il believed to be to the
westward of that point. After the battle
of Coliseo yesterday the insurgents, it is
definitely known, moved rapidly westward,
passing 20 the south of Limonar, while
some of them were engaged with the troops
commanded by Campos. The Cuban army
wen by oliseo, MADAM, Tosca and Sunni
dero. burning plantations as they swept on
ward. The insurgents are believed to be
not far from the two lines of railroad rum
ming close together between Aquatic and
Matanz As. connecting Havana with Matan-
zas via Jaruco and by a more roundabout
way via Bejucal and Guines.
The insurgent scouts are reported to
have been seen near San Francisco de
Paula, to the west of Santa Ana, and not
far from the most southerly of the two
railroads connecting Havana with Matan-
zas, and the cuban advance guard cannot
be far behind them. Consequently, the
advance guard of the army commanded by
Gomez and Maceo is less than fifty miles
from Havana and apparently steadily ad-
vancing. Between the insurgents and Ha-
vana there is only one town of importance,
Jaruco, and 1t Is an open question whether
Campos can get there from Guanabana or
Matanzas, where he is supposed to be, be-
fore the Cubans have passed that point.
In this city every preparation is being
made to give the insurgents hot recep-
ton. All the outlying posts have been
strengthened, n sw Notifications have been
rushed to completion, ammunition is being
overhauled, guns have been made ready,
and the troops are kept constantly on the
alert, although the Spanish officials laugh
at the idea of the insurgents being able to
approach Havanp. But any person who,
three weeks ago, should have hinted at the
possibility of the Cubans being able within
the time to push through the province of
Santa Clara and Matanzas 10 the borders
OF the province of Havana might have
been promptly locked up as a luz attic. Yet
there are little bands near the province of
Havana that passed Campos and the
picked troops of Spain, civil guards and
guerillas, and everybody here is asking
what the next steps will be.
In spite OF the rapid approach of the
Cuoans there is no very great outward ex-
citement here, although among the public
officials and the masses of the population
there is an air of anxious expectancy which
tells the tale better than any words could
do.
The hurried movements of the troops,
the garrisoning of the forts, the going and
coming of orderlies, the hasty dispatch of
.reintorceynents to the front, the general
state OF feversh unrest, all show that the
news at Matanzas is of the utmos. import
ance. and that the end of the campaign on
one or the other side is believed TO be ap-
preaching.
A boat from Jamaica, containing ten
men, supposed to be f1libusters, has
landed on the coast of Santiago de Cuba.
Christmas day wore away in Havana
with continued anxiety in all circles, the
news of the continued advance of the IN
surgent forces being confirmed by details
coming in through the day and embellished
by flying rumors of the close approach of
Gomez and his army. As a matter of fact
there was very little accurate information
or the course they were taking. The mill
tary authorities themselves are much at
fault as to where the enemy will be- met
They continued throughout the day to en-
press an utter disbelief that an attack is
contemplated on Havana itself, and their
confidence did much to strengthen that of
o her residents of The city.
The fact remains that the westward
course OF the insurgents continues and ac-
tive preparations are going on for the i'm
mediate defense of the city. 1t was an
nounced during the afternoon that Cap
Campos was expected to ar
rive in Havana at 5 o'clock from near Ma
tanzas. making the seventh change of his
headquarters in two weeks, or since the
unchecked progress of the insurgents
through Santa Clara and Matanzas prov
lnces was commenced, and always to the
or nearer Havana. This fact in
itself is regarded as highly significant of
the critical situation of Havana and as a
REIMBURSEMENT of any hopes on the part of
the Spanish commander of bringing the
insurgents to standstill outside Jaruco or
any point between Matanzas and Havana.
The arrival here of the captain.general
makes il evident that the base of operations
against the insurgents must now be Ha-
vana direct If it is true that General
Campos has deliberately suffered the adj
vance of the insurgents into the open and
populous country whore they are now, with
the purpose of closing in behind them,
while he attacks them from Havana, .hus
them between the upper and
neither mill-stones, his arrival in Havana
shows that the arrival of the hour for his
coup has arrived.
A combined attack on Havana by the in
surgents would of necessity be in the ma
ture of pitched battle, a very different
matter from the skirmishes and feints by
a small force, which have been adopted
this far TO lead away the Spanish forces
while the main column eludes them and
advances out of their reach.
Upon his arrival here this evening Gen.
eral Campos made known his belief that |
ment, which thus far proved so signally |
merely as a raid into the heart |
of his enemy's country as near to Havana |
as it was possible for him to go, intending |
to fight his way back General Campos |,
believes the whole aim of the ncursion |
was the destruction of property, and he as |
serts they have already initiated a retreat. /!
He states he has foreseen this purpose, and |
he asserts that he has taken effective |
measures to prevent their return to Santa |
Clara.
They will be compelled to fight at Matan-
zas, he says, or to surrender. He does not |
believe they can effect retreat without de- |
struction.
The captain-general was accorded an |
reception by the city authori- !
ties and a committee representing all the |
political parties, on his arrival here. So |
far as can he learned he expressed un- !
abated confidence in the success of the |
Spaniards, and believes that the hour of |
the destruction of the insurgent forces is |