The herald., 1895-12-27
Spanish Leaders Claim Ger
tainty OF Success
BUT INSURGENTS ADVANCE
Pushing Stea diIy Forward With No
interruption
Alleged Preparations to Prevent the Inc
surgenss Escape Are Believed to
Be nereiy for Defense

Associated Press, Special Wire
HAVANA, Dec. 26.-Since the arrival here
last night of Captain-General Martinez de
Campos from Matanzas, he has been in
conference with leading military and naval
Officers, and the leaders of different politi-
cal parties. They assembled at the palace
last night, and in the course of number
of patriotic speeches, pledged their uncon-
ditional support of the government in it's
efforts to suppress the insurrection and
promised to do everything possible in the
way of moral and actual assistance.
Senior Galvez, president of the autono-
mist party, during the course of speech
which was warmly applauded, advised the
captain-general not to expose hif.lself to
the fire of the insurgents, who, tlr speaker
claimed, made war against the lives and
property of civilians, never making stand
long enough to cause an engagement be-
tween the troops al d adopting all methods
of savage warfare.
Senior Galvez also stated that in spite of
the supreme effort made by the insurgent
army, they had not heard of the capture of
any town, the mischief of the enemy being
confined to small villages and the plan'a-
of Gomez and Maceo to wandering
hordes of Tartars,' and expressed the
opinion that the raid of the CuEans into
the province of Matanzas, where they had
done SO much injury to crops, would turn
out to be the worst for them in the long
run, as the fields, cieared of standing
cane, are now much better suited for mill
tary operations.
News from the front seems to be inter-
rupted by rail and telegraph, and no de-
tails were obtainable concerning the move-
ments OF the insurgents. The captain-gen-
Spanish troops in Mataozas occupied adj
vantageous positions. and that the Cubans
would either be compelled to fight p
pitched battle in that province or surren-
der. 1t is not generally believed, however,
that the march of Gomez and Maceo upon
Havana has really been stopped, and that
they are in retreat. In support of this it is
said that if Maceo and Gomez we're re-
treating the government would be SLOW in
making public every item of news obtain
able conc erning this feature of the hitherto
triumphant march of the insurgents ON
the province of Puerto Principe through
the province of Santa Clara and Matauzas
and TO the vicinity of the borders OF the
province OF Havana, in spite of the nu-
merous columns of Spanish troops in the
territory traversed.
The latest news from the Spanish coll
umns was that they We're heading for
Guayabana. the headquarters recently
evacuated by Campos, situated not far
from Matanzas, The fact is that SO many
announcements have been made of the de.
feat and retreat of the insurgents that it
will require something confirmatory to
make nybody here believe that such is an
actual fact. When the insurgents first EN-
tered the province OF Santa Clara it was
announced they had been defeated with
great loss aud had retreated acioss the
border. But the next news I. ceived from
the front was that the Cuban army
was threatening Placetas. more than
half way between the border and
the capital, santa Clara, and
since then they have apparently
pushed onward with little or no Interrupt
ton. The absence of news from the insur.
gents is causing some anxiety among their
friends here, but they claim that Gomez
and Maceo are in possession of the rail-
road and clegraph lines, and it was with
difficulty that t'ampos succeeded in reach.
ing Havana last night. Be that as it may.
the only news obtainahle is that furnished
by runor, and if the authorities are in
possession of any additional facts, all such
matter is carefully suppressed.
In the meanwhile active preparations
are being made here for the defense and