The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-05-15
Freedom Must Be Absolute.


New York, May 1.-THE correspond
ent of the New York Journal has just
returned from a visit to General Co
mez and the other Cuban leaders in
Cuba and is the bearer of the follow
ing important statement by General
Gomez to the American people:
Your correspondent now in camp
has requested of me a statement of the
attitude of the Cuban republic on GER
tain questions likely to assume more or
less Importance when our struggle for
liberty shall have concluded.
The question of our acceptance of
the autonomous terms offered by
! Spain has already been ably answered
by our distinguished representative in
the United States, Mr.. Estrada Palma.
Neither tbs terms of autonomy nor the
act of offering them is worthy of seri-
Gus consideration on the part of Gu
bans who have become familiar with
the treachery and dupiicity of Spain
and the worthlessness OF her prs4ssssssFss
We do not believe we shall ever call
a snecial convention to consider the
framing of the peace treaty with Spain.
Only a concession of absolute indie
pendence will be regarded as a suf
ficient basis for treaty negotiations,
and this the Spanish government will
not grant.
1t is difficult to discuss without en-
barrassment the question of cur atti-
tUde toward any proposition looking
to the annexation of Cuba to the
United States in the event of our ulti-
mate victory as there has developed
in the United States strong anti-an-
neXation sentiment before the Cubans
have indicated in the slightest degree
any desire for this closer relationship.
Among the men now battling for
Cuba's freedom there is a strong senti-
meEt against annexation to the United
States, although our feeling toward
your country is of the friendliest and
most sympathetic character. We are
fighting for absolute freedom, not only
from Spain, but from any. government
not of our own making. We will stand
ready to form with the United States
am alliance calculated 20 ultimately
strengthen our two countries, COM
merciaily or otherwise. but I do not be-
lieve there is a sentiment in either
country in favor of annexation strong
enough to warrant the hope of the Ill
innate union of our two countries in
the relationship CONTEMPLATED.
ANY proposition from Spain look
ing to the granting of our independence
upon the payment to the Spanish gov
eminent of g sum large enough 10 cover
the expenses of the war Will be re-
jected by the Cuban repsblic. We can
wrest our independence from Spain
with our sword without incumbering
our new re-ublic With an enormous
war debt.
IN this communication 1 wish to
again call the attention of the civilized
world to the warfare conducted by
General Weyler. now in command of
the Spanish forces in our island.
The horrors of far-off Armenia are
not as deserving of the attention of the
American congress as the barbarous
and atrocious conduct of this general.
GOMEZ"
The above statement was handed to
the correspondent by General Gomez
at his headquarters on the field.
The correspondent says:
4 reached here with comparative
ease after having left the Spanish
lines. During the five days l remained
in camp with General Gomez 1 found
ann and ti.s men confident of success
and apparently able to continue the
war in their fashion for several wears
to come. His inactivity has been Sc
criticized by those unfamiliar
with the conditions under which he
finds ii necessary to fight Should he
enter u-on an aggressive campaign,
the Spanish repeatedly, he
would soon exhaust the small amount
OF ammunition at his command and
would be left absolutely without other
defense than that afforded by a retreat
TO nearbv forests. AS indicated 10 me
in an interview with him, he will hold
the plain of La Reforma, his present
headquarters. until such time as
plentiful supply Of ammunition en-
ables him to renew the magnificent
inaugurated by Maceo and
himself n year and a half ago. At
present, however, he will remain quiet.
acting only upon the defensive until he
supplies recently landed by Roloff reach
him. He viii then, according to the in
furnished me in camp. begin
1 counter-march upon Havana with all
the forces in the province of Santa
Clara and to the eastward up to the
gates Of Havana. By this means he
will refute in a most startling manner
The statements of Weyler that the !
.hree provinces of Havana, Matanzas
and Santa Clara have been pacified. /
This may be the final struggle of the
var"