The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-23
sPAlN'S CONFIDENCE SHAKY.
M ,NCO ADMITS POSSIBILITY OF
DEFEAT IN CUBA.

Return to Spain If Peace Was Not
restored by ApriI--Bribes offered
1nsurgent Leaders to Surrender.
sugar Plantations Fired.
Havana. via Key West, Nov. 22.-Gen.
Paudo. who has been sent to the, front by
Marshal Blanco, carries with him COM
mission to treat with tnsurgent leaders
&c 10 surrender and acceptance of auton-
amy. Marshal Blanco assures Gen. Pando
that autonomy in it's most liberal sense
shall be the basis of his terms offered the
irsurgent leaders. Gen. Pando selected
Damian Cabellero, who is grandfather of
the insurgent rabbi, the backbone of the
rebels in Santiago de Cuba, as his agent
to go among the Cuban camps. He au-
thorized Senior Cabelero to offer the rabi
large sums of money for himself and those
who surrender with him. Gen. Pando and
Marshal Blanco are negotiating with 9TH
er leaders of the insurgents.
On the other hand, it is believed the in
surgents have similar plans, though from
an opposite direction and with a totally
different object in view. If current re-
reports among the friends of the insurg-
ens are to be believed the revolutionary
leaders hope to strike a decisive blow al
Spain before congress meets, as an encour-
agement to their friends in the United
States who are urging recognition upon
the part of the United States govern
ment of the belligerency of the insurgents
of Cuba.
Dr. Jose Congosto formerly Spanish con-
sui at Philadelphia, and now secretary
general of Cuba, is continuing to lose
ground in public favor as a result of some
extraordinary statements which he made
to the Spaniards here. Senor Santos Guz-
man considers himself and his family
much insulted by certain actions OIL Or.
Congosto and the new secretary general
has not heard the last of the affair DR..
Congosto is said also to be displaying con-
siderable ignorance of administrative af-
fairs and has in consequence failed to full
fiji many of the duties OF his office. FL
nally the utterances of DR.. Congosto, If
correctly reported, are likely to be soon
sharply resented in Madrid. He is alleged
TO have remarked that Spain had, until
now followed a policy of spoliation in Gu
ba and that the. insurgents We're Justlfled
in acting as they have done. While this
may be perfectly true, such remark from
a prominent Spanishaofticial is not likely
TO pass without notice at the Spanish cap
ital, especially as, 1t is added, the en-
ployes of the secretary generals office pro-
test against the remark and have taken
further action in the matter
Regarding political utterances, a state
ment made by Marshal Blanco shortly af-
ter his arrival here, is being much COM
mented upon. 1t seems that when the SUI
perior of a religious order, situated at
Ganambuco, near the city, called upon the
new captain general in order to welcome
him to Cuba, Marshal Blanco, during the
course of the conversation which follow
ed, said: "Only divine Providence is able
to save Cuba"
Whereupon the distinguished priest re-
torted: 'If we must confide only in divine
Providence and have no other means to
conquer the insurgents, then we are lost. ="
The sympathizers with the insurgents have
been making considerable capital out of
this incident, claiming that Marshal
Blancos remark indicates he has no faith
in the success 'of his mission.
Further proof of this state of mind upon
the part of Marshal Blanco appears to be
furnished in statement which is attrib-
uted to him when he replied to the well
come of the merchants associat ton. Upon
that occasion the captain general is said
TO have asserted Spain could keep up the
fighting until after April next, and if by
that time the Spaniards were unable TO re-
store peace al any price, he (Marshal
Banco) would return to Spain.
Incidentally this sentiment is credited to
several other generals who have arrived
here recently from Spain.
The answer of the insurgents to Mar
shall Blanco's decree favoring the resump-
ton of grinding sugar cane has been the
burning of immense canefields IN the dis
trict of this province, in the neighborhood
of San Felipe. A day or so ago the sky
in that direction was red with the reeflc-
ton of the flames.
Very shortly after the previous dispatch
regarding the peace negotiations of Gen.
Pando was called, it became known that
one of the insurgent leaders referred to as
having been in communication with the
Spanish commander, had been induced to
start for Manzanillo in an effort to induce
the insurgent leaders of Santiago de Cuba
10 arrange for peace on the basis of au-
tonomy being granted in Cuba.
A Spanish force, while escorting pro
vision train from Manzanillo to Bayamo
was fired upon by a detachment of insur-
gents. The government troops had sixteen
men wounded, the official report says.
1t is announced from Spanish headquar-
ters that fifteen more armed insurgents
belonging to the force commanded by the
Cuervo force have surrendered to the
Spanish authorities in the province Of
Pinar del Rio, and it is further stated
other insurgents are expected to follow
lhelr example in the near future.
An official dispatch from Matanzas an
hounces the release of Sonora de Roca,
mother of the insurgent Jose de Roca, and
several other prominent people who have
neen imprisoned there for some time past.
Gen. Pande has arrived at Matanzas, has
visited the hospitals there and has order
e1 the distribution of 1000 rations of food
uaily to the reconcentrated people"
Later in the day particulars were re-
eeiVed here at Spanish headquarters of
tne surrender to the authorities in the pro-
vince of Pinar del Rio of the insurgents
peonging to what is known as the Cuerve
oahd 1t appears that when the rebellion
Ist broke out. at the invitation of Gems.
uohez and Maceo. the Cuerve brothers
FUSED band of insurgents and have since
peeh operating In the rich and extensive
@oHes having for their base OF operations
NJ pie woods of Guanamona, this province.
|ecehtiy the autonomist party
e,ected their father to be mayor
VI VI Neuva Paz, and now one of
Me brothers Cuerve, a colonel In the in
suLsent army, has surrendered with an in
urgent lieutenant general, three nsur-
sS1' majors, nine other insurgent officers,
cd ftaa rn4.. .faes