Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-12-15
CUBA VIRTUALLY FREE.
General Gomez Says the Spanish Fight is
Really Over.
SPAIN CANNOT WIN BACK THE COLONY.


New York, Dec. 15.-The real mind
Of General Maxine Gomez is shown in
letters written by him to his friends.
says the correspondent of the World at
Havana. They clearly convey the gem
erals opinions Of his opponents. He
discusses Spanish and Cuban prospects.
lie gives his opinion of the autonomy
offered by Spain. The letters are purely
personal and We're not written for he
purpose or with the expectation of in
iluencing public opinion.
The first letter, dated carly in Octo-
Der. shows how far seeing is the eye
of this old man.
La Papaya-Happily weyier has
helped us much and very effectively.
He has had just enough intelligence to
ruin Spain without weakening the In
surrection.
Everything is finished, and the
mother country, should she longer wish
II, can no longer hold her ruined
colony.
My opinion Is that the war IL over.
Tor what exists now is no war at all.
IT Is ridiculous to suppose that, how
ever corrupt the Spanish generals might
be, we cannot think them capable of ac-
L.
while aifordlng them neither gold nor
glory places them In the most ridicu-
lous position that any army can suffer
in the world.
There is nothing to expect now but
peace with independence.
Your general. Gomez,
In a letter dated Los Villas, Santa
Clara province, he writes:
The coming Into power ofthe liberal
party advances us rapidly towards in
portance. because Spain is playing her
last card. 1t seems certain that when
she Is convinced that the much talked
of autonomy viii suffer the game dis
astrous fate as the reforms of Cano-
vas, she must become reasonable and
finally recognize the independence of
its heroic people.
However good the news, or however
well founded our hopes, we shall not be
indulging in Illusion, but shall continue
to be prepared for the worst, keeping
up our faith and resolution and al
ways vigilant against diplomatic tricks
and traitorous maneuvers.
I'VE are finally done with Weyler; let
us see If we can sooner rid ourselves
of his successor"
The next letter shows Gen. Gomez's
opinion of Weyler and of the Spanish
people in general.
1t was written Just before the arrival
of Gen. Blanco, Oct. %.
Gen. Weyler Is gone and certainly
not with glory. His hands. stained with
innocent Cuban blood. will certainly
not find many friendly fingers out
stretched to grasp them over there in
the peninsula. For after all is said,
Spaniards are not so wicked.
Nov Gen. Blanco comes. II Is said,
to add the last insult by proposing au-
tonomy. All, what sad and barren
idea have the Spaniards of the Cubans.
But they are not all to blame for that.
NJ Gomez"
The last letter follows: 'In the field
Nov -. | have read the proclamation
of the new captain general. l have an
swered with another and much shorter
one, which gives our propositions and
determination with respect to the new
directions in which our enemies have
decided to conduct the war.
THE little time that Weyler re-
manned in Cuba makes me think that
at the end of this season there will be
nothing to do but to burn our house
to make the Spaniards quickly leave IT,
Worse for SPAIN II she thinks she is
to be paid for the windows. Yours
affectionately. Gomez"
The proclamation referred to by Gen.
Gomez in his letter of Nov. IL. quoted
above. was sent out in the Associate.
Pres dispatches of last Monday night
SANGUILLY TO GO BACK ON HIS
WORD.
Gen. Julio Sanguilly. instead OF being
a traitor MS recent reports from Hava-
ma would indicate, intends to return to
the island at once. in obedience to the
commands of his chief. Gen. Gomez
This statement is made upon the au-
thorty of the Philadelphia. a Cuban,
who stands high among the members
of the Junta in this country.
Sanguilly is in Washington where II
is said he will call on Secretary Sher-
man and renounce his American citi-
zcnshlp in order to force himself from
the pledge he gave when the state de-
partment secured his release from a
Cpanish prison,that he would not again
take up arms against Spain.