The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-03-27
Made by a Recent Speech of
Senior naura.
ADVOCATES CONCESSIONS
BELIEVE THEY WILL CAPTURE
THE CUBANS HEARTS.
Stirring Details of the Recent Attack
Upon the Fort of Casariego-In-
surgents Rush Up to the Port
Holes and Discharge Their Pieces
at the Hated Enemy Inside-A
Hand-to-Hand Combat.

New York, March ga special
cable dispatch from Havana to the
Sun saws:
A dispatch from Madrid. by way OF
Key West, has been received here by
the political friends of the Spanish ex-
Minister of the colonies, Senior Don
Antonio Maura, in which the news is
given of a sensational speech by Senior
Maura, in which he made very severe
criticisms upon the Spanish cabinet
and its colonial policy.
Senior Maura spoke at length OF the
situation in Cuba, the events that led
up to the revolution, and the plan of
reforms he proposed TO the cortes when
he was minister of the colonies. he
repealed with indignation. the charge
made against him by the conservatives
of Cuba, that his plan was one OF the
causes which precipitated the war. On
the contrary, said Senior Maura, a
policy of wise concessions to the
Cubans in 1894 would have averted the
war; and those Cubans who were con-
spring against Spain, in conjunction
with Marti, in the United States, had
an opportunity to promote an armed
conflict only when the country had lost
hopes of the fulhllment of such policy
by the government.
Senior Maura added that the cabinet
of Senior Canovas obiiges the nation to
make war in Cuba only in support of
a stubborn spirit of resistance to any
liberal changes. and that war for
wars sake only is one of the greatest
blundeT's which can be made by any
people. He accuses Senior Canovas of
playing a disloyal trick upon Spain and
C1oa by publishing decree Of reforms
which ne has no intention of establish
ing.
Senior Maura is still of the opinion
that genuine and liberal concessions to
Cuba Will conquer the hearts of the
Cuban people, and greatly aid to put an
end to the revolution, but the conSer-
vative party is not capable of achiev
ing this great work. The Liberal party,
on the other hand, will if called to Of
flee BIZ the queen regent, save Spain
from the many misfoFtunes into which
Senior Canovas and his followers have
involved her.
The speech of Senior Maura is said
to have produced a great stir in Spain.
In Havana i is much applauded by
his friends of the refOrmist party,
though they dare. not make any public
comment for fear of General Weyler.
The latest news from MatanZas gives
additional details of the work Of de-
vastation wrought by the Spanish
column of Colonel Malina. They have
destroyed a great deal of property be-
longing 10 American citizens.
Stirring details have been received
of the attack made a few days ago by
the insurgents on the town of Paroles,
in the Jurisdiction of Sancti Spiritus.
a Spaniard who witnessed the engage
ment SAYS that the insurgents sur
rounded the Casariego fort, rushed up
close 70 its walls thrust their rifles
through the port holes, and fired re-
peatedly upon the garrison inside It
was a hand-tc-hand fight, both parties
often Selling in their hands the
weapons of their foes. Nearly all the
Wounds inflicted were mortal. The
Spanish, although the commander
Captain Huertas, was wounded and
disabled, did not yield, because they
were protected by the fire of the neigh
boring Fort FieI. Upon observing this,
the insurgents attacked Fort Fiel with
the same reckless courage, and after
Q hot struggle succeeded in breaking
down a door. They then entered and
killed all the garrison except one
soldier. whom they took prisoner
After that they entered the town,
burned many houses and ransacked
several stores. The losses on both
sides were heavy. and both showed
the greatest courage, though the posi-
ton OF the Spaniards was more adj
vantageous as they fought inside the
forts