San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-12-22
A|(lHARDY RUIZ.
He Knew That The Penalty
Was Death
HE WAS PERSUADED BY BLiNCO
TO TRY AND BREAK
G0MEZ'S FORCES.
Estrada Palma Issues a Statement
Of the Affair He Shows How
Necessity Was Laid Upon
The Insurgents to Take
The Course They Did.

New York, Dec. 22.-T. Estrada Pal
ma, of the Cuban junta, made the fol-
lowing statement last night:
'The death of Colonel Ruiz did not
occur, as the Spanish have put it,
while he was negotiating as a peace
messenger under flag Of truce. Again
and again have the Cubans promulgat-
ed the law that all whoshOuld come
to them with peace propositions, not
based on the independence Of Cuba,
should be treated as spies and dealt
with accordingly. Col. Ruiz knew of
the existing laws and was personally
warned as to his fate. General Blan-
co and Secretary General Congosta,
too were we'll aware of the existence
Of the decree. Nevertheless, the lat
ter took advantage of the unfortunate
QuiXOtiSm of Colonel Ruiz and sent
him to the Cuban lines. The blood of
Colonel Ruiz is not on the hands of the
CubanS, but upon the heads of Blanco
| and COngOSta, who sent him to his
fate.
IF the penalty of the law had not
been carried into execution doubtless
Spain would have taken advantage of
the fact to show that the Cubans were
not i'll earnest in their rejection of
autonomy absolutely, but were will
ing to listen to arguments. This de-
cree was not promulgated because the
Cubans are afraid of disaffectiOn in
their ranks, but because it is known
| that innumerable commissioners would
otherwise be sent, and on their re-
| turn make false statements encourag-
| ing the belief that peace might be es-
tablished on a basis other than indie
pendence.
''Such statements would only serve
| the interests of Spain in gaining time,
| with the resulting death of thousands
owing to the useless prolongation of
the war. Besides, the Cubans are adj
vised that the Spanish are seeking to
enter the Insurgents line with the pur-
poses of assassinating the more inn
portanr leaders. Documentary proof
of this fact is in our possession, and
we are the more cautious when we
remember that in 1879 General Blan-
co authorized General Polavieja, in
Santiago, to execute as many unarmed
Cubans as the latter thought necessa-
ry as an example.
1T is somewhat remarkable that with
the first news of the death of Col.
Ruiz came the announcement of the
killing by the Spanish of over forty
sick and wounded Cubans found in a
hospital; and not voice was raised
in protest thereat. The shooting of
Cuban prisoners by the score passed
almost without comment; the thous-
ands of wounded Cuban soldiers slain
in hospitals attract but little notice.
According to all the laws of civilized
| warfare the Cubans from beginning
had the right to retaliate in killing,
but they never have done so. On the
contrary, all prisoners taken by them
were set at liberty and the wounded
attended to.
I'VE are denied by the entire world
status as belligerents and might
therefore claim that we have no OBJ
legations to conduct the war as bel
ligerents, but we do not intend to
take this stand. The conditions OBJ
tanning in Cuba and the character of
the Spanish, demand that we take
the necessary measures to speedily
terminate the war by convincing the
world that independence alone can
satisfy.
I'VE again issue a decree and SOL
EMMY warn Spain OF its enactments.
If despite this warning they persuade
man to be rash enough to come to
us to treat on the basis of autonomy,
we must either acknowledge that our
laws are made only to be broken or
be complied by painful duty to carry
them OUT