The herald., 1897-11-23

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k4oWledge Of all the facts. General
Ep6o did not leave this city until he had
taken steps calculated to further the
object which Marshal Blanco has In
view. General Pando, after consulta-
tton with the Captain-General, first Sc
cured the release from confinement of
Damien Cahallero, who mas been i'm
prisoned on the Isle of Pines for some
time past for acting as spy for the in
surgents, 1t is alleged, end bringing
about a disaster upon the Spanish troops
at Cacao, province of Santiago de Cuba.
General Pando furnished Caballero.
who is the godfather of Rabi, looked
upon as being the backbone of the insur-
rection movement in the province of
Santiago de Cuba. with considerable
sum of money and caused him to be
landed at Manzanillo, province of San
tiago de Cuba, where good horse was
placed at his disposal. General Pardo's
peace emissary was also furnished ofti-
cial documents empowering him to act
in behalf of the Spanish commander and
from Manzanillo Caballero made his
way secretly to the Jiguani hills, where
General Rabi has his headquarters.
General Pando instructed Caballero to
offer General Rabi q high rank in the
Spanish army and a large sum of money
% be distributed among the other in
surgent leaders of that part OF Cuba and,
in addition, a large amount of money for
himself, in the event of his succeeding
In arranging terms of peace. Besides
this Caballero was instructed to inform
the insurgent leaders that the Spanish
authorities undertook honestly to estab-
lsh the new autonomist regime IT the
leaders Of the insurgents would accept
the propositions made them.
Although Caballero has not returned
from Santiago de Cuba, confidential ad-
vices which have reached the Spanish
officials seem to indicate that he has so
far been unsuccessful. 1t is understood
General Rabi has replied that he be-
lieves a successful ending of the war in
favor of the insurgents is approaching,
that the Cubans with the aid of the
United States will gain their independ-
ence, and that, therefore, he prefers to
continue fighting the Spaniards until the
final victory is won.
On the other hand, it is believed the in
eurgents have similar plans. though
from an opposite direction. and with
totally different object in view. If cur
rent reports among the friends OF the IN
surgents are to be believed, the revolu-
tionary leaders hope to strike decisive
blow at Spain before congress meets, as
an announcement to their friends in the
United States who are urging a recog-
milton upon the part of the United
States government of the belligerency of
the insurgents of Cuba.
DR.. Jose Congosta, formerly Spanish
consul at Philadelphia, and now secre-
tary-general of Cuba, is continuing to
lose ground in public favor as result OF
some extraordinary statements which he
has made to the Spaniards here. SEN
ator Santos Guzman considers himself
and his family much inculpated by GER
tain remarks of DR.. Congosta. Con-
costa is also alleged to be displaying
considerable ignorance of administra-
tive affairs, and to have in consequence
failed to fulfill many Of the duties OF his
Office. Finally the utterances OF Dr.
Congosta, If correctly reported are likely
soon to be sharply resented in Madrid.
He is alleged to have remarked that
Spain had until now followed policy
of spoliation in Cuba. and that the in
surgents were justified in acting as they
have done.
While this may be perfectly true, such
a remark from a prominent Spanish Of
fetal is not likely to pass without notice
at the Spanish capitol, especially as 1T is
added the employees of the secretary
generals office protested against the re-
mark, and have taken further action in
the matter.
Regarding political utterances.
statement made by Marshal Blanco
shortly after his arrival here is being
much commented upon. 1t seems that
when the superior of q religious order
residing at Guanabacoa, near this city,
called upon the new captain general in
order to welcome him to Cuba, Marshal
Blanco, during the course of the CONVEX
sation which followed. said:
"Only Divine Providence is able to
save Cuba"
Whereupon the distinguished priest
retorted: '1f I'VE must confide only in
Divine Providence, and have no other
means to conquer the insurgents, then
we are lost"
The sympathizers with the insurgents
have been making capital out of this
statement, claiming that the captain
general has no faith in the success of his
mission.
Further proof of this state of mind
upon the part of Marshal Blanco ap-
pears to be- furnished in a statement
which is attributed to him when he re-
piled to the welcome of the Merchants
association. On that occasion the cap
tain-general is said to have asserted
that Spain could keep up the fighting un-
til after April next, and if by that time
the Spaniards were unable to restore
peace at any price, he (Marshal Blancol
would return to Spain.
Incidentally this sentiment is credited
to several other generals who have ar
rived here recently from Spain.
The answer of the insurgents to Mar
shall Blanco's decree favoring the re-
sumption of grinding sugar cane has
been the burning of immense cane fields
in he,,Augu district of this province, in
the neighborhood of San Felipe. A da:'
or so ago the sky in that direction was
red with the reflection of the flames.
Very shortly after the previous dis
patch regarding the peace negotiations
of General Pando was closed, it became
known that two of the prominent eX-
insurgent leaders referred to as having
been in communication with the Span
ish commander, had been induced to
start for Manzanillo in another effort to
induce the inSurgent leaders of Santiago
de Cuba to arrange for peace on the
basis of autonomy being granted to
CI1ho