Evening journal., 1896-04-27


rnt sends the following from Havana, via
Tampa. Fla:
General Maceo has given the Spaniards
n shock by sending Bcrmudez and Sainz
across the trocha with 200 men
The Cuban leader himself has not yet
tried TO GROSS the 5 mile barrier OF trench
o., fences and forts which the captain gen-
Cral has thrown across the narrow part Of
Cnhn to imprlson the dread mulattO caval.
~ leader In the eastern end OF tho island
and force him to surrender or fight 40, 900
Spanish troops with his half naked and
hungry followers.
General Woyer's offer OF pardon to all
lnsurgent leaders who surrender with
their arms In Pinnr del Rio within %
days was published In the hope Of weaken
ing Goneral Maceo. But tho rebel com
inander knows his brother Jose Is on tho
other side OF the trooha with 5000 mon.
lie also knows that Generals Gomez and
Ca'ixto Garoin are organizing columns in
Puerto Principe TO relieve him.
General Maceo will never surrender. He
sends word to Havana that he will GROSS
tho trocha when he Is ready and that the
immense Spanish army massed along the
barrier cannot compel him to make the
assault until the right day arrives.
AS / understand the situation at this
moment, General Maceo Is deliberately
waiting in Pinar del Rio In ordor TO keep
one-third OF the whole Spanish army idle
at tho western extremity Of Cuba, while
Gomez, Calxto Garcia and other com
manders organize an army and thorough.
ly drill their columns In the central and
eastern provinces.
Even now rumor reaches me that a
largo town in the east has been taken, but
rumors are abundant, and trustworthy
facts are scarce
II is certain, however. that the power Of
tho insurgents in tho east Is Increasing
daily, and that General AIaceo's heroic pO-
sition in the western hills IS part Of
great strategic plan OF campaign.
All Weylcr's Hope In the Trocha.
General Weylcr looks upon the trooha
ms the key TO tho war. In my talk with
him he mndo that plain. IL has been said,
and It is generally believed by the Spanish
leaders. that General Gomez and the other
white commanders would make terms for
peace but for General Mnceo and his fierce
negro followers, who will, consent to
nothing but complete and unconditional
Independence.
The captain general believes that II
General Maceo Is conquered now the war
will end In a fow months But the truth
is that the downfall OF the negro element
In tho patriotic army would mean sud
den incrsaso OF the white element
General Maoso's prominence in tho Gu
ban provisional government has had much
TO do with the conservative attitude Of
many prominent white Cubans, who droad
the prospect OF independence with gov
ernment largely controlled by the blacks.
They have tho example OF San Domingo
and Haiti always before their eyes. "a.
So much for the captain generals plan
Of smashing the revolution. On tho other
hand, II General Maceo crosses the trooha,
as he may do in a few hours, General Wey-
ler's campaign will be a complete failure,
and thousands Of men will join the rebel
army.
Mother force in the field seems likely to
master the island The war must be ended
by the interposition Of some other power
II is absurd to say that the insurgents
have established government in the sense
Of a sovereign power, and IL is just as ab.
surd TO call the operations of their army
brigandage. They roam through tho coun-
try from ono end of the island 20 the 9th
er, enforcing their DEGREES and wasting
the resources OF the enemy. They burn
plantations and villages, and they hang
traitors To their cause. But it Is all done
according TO their proclaimed laws.
have taken pains TO Investigate this
branch of tho subject, and I have road
many OF tho orders issued by tho lnsurgont
generals. have also talked with respon-
slhle and reasonably impartial eyewit-
nesses arriving from all parts OF the is
land.
Rebellion Is Gaining In Strength.
Spain cannot restore order in Cuba. The
military censors may suppress newspaper
correspondents, but they cannot hide the
fact that the rebellion against the Spanish
crown is gaining strength instead Of grow
ing weaker
The grievances OF the Cuban people are
real. Spain has ruled her colony with
desperate and shameless injustice. In spite
of It's natural wealth and tho vigor and
intelligence Of its inhabitants the island
Is overwhelmed with debt
Go Into the houses of the poor In Havana
today and ask why so few young men are
10 be seen. and the women will toll you
they are in the field fighting for Liberty.
Go into tho almost deserted Cuban clubs.
and ask where the young doctors lawyers
and merchants have gone, and you will
learn that they are officers In the Cuban
army. There are many doctors leading in
Furgent columns.
There is no front and no rear to the mil.
itary situation. There is fighting every
where And yet Spain says there is no
war in Cuba
The fields are ravaged at will from one
end OF the island TO the other The air is
darkened with the smoke OF burning vii
lages. The flower Of the manhood Of Cuba
is contestipg the suil inch by inch with
SPANS bravest soldiers. A hundred mil
lion dollars worth Of property has already
been destroyed. The hospitals are full OF
wounded men, and the landscape is marked
everywhere with the graves Of the freshly
slain
Is this bloody, tumultuous war, or is 1t
pcaces
Spain has now about so, 600 mon IN the
field, and the insurgents number perhaps
$4,000, Neither army can control the is
land.
The struggle will not end for years un.
less the United States intervenes
Mr. Cleveland can bring this awful
struggle to a close II he will. Intervention
would be blessing to Spain as well as TO
Cuba. The hopes OF the rich and the
prayers OF the poor hang on the PRESIDENT s
action