Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-12-25
NJ ACE0 WAS SATISFIED D
And Wrote in Encouraging Tones of the Move
ment of Cuban Insurgents.
ENRIQUE DELGADo AN AMERICAN
Thrown into Moro Castle-Dastardly
Murder and Robbery Three
Friends in Custody.

New York Dec. 24-General Tomas Es-
trada Palma, the Cuban delegate, today
gave out a statement in reply to a pub
lished letter of DR.. Zertucha, in which the
doctor says that Maceo, driven to de-
spair by the non-support of the rebel
government, invited his own doom; that
members of the Cuban council are in the
pay of Spain; that they failed to back
their own general, and that Maceo was
dispirited by several letters from those
connected with the civil government of
the insurgents.
General Palma's reply is as follows: 81
am not very much surprised to see DR..
Zertucha rush into print for the purpose
of distracting attention from himself by
attracting it to a scandalous charge,
which can only aid him with the Span
iards.
For me it is a sufficient indication of
the mans character that he surrendered
to the enemy under the conditions in his
case and that he is treated in such a
kindly manner by the Spaniards.
What more natural that he, in combi-
nation with Spanish diplomacy, should
be the instrument by which the revolu-
ton should be discredited He certainly
knows that this Interview will ultimately
be sent to Cuba, where it cannot be re-
ceived by the Sapniards otherwise than
with demonstrations of gratitude.
Il know from letters received from
General Antonio Maceo personally as
well as from person of our mutual con-
fidence, through whom we frequently
communicated, that Maceo was not in the
desperate straits depicted by DR.. Ter
tucha. The following extract from let
ter which 1 lately received will show
that Maceo was well satisfied with the
condition of affairs:
'"The active operations of the cam
paign have prevented me, much against
my wishes, from answering your COM
munications of the 10th and 25th of Oc-
tober Gen. Rus Rivera happily dfsem-
barked with all the war material sent,
which was well employed in a series of
hard combats, which were signal victo
ries for us. The object of Weyler was
to imprison our army between two forti-
fled lines and make us suffer tremend-
Gus defeat, by means of a simultaneous
attack by forces previously placed in
those positions; but the most brilliant
success crowned our efforts, six of the
enemy's columns, which tried to impede
our progress, after our saving the eXpe-
dition of Gen. Rius Rivera, being de-
stroyed.
'.As late as the 9Th of December the
day before it was reported he was kilied,a
person of veracity and confidence had
a conference with the general, and I am
informed that Maceo then stated that
the Cuban forces in Pinar del Rio were In
excellent condition, in charge of Rius
Rivera, and that he was well satisfied
with his position.
'Zertucha's last public interview diff
fers in detail from all others previously
published. His assertion of Maceo's dis
appointment is absolutely groundless.
"Zertucha's attitude toward his former
companions in arms is such as cannot
win for him the credence of any honest
man."
Continuing, Palma said: eve have 40,
900 well-equipped soldiers in active oper-
alton on the field. If they fail, 10000
more soldiers will spring up to take their
places The Cubans will die, If neces-
sary, but they will never give up the
fight until they are free from Spain.
They do not forget the blood their coun-
trymen have she'd"