The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-01-22

New York, Jan. 21-GeneraI T.
Estrada Palma. of the Cuban Junta in
this city, issued the following state
ment today:
so much, lately, has been said of
! the probability of the termination of
the Cuban revolution by the acceptance
on the part of the Cubans of autonomy
or reforms, that 1 feel it incumbent
upon me, as the accredited representa-
tive of the Cubans, to make a brief
statement on the subject. 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 and
promises of more reforms; enough of
promised autonomy Every intelligent
man would rightly condemn the lead
erS and participants of this movement
if anything short of independence be
the basis of a treaty of peace with
Spain.
MERELY MOONSHINE.
TT is claimed that General Gomez is
willing to treat with Spain on the basis
of autonomy, and that a letter to that
is no such letter.
Knowing General Gomez as a. COM
mander in the last revolution; knowing
his opinions as expressed to me before
and during this war; knowing his
stainless patriotism; [ can vOuch for
him. He is made of too stern material
to sur snder on any such terms, par
ticularly when his latest letters to me
he writes cOntentedly of his resources
and glowingly of his conviction that
this winters campaign Will be most
successful.
But even though any one of our
foremost leaders should be inclined to
terminate the war by the acceptance
of autonomy (Which is barely within
the bounds of possibility, while he
himself might surrender. he would do
so alone. We Cubans are not worship
pers of individuals; we are steadfast
followers of our ideal.
The death of our glorious MaceO
struck sorrow to every heart but we
did not falter His forces did not sur
render and the revolution received no
perceptible check.
WITHOUT FOLLOWERS.
The leaders who proposed peace
under the Spanish flag would find them
selves without followers.
No treaty OF peace can be made by
the CubanS unless ratified by a Speci-
ally convoked assembly. 1t is beyond
the bounds of possibility to expect that
the Cubans, after two years OF san
culinary strife when they find them
selves in a position such as has never
been their good fortune to occupy, in
point of numbers equipment and re-
sources. will now weakly accept terms
of compromise
Every Cuban. every American,
bot mi arH
conciliatOry spirit of Spain springs not
from her strength, but from her weak
ness. How can we then, under the
circumstances be expected to waVer?
IF the Cubans in the field are too
strong to even consider such proposals,
the Cubans in the cities are too well
advised of Spain's plans and SpainI
precarious situation to council this
step.
In the cities is Spain's only strong
hold Men OF position, of refinement,
of wealth, have but lately signed
statement in which they unequivocally
say to those in this country who
seemed to have labored under the er-
ror that autonomy would be solution
of the sO-called Cuban problem. that
nothing short of independence is ac.
ceptable to them. They base THEFT
statement not only on political bu:
also on economic reasons.
A PERTINENT QUERY.
What forms of autonomy would help
Cuba when saddled not only with her
previous debt but with the added bur
den of the cost of the present war?
The future of the country would be
ruin and starvation.
News of our success in the field may
be suffocated by the censor; pacifica~
tion of the island provinces may be
falsely proclaimed, as in the case of
Pinar Del Rio; DEGREES allowing grind
ing of sugar may be issued where al
cane has been destroyed; promises q
reforms and autonomy given and am
nesties promulgated; but we Cubans
will continue TO fight for independence
and nothing but independence, first,
last and all the time.
Our leaders may fall, but others will
take their places. The opportunity
will find the men. Gomez himself has
written that even should he fall the
revolution is strong enough to con-
tinue to it's triumph.
THE only excuse we will have for
having begun the war will be it's tri-
umph; the only fitting monument for
our fallen comrades, the independence
of their country.
..T ITcT,D Ana DATNFhn