The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-11-22
CANNOT BUY CUBA.
General Blaneo's Effort to Cor
rupt Insurgent Leaders
a Failure.

r. LA ANA, via MY ntSt, Il d., NV. IL,
1S97.-General Pando, as already cabled to
The Associated Press. started by train
from this city on Saturday last in order,
according to the official announcement,
to. take charge OF the campaign against
the insurgents. lie was accompanied by
his full staff and was escorted by a com
pany of artillery. Blu it is stated on very
good authority hat General Pando has
been commissioned by Marshal Blanco,
the Captain General, to enter into com
munication with the insurgent leaders
with the view of arranging Tor peace.
This is not mere surinise, but it is a
statement based OF an accurate knowl-
edge of all the facts in the case. and Cen
he had taken steps calculated to further
the object which Marshal Bianco has i'll
view. General Pando, after a consulta-
ton WITH the Captain General, first
brought about the release from o%onfine-
ment of Damian Caballero, who had been
imprisoned on the Isle OF Pines for some
time past, for, it is alleged, acting as a
spy for the insurgents and bringing aDoui
the disaster suffered by the Spanish troobs
at the battle of Cacao, Province of Santl-
ago de Cuba. General Pando furnished
Damian Caballero, who is the godfather
OF Rabi, the well known insurgent leader,
who is looked upon as being the backbone
of Santiago de Cuba, with a considerable
sum of money and caused him to be-land-
ed at Manzanillo, Province OF Santiago de
Cuba, where g. g0od horse was placed at
his disposal. General Pando's peace ennis
sary was also furnished with official docu-
nlents empowering him to act in behalf of
the Spanish commander, and from Man
Zanillo CaballerO made his way secretly
TO the Jiguani Hills, where General Rabi
has his headquarters. Jiguani is not far
from Bayano, which is connected by rail
with Manzanillo, and Bayamo is about
half way between Manzanillo and Hon
quin. The latter place is connected by
rail with the port of Gibara, on the north
ern coast of the Province Of Santiago de
OH &c sf.na4h ~ No
great bay of Buena Esperanza, on the
eastern coast of Santiago de Cuba.
General Pando instructed Caballero to
offer General Rabi g high rank in the
Spanish army and a large sum of money
TO be distributed among the other inSur-
gent leaders of that part of Cuba, and, in
addition, General Pando's messenger was
empowered to offer General Rabi a large
amount of money for himself, in the event
of the latter succeeding in arranging
terms of peace. Besides this, Caballero
was instructed to inform the insurgent
leaders that the Spanish authorities I'M
dertook to honestly establish the new au-
economist regime if the leaders of the in
surgents would accept the propositions
made to them.
But the arguments of General Pando's
agent have not, apparently, had the eff
feet hoped for by the Spanish authorl-
ties; for, it is understood General Rabi
has replied that he believes a success
full ending of the war in favor of the
insurgents is approaching; hat the Gu
bans, with the aid of the United States,
will gain their independence, and that,
therefore, he prefers to continue fighting
the Spaniards until the final victory is
won.
There seems to be no intimation as to
the result of Caballero's negotiations
with General Du Valen, although it may
be Judged, from the attitude assumed by
General Rabi, that the peace negotiations
are likely to fall fiat in Santiago de Cuba
also.
In some quarters it is believed that this
reluctance to accept the overtures OF
General Pando is due to the fact that the
insurgents are anticipating some strong
step in their favor when the United
States Congress meets, but it is gener-
ally admitted that General Pando is
somewhat mortified at the n~on-success
of his plans up to the present.
If current reports among the friends of
the insurgents is to be believed, the revo-
lutionary leaders hope to strike a decisive
blow at Spain before Congress meets, as
an encouragement to their friends in the
United States, who are urging a recogni-
ton upon the part of the United States
Government of the belligerency of the in
surgents of Cub DR.. Jose Congosto, for
merly Spanish Consul at Philadelphia and
now Secretary General of Cuba. is con-
tinuing to lose ground in PUBLIC favor as a
result Of some of the extraordinary state
nents which he has made to Spaniards
here. Senior Santos Guzman considers
himself and his family much insulted by
certain remarks of DR.. Congosto regard
ing the latter, and it is said that the new
Secretary General has not heard the last
of the affair. Congosto is also alleged TO
be displaying considerable ignorance of
administrative affairs and to have, in con-
sequence. failed to fill many of the duties
of his Office.
Finally the utterances of DR.. Congosto,
if true, are likely soon to be sharply re-
sented in Madrid. He is alleged to have
remarked>that Spain had, until now, fol,
lowed a policy of spoilation in Cuba, and
that the insurgents were justified in act
ing as they ave done. While this may
be perfectly true: such a remark from a
prominent official is not likely to pass
without notice at the Spanish capital, es-
peciaNy, as, it is added, the employees of
he acknowledgements office protested
against the remark and have taken fur
thef action in the matter.
Regarding political u~tterances. a state
lnent made by Marshal Bianco shortly af-
ter his arrival here. is being much com
Superior of a religious order, residing at
Guanabacoa. near this city, called upon
come him to Cuba, Marshal Blanco, dur-
ing the course of the conversation which
followed, said
1onIv Divine Providence is able to save
Cuba"
Whereupon the distinguished priest re-
torted:-
If we must confde only in Divine
Providence, and have no other means to
conquer the insurgents. then we are losti'
The sympathizers with the insurgents
have been making. considerable capital out
Ol ttllS luCiucul. CIdiIllt6 TIA lie IHlttdih
of the Captain-General indicates Fhat he
has no faith in the success of hts mis-
sion.
Further proof of this state Of mind upon
the part OF Marshal Blanco appears to be
furnished in a statement which is attri-
buted to him when he replied to the well
come Of the Merchants Association. Upon
that occasion the Captain-General is said
to have asserted that Spain could keep
up the fighting until after April next and
that if, by that time, the Spaniards were
unable to restore peace, at any price. he,
Marshal Blanco. 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 Marshal
Blanco's decree favoring the resumption
OF grinding sugar cane has been the burn
ing of immense cane fields in the sugar
district of this province. in the neighbour
hood of San Felipe. a day or so ago the
skv in that direction was red with the
reflection of the flames.
HARD TERMS FOR AFRTDTS.