The record-union., 1896-01-08

NEW YORK, Jan. THE "Re-
corder" will say tomorrow: "Senor
| Sidel Pierra, a Cuban merchant in this
city, who has been in communication
with friends among the insurgents,
scoffed yesterday at the statement that
General Gomez did not intend to make
| an attack on Havana. He declares
that the General will make the attack
| and take the city. 1t is not Gomez in
tention to remain in Havana any
longer than it will take to ransack it
for arms and ammunition and recruit
his forces from sympathizers who are
kept under cover by the presence of the
Spanish soldiers.
Senior Pierra made the rather start
ling declaration that Gomez could take
Havana with 1000 men, and in support
of this statement he said that the
Spanish volunteers were so thoroughly
dissatisfied with General Campos that
they were ready to do anything to aid
the insurgents. 1t is said that they
intend to make certain demands upon
Campos as pretext, which they
know he will refuse, and will then give
a signal to Gomez to make the attack,
when the volunteers will promptly de-
sert to the insurgent ranks. There are
5000 citizens in Havana old enough
to fight, and the majority of these are
in sympathy with Gomez and only
await deliverance from the presence of
the Spanish soldiers to throw their sup
port in aid of the revolution.
Gomez Senior Pierra declares, will go
into Havana with 1000 men, but will
leave it with force of at least 100000
Frederick r. Coudert, when inter
viewed on the subject of recognition Of
the Cubans as belligerents, said: 'As a
general proposition, it may be said that
unless the citizens or subjects in re-
bellion have acquired some area of ter
ritory, some considerable town or some
seaport which they may call their own
and hold against their adversaries; or
to put it differently, until they are in a
position where they receive foreign Wis
itors and negotiations under their own
authority and protection, and exercise
acts of power exclusive of the mother
country-until this occurs they are not
usually in a position to demand recogni-
tion. Whether the insurgents in Cuba
should be recognized as belligerents
must depend upon a question of act
They must establish the existence of q
de facto political organization of such
character as to constitute it an inde-
pendent State, with the ability to dis
charge the duties of that condition The
rule of Spain in Cuba, whatever may
have been it's raison d'etre in the past,
is to-day an anachronism, and the
American people have but little pa
tience with anachronismS. 1t may be
said, leaving out our sentimental lean
ing, that the insurrection must have
earned its title to recognition
FROM A SPANISH STANDPOINT.
WASHINGTON, Jan. THE Span
ish Minister received a telegram from
Madrid, stating that Marshal Campos,
in a telegram received there this morn
ing, says: 1.-THE main body of the enemy
has marched to the province of Pinar
del Rio. l have advanced the columns
of Generals Valdez, Garcia, Navarro,
Echague and Luque to follow them 1
have the other columns on the railroad
between Havana and Batabano. They
will take rations and proceed to-mor
row (to-day) in parallel line to occupy
the line from Mariel to Artemisia. The
columns of Pratz, Galvis, Fort A1dacoa
and the battalions of Valencia and Es-
pana are charging the small bands that
are burning cane.
1.-THE situation in Cuba, from a mill
try point of view, remains unchanged.
The insurgents have proceeded west
without daring to stop in any place and
are avoiding all encounters. Nothing
is in danger, and it is absurd to sup
pose that they will pretend to attempt
to surround or enter Havana, when, un-
til the present moment, they have not
dared to enter any town of medium i'm
portance.
I'm the Department of the East, in the
principal villas, nothing of Importance
has occurred in the past few days, not
withstanding large number Of troops
have been withdrawn from there. That
shows that the insurgents have no
means, and are not supported by the
population"