The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-09-07
AFFAIRS IN CUBA.

Letters From General Collazo, Of the In
surgents. Giving an Account Of the Stu.
alton in the Eastern Portion Of the Is
land.
Tampa, Fla, September 2.~-Brigadier
General Enrique Callazo, Of the Cuban
army, has written several letters to his
family in this city on the situation of
affairs in Cuba. The letters, though
greatly delayed, contain some interest
ing features. Under date of La Par
ras, Holguin, June 2s, 1897, he writes:
we have just passed the electoral
period with tranquility and the exer-
!! else Of our rights Of liberty. There were
$1,000 votes cast in Oriente, the eastern
division, which is composed Of the prov
inces of C~amaguey, Puerto Principe
and Santiago. The official board met at
Mala Noche on the oath Of June and
declared the results. We nave not
learned the result of the election in
| Camaguey yet, but expect to march in
that direction in about fifteen or TWEEN
| ty days. 1t is after this march that we
will have the preliminary meetings of
those elected TO the assembly. The final
| meeting to select the new government
| will he held some time in September. l
| think we will make the change of gov
without any difficulty and in
conformity with the law, SO that the
outside world can see that in the midst
| of this terrible struggle we can live to-
gether as a free people, in the exercise
| of our just rights.
There has been but little doing in
the way of operations recently. The
excessive rains, the debility of the
Spanish soldiers and their sickness has
really paralyzed all operations On their
part and we can do but little"
In the next letter General Collazo,
under date of Potosi, Tunas, July 4,
1897, says: The papers from Madrid
| have just been received and they bring
us the intelligence Of the agitation in
| the United States. / Sc the excite
| ment is great, but / expect nothing to
| come of it until the close of the year,
| at least.
I'VE have just passes a terrible cri-
! sis. After nine months of drought we
were without vegetables in the Oriente,
| and there were no cattle. There was
no water. We have an excessive pop
u%latiOn, in Holguin Sc, 900, and we were
afraid this crisis would have prostrat-
| ed us; but it was SO that we were able
to bring from Camaguey and Tunas
| great herds of cattle which carried us
over to the rainy season. Now we have
an abundance of vegetables and all of
the necessities of life.
w are assured of the final triumph
which will soOn occur if we are helped
from the outside, but later if we are
left to ourselves. Success will be ours
| ultimately"
By the same courier that brought
over these letters came the address of
General Collazo, delivered to his con-
stituents upon his election as a dele
| gate. The address shows that at the
meeting Of the assembly, which elects
the new president and abine some
time this month, a radical change will
be made in the policy Of the govern
ment. In his address he said regard
ing the change of government: w
have had, until now, a government of
! war. We need for the future a govern
ment Of peace, respectful Of the law
n energetically enforced. We must,
then, create a government in which the
three powers can act in perfect indie
p~endence, but at the same time help
ing each other as a guarantee of liber-
ty. We will define, by means of a more
extended constitution, the form of re-
publican government we need, securing
to each state it's individual govern
ment. The executive power should be
vested in the president, who should
be elected by the people, we having
the full sway, his cabinet or ministry
being vested with a power over the
army also. The legislative power
should reside in the houses of represent
t~atives, the members of which should
be elected by popular vote, the house
to perform it's functions in a limited
time, taking a recess and being subject
to a special call, for all of which the
law should provide. 1t will call the
outgoing government, or administra-
ton to give an account of it's actions,
or this should be demanded at any
time the good of the country demands
it. The judicial power should be in
dependent, with tribunals in each state
which will intervene in all cases, mill
tary as well as civil"