The times., 1897-05-02

most everything that is necessary for the
support OF line army, even in the wretchsd
condition that is maintained, is brought
from 51Sr0ad from pain, the United States
Or Mexico.
seeing thut the waiting game has brought
them within measurable distance of noTn-
Illcte success. the Cubans are naturally re-
luotant TO hazard their Inesent position
upon battle. They have very little more
10 win and a great deal TO lose, and SO, in
the main, they cDnfine their operations to
harassing the spaniar1sas rnuch as pDssitae
with the least expenditure of men aud
afnmlnition- and 10 the outstanding OF
their not oxerRbundant resourees, and they
Do wen. / saw Gen. Weyler six " eeks ago
In Santa Clara, and he was loud in his
expression OF contempt for Gomez and his
army. II have never been able To get
mp with him. he said. 1t Was the most
complete and unconscious confession OF
future that I have ever listened to-
OF course, the situation is very generally
understood i'll Havana. though this under
standing very rarely finds expression ia
words. Many a man has been sent to
Fernando Po for less. But Within lie pre-
ciHctB Of the palace Itself. and from the
lips of Spanish officer, j have heard
the war characterized as Ia lucha de dos
iInpotentes. or a struggle between two an
tagonists, neither strong enough TO con-
uuer, and it is q true description OF the
situation The Cuhans cannot drive the
Spaniards frnm the island, and the Span
iards cannot capture the Cuban strong
holds or compel surrender. 1t should be
I.,s.-
quite impossible to gauge the endurance
Oh estimate ns-canacity of the insurgents
to continue their struggle for liberty, we
can foresee and predict almost to day
when the spaniards will have to withdraw
and, sullenly folding their tattered ban
ners, "scuttie" from the colony they have
proved unequal to rule.
The army pay is now some four months
In arrears and the discontent is naturally
great The army supplies and commits
sarat bills it is difficult to speak OF, as
they are kept with such studied irregu-
larity; but they are certainly greatly in
arrears. BY the aid of the fraudulent sill
yer notes the money in the treasury win
last perhaps three months more. If the
attempt to raise loan Of another hun
dred millions, which is now being made
in Paris, giving the tobacco and salt
mouopolies as security, is successful Spain
will have money enough to maintain her
present position on the island until the
beginning OF the next year.
In assuming that all Cuhans are disloyRl
TO the crown and are opposed 80 the Con-
tinuanoe of Spanish rule over the island,
Gen WeEler is absolutely right. though OF
course this does not justify him in waging
the war of defamation, or, more trEtlfully
speaking, of discrimination, upon the Cuban
race, which has won for him the title of
Ell yenceGer de los Pscifioos, or The Gon-
querer OF the Nun-Combatants, a name
which will never die, because it justly de
scribes campaign which cannot escape q
shameful Immortality, which viii be re-
when every Spaniard warthy Of
the name viii wish to cover up it's MANY
atrocities and many crimes with the cloak
of Oblivion.
It is upon the aged mothers and fathers,
the helpless wives and sisters and the in
nocent children of those who are fighting
for liberty that Gen. Weyler is waging his
most successful and atrocious warfare,
which, if allowed to continue for 1nany
months will seriously threaten the ex-
isteace of the race, against whom the .nly
charge that can be brought is that they
are Americans and dare to assertit Early
in January visited Matanzas for The first
time The streets were thr0nged with
beggars, clam0rous for something to eat. !
certain 1ndefinable smell OF poverty aud
starving thousands pervaded the atmos-
phere.
crowds OF poor country people xisibiy
starving hung about the windows OF the