The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-01-22
CUBA WILL NOT YIELD.
Tomas Estrada Palma Declares
Compromise Impossible.
IN NEED OF MUNITIONS OF WAR.

General Riviera, the Successor Of Maoeo,
Has Three Thousand Men In His Com
mand who Have Nothing but Maohetes
TO Fight with.
t4NEw YORK, Jan. 22.-Tomas Estrada
Palma, president Of the Cuban junta, last
hight Issued the following statement: $50
much has lately been said of tho proba'
ibility OF the termination of the Cuban
revolution by the acceptance on the part
of the Cubans of autonomy or reforms,
that feel 1t incumbent upon me, as the
accredited representative of the Cubans,
to make brief statement upon the sub
oect.
"Reforms were passed by the Spanish
cortes, but the outbreak of this revolution
was not thereby stayed one hour, There
was, and Is, but one idea for which the
'Cubans are fighting. We have had enough
Of so called reforms, enough of promised
autonomy Every Intelligent man would
rightly condemn the leaders and partici-
pants in this movement II any thing short
ofindependence were the basis Of a treaty
of peace with Spain. 1t Is claimed that
General Gomez is willing to treat with
Spain on the basis of autonomy, and that
letter to the effect has been received by
me. There Is no such Glitter. Knowing
General Gomez as a comrade in the last
revolution can vouch for him. He is
made of too stern material to surrender
on any such terms, particularly when, in
his latest letters to me, he writes con-
tsntedly of his resources and glowingly in
his convictions that this winters cam
paign will be most successful.
"Egen thonsh any one of our foremost
leadcrs should be inclined to terminate
The war by the acceptance of autonomy
(which Is barely within the bounds of pos
ability while he himself might surrender,
no would do so alone. We Cubans are
mot worshippers of indiyidualities; we are
steadfast followers of our ideal. The death
of our glorious Maceo brought sorrow to
the,hearts of every Cuban, but we did not
Salter; his forces did not surrender the
revolution received no perceptible check
Hhe leader who proposed peace under the
Spanish flag would find himself without
followers.
"Every Cuban, every American, knows
chat the apparent generous and conollia-
tory spirit of Spain springs not from her
strength, but from her weakness How
CAN we then under the circumstances be
expected to wayer. If the Cubans In the
field are Do strong to even consider such
proposals, the Cubans in the cities arc too
well advised Of Spain's plans and Spain 8
precarous situation to counsel this step.
"News of our success in the field may be
suppressed by the censor, paciiication OF
the island provinces may bs falsely pro-
claimed, DEGREES allowing for the grinding
of sugar may be issued whore all cane has
been destroyed, promises of reform and
autonomy given and aInncsties promul'
gated foreign countries by these means
and by mendacious Spanish diplomacy be
cajoled into the belief that Spain is
mighty, is generous and that we are
weuk, are ungrnteful but we Cubans
will continue to fight for Independence
irst, last and all the time. Our leaders
may fall, but others will take their places.
Gomez himself has written that even
should he fall the revolution Is strong
snough to continue to It's triumph"