The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-01-06
CLEVELAND1S DEAL
WITH CAN0YAS.
Proof That He Has Been
Plotting Against Cuba's In-
dependence, SO Creei-
man Says.
)ames Creeln,an in n. Y. Journal.

w ADRlD, OeC O1 1t HaS tdhcH iuC
many days to trace out he astound
ing dealings of President Cleveland
and his administration with the Span.
ish monarchy, but | am now in po
sition to give the American pubic
some light on the subject
Actual facts show that Cleveland's
offer of meditation was simply a
cover under which the American
government secretly proposed to help
Spain to overthrow and suppress the
republic of Cuba and to enforce
peace on that island on terms which
the patriot army would no. accept.
This offer was not made in the
form Of a written document, trans
mitted through the usual channels,
but for the sake of greater secrecy
was conveyed in verbal statement
made by Secretary Olney to the
Spanish minister at Washington, De
LONE. who cabled the whole matter
to Madrid.
The understanding was that if
Cuban leaders refused to lay down
their arms upon conditions of local
self-government to be proposed to
them by or through the United
States, the whole influence and pow
er of the American government
would be exerted to crush the new
republic
The slightest investigation by CON
gress will reveal the truth Of this
statement. l have the facts upon rn.
impeachable authority, but the most
surprising fact in this well-conceaed
conspiracy against the Cuban re-
public is that in order to help Spain
in her pitiless campaign of massacre,
Secretary OIney has not presented
any of the claims for damages aris-
ing out Of the destruction of Ameri-
can property in the present war.
This seems almost incredible, but
it is true Records in Washington
will confirm my statement These
claims represent millions upon mil
lions of dollars. They are supported
by sworn. and in most cases incon-
testible evidence. I know as a fact
that injured citizens, whose interests
are represented by claims, have
supposed that Mr. Olney was doing
everything in his power to secure an
indemnity for their losses The
truth is that, with unimportant ex.
ceptions, MIR Olney has simply mott.
fed the Spanish government thai
such claims have been filed at Wash
ington. But his view is that Spain
cannot be held responsible for prop
erty destroyed by the insurgent ar
mics.
In other words, Cleveland's ad
ministration declines to recognize
the independence of the Cuban gov
ernment or the belligerency of its
arms. and at the same time calmly
absolves Spain from all responsibility
for the protection of American prop
erty in the island.
There is a spectacle for the edi6ca-
ton of the American people. The
Spanish press and public laugh and
sneer at congress and eulogize the
President and the secretary Of state
who secretly plot with the Spanish
minister at Washington against the
brave people struggling for their ill.,
erty almost within sight Of the Amer
lean coast
Thus is explained at last the mys-
terry with which Olney has veiled his
traffic with De Lone and the reason
why he has shrunk from public con-
gressional investigation The shrewd
lawyer, who succeeded, as attorney
general, in protecting the millionaire
trusts from prosecution, has spun a
web of technical argument to bind
the hands of congress.
My Investigations in Madrid show
that, Notwithstanding Cleveland's
empty expressions of sympathy for
Cuba, he has been their most vigilant
and deliberate enemy. He has
searched the records for pretexts to
avoid pressing the just claims of
Americans upon Spain. At the same
time he has intimated to the mon
arcby, through more than one chan
mel, his desire to prevent Cuba from
achieving independence.
If it were not for the fear of indi
eating my high sources Of informa-
ton, | could give some startling de
tails At the very time the Ameri
can government, through Cleveland
and Olney, was prostltuting it's in
fuence to the service of a degene
rate and corrupt despoiism, the
Spanish minister of foreign affairs
was plotting with six continental am
bassadors to secure a JOINT note from
J. Il