The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-15
PURPOSE OF CUBANS
Provisional Government Does Not
Intend to DiSband.
AN ASSEMBLY CALLED
MAJORITY OF CUBANs FAVOR
ABSOLUTE INDEPENDENCE.
Gratitude to the United States For
Deliverance From Spanish oppres-
sion-Intention of the Cubans Was
That the Cubans Should Form An
Independent Government.

Santiago de Cuba, Sept. 1A.-The
council of the so-called provisional
government of the republic of Cuba,
represented by Senior Bartolome Mas
so, president; Cisnero Capote wee
president, and Senior Fonte. Senior Ale
man and Senior Moreno de Ia Iorfe'
secretaries, met at Santa Cruz on sept.
l, and formulated a manifesto TO the
J Cuban people, with an order TO the
commanders of the Cuban army, both
of which have been promulgated.
The manifesto, which is an elaborate
! document. touches on the history OF the
movement for Cuban independence and,
the principles upon which the cuban
people have fought for their liberty 1t
proceeds in part as follows:
1.-The peace prelinlinarieS have Deen
! signed, and the government OF the
United States has imposed upon SPAN
an obligation to renounce all her rights
of sovereignty over the island or CUBA
and to evacuate the territory immedi-
ately. The cessation Of hostilities has
also been agreed upon.
Though the principal object OF our
revolution has been obtained. that is,
the destruction of Spanish domination,
/ the work of this council is not yet at
an end. for the Cuban repubiic-the
| ideal for which we have fought, has not
! vet been constituted. Now that hostih-
! ties have ceased and Spain has re-
nounced her sovereignty, it is the duty
/ of this council to set before the CUBAN
people the feelings and purposes OF the
men who made the revolution. we al
ways felt confident that through our
| own perseverance we would in the long
run destroy Spanish domination; put
we aust acknowledge that an lnden,
mite prolongation of the struggle would
have annihilated the little that was lett
of our wealth and population, The en-
| trance upon the field of powerful and
! decisive factor, upon which we have
! always relied and towards when g.
/ hearts of all CubanS have always IT, ~
| ed, has put an end TO the horrors %
1 war. to the benefit of all concerned.
/ This prompt solution we must ac-
/ knowledge we would never have OBJ
| tanned 1t is proper to acknowledge the
evident truth. That is the best title the
| United States has to our gratitude. We
were abandoned by the world, some ma
/ tions ignoring us through selilshnessi
| others ignorant of our real condition,
considering us an obstinate and an I'M
/ goVernable people because we did not
/ accept the cajoleries and batteries with
which Spain tried to soothe our just
anger.
''This was our situation when the
| people of the United States, their pres
ident and congress. came TO our rescue
and took upon their shoulders the task
of delivering us at once from an I'M
bearable yoke. as our suffering could
not be endured or permitted longer
They have accomplished their pro
gramme brilliantly. What is more, they
have liberated, in one way or another,
from the rule of Spain, all peoples OPP
pressed by her. The liberation is def
I II. -.
expelled from this hemisphere.
DUTY OF CUBANS.
Eve are grateful. In nations as wen
as in individuals. gratitude is ennob-
ling. AS we begin now our national
life, we, more than any other people,
must be jealous of our national honor.
1t is, therefore. the duty of this council
to explain 10 the people of Cuba what,
in its opinion, are our duties towards
the United States and toward our
selves, and what are the rules that
ought to direct our conduct.
when, after long struggle, the
United States congress recognized the
right of the people of Cuba TO be free
and independent, and ordered the
Spanish forces to withdraw from the
island, no Cuban government was rec
ognized: but the one we had constI-
tuted, though not recognized, was not
opposed and has not been opposed. NO
steps have been taken to dislodge 1t
frcm tie place where it exercised its
functions. nor has il been considered
an ilIegitimate authority which events
have dissolved or destroyed for the
good of the people of Cuba
ut cannot be otherwise. The United
States could not interfere in our struS-
gle for the sake of what our enemies
might consider political faction. The
American government could intervene
for the benefit of the whole people of
Cuba, 2 part OF whom, being under
Spanish rule, was not free to express a
purpose or .. preference. The inten-
ton of the United States was, as soon
as the obstacles of Spanish rule had
been removed. that the whole of Cuba
should choose a government that would
shape the destinies of the island.
ABSOLUTE INDEPENDENCE.
THE people of the United States have
all along appreciated the fact that the
majority OF the people OF Cuba are IN
agreement with our principles, for the
motto of the United States government
has been the same as Ours-absolute IN
dependence for Cuba Under these con-
ditioans the Americans could not take
a hostile attitude toward us, or con-
slider our authority illegitimate and
harmful TO the welfare of the cuban
These considerations have convinced
us that we should not dissolve, and
the powers that we have received from
an assembly elected by the people I'M
der arms should never vanish On the
contrary. we feel that we should re-
main as a nucleus and guide for those |
who have vested such power in us.
1--WE have. therefore. decided to call
together an assembly, which will de-
termine our future course.
In conclusion. the manifesto gives |
number of reasons why the proposed |
assembly should be convened, and some !
government or another chosen, mot |
with the character of government |
as vet, but as an official representa- |
ton of those Cubans who fought /
against Spain and those who, in the |
cities under Spain's control and in for
eign countries, have helped and sup
ported them"
CUBAN DOCUMENTS.