The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-01-27

At the very outset will say that every
thing saw and heard taught me that Spain
Is unable to cope with this insurrection.
She will never put it down; Spain will mover
end this war with victory to herself.
This Is also the opinion of the United
States Consul-deneral. .Fitzhugh Lee. and he
has heretofore expressed it 10 Secretary o.
ney. He mas told the Secretary OF State that
The insurrecti onists whether soon or late,
were bound to succeed. The last thing Gen.
Fltzhugh Lee said to me as l left Havana
was:
"Please see Secretary Olney and tell him
that to-day am more firmly convinced than
ever that Spain cannot put down the insur-
rection. and that every day it continues
means loss OF life and property, without
the remotest encouragement OF any hnal
Spanish success. AS long since told him,
the insurrectlon will succeed. My judgment
to that effect receives daily confirmation"
saw Secretary Olney aud communicated
to him General Lees message. am not
permitted, however, to make public MIR.
0lney's comments.
Accompanied by General Lee, and with
Mr.. Drane. q clerk OF our Consulate at Hav-
ana to act as interpreter, I callei on Cap
tain General Weyler.
The Spanish newspapers had been COM
menting Oh my own personal absence, two
days before, from Havana and had called 1t
"mysterious disappearance" had, however,
only been up the country about thirty miles.
mentioned my absence and the newspaper
comments to General Weyler.
'Iam glad you went. he replied. ut
will show others that such trips can DO made
with safety. That is the state OF affairs.
would like to prove to the world that the
country round about here is safe from To-
surrectionisss.'
The country round about, however, will
say right here, is not safe from insurrection-
lists. They are so close and powerful that
to. .day the insurrectionists levy tax on all
the fruit, vegetables, milk. corn and meat
that enter Havana from the country. 1t is
like tariff. and goes to the height of about
s5 per cent. ad valorem. Not mouth
ful OF Cuban product is to-day eaten in
Havana that does not pay tariff to the
revolution. In this indirect way, Weyler
himself is contributing to the revolution.
"Very soon," said General Weyler, while
talking to me, 81 shall announce that the
provinces OF Pinar del Rio, Havana, Matan-
tas and Las Villas are pacifed." Eeyler re-
peated the phrase Every soon" several times
and with emphasis.
Referring again to General Weyer's state
mont that the insurgents had practically been
driven out of the province OF Havana. my
Information, received from several positive
and truthful sources, is that there are several
bodies Of armed insurgents in that region.
There Is General Asuirre, whose com
mand numbers 14O0 men; General Ranche7
with between 800 and 100 men. and General
Cantillas. with 800 to 1000 men. There are
also smaller bodies. and there is no possible
show for Weyler to dislodgs any Of them,
As the Spanish troops confne their military
operations entirely to the beaten roads. An
insurgent force quarter OF a mile either to the
right or to the left OF the plain highway Is as
safe from the Spanish troops as Ii they were
| a thousand miles away. General Weyler
more than once referred to the fact that
Cleveland and Olney were doing full justice
RI SppiD