Evening star., 1898-11-11
CUBANS' CASE STATED
President Maso Writes to President
Mckinley.
Our Part to Maintain Order on the
Up Their Own Government.

| A letter from President Maso of the Gu
| ban provisional government to President
Mckinley has been made public. 1t Is
dated Santa Cruz del Sur September %,
| and says:
| ITO His Excellency William Mckinley
President of the United States Of Amer
lea:
Sir: The supreme authority of the Gu
| ban revolution, the government council of
the republic of Cuba, over which l preside,
| has the honor to address your excellency,
through me. with the purpose of laying be-
fore you the attitude of the Cuban revolu-
tionists, and calling your attention to mat
ters of great Importance in relation to Gu
ban affairs
The protocol signed on the 18th Of last
month means the end Of the terrible strug-
gle which we have waged for three and a
half years, and the glorious fulfllment OF
the tntimation made by that government
to that of Spain on the Goth of April Of this
year.
The renouncing by Spain of all pretense
of sovereignty and dominion over the island
of Cuba, and pledglng herself to evacuate
Immediately, consummate in the sphere Of
law the declaration of the American Con-
gress that the Cuban people are ard Of
right ought to be free and Independent.
authorities, now being discussed by the
American and Spanish governments, will
soon make the flag which has caused so
much misfortune to this unhappy country
to cease waving over 1t.
From that day will commence the ar
duous and difficult task of establishing in
Cuba firm and stable government, which
shall be the legitimate expression Of the
free will of its people, and shall constitute
a real guarantee of order, peace and lib
erty, which the Cubans so ardently wish
fav.
Even if there be no direct relations be-
tween the American government and this
government council, there can be no denial
that there is a fundamental agreement as
to our ends. The logic of events has i'm
posed it, and will also impose 1t In our line
of action. The Cuban revolution, since Its
inception has had, and today it has more
than ever. for its aim the independence of
Cuba, to establish in it democratic
republic.
Tor long time the Cubans had seen
that it was impossible to give a final and
convenient solution to the problems arising
out of the interests of Cuba without first
destroying the first obstacle which op-
posed It,
THE Spanish domination was that insur-
passabie obstacle: the origin and root of all
the misfortunes of Cuba must cease. so that
the affairs of Cuba could be studied and
resolved. For that reason independence
was our foremost aspiration and the
watchword with which we. the Cubans.
went to war. The evacuation of Cuba by
Spain was and is the sole and only way by
which we can reach the end desired by the
Cubans. that is to be the masters Of our
destinies, so as to resolve by ourselves our
affairs and to direct our public interests.
THE complex labor in which we have
been and are engaged has been but in part
realized.
''The people and government of the
United States, interested for many reasons
in the condition of affairs in Cuba, under
stood also that for the solution of the
Cuban question it was Indispensable that
Spain should abandon the island forever,
and the United States when it decided TO
intervene in our affairs commenced by SOL
emnly declaring our independence. And
they understood also, as We understood.
that the independence was only the first
step In our problem, so as to give an OPP
portunity to the Cubans to constitute Il e.
spectacle government, capable OF fulfill
ing it's internal as well its international
duties.
None others have been our aims. They
have been repeatedly and eXplicitedly de-
clared by those authorized to speak in the
name of the Cuban revolution. This can
be verified by reading our public docu-
ments such as the constitution of the Gu
ban revolutionary party, the manifesto of
Monte CrSti; the constitution of the 10Th
of September, 1895; the constitution of Oc-
tober 80 1897; the manifesto signed by the
congress OF representatives of same date,
and the one signed by me on the oath of
this year, by resolution of the government
council over which l preside.
1--WE san say that the American people
and their government have recognized our
flag. as they nave recognized the independ-
ence of Cuba, have decreed the cessation
OF the sovereignty Of Spain over the island
and have asserted their determination to
pacify the island, and when that is accom-
plished to leave the government and con-
troll of the island to its people.
CO-OperatiOn With the United States.
For these reasons the government coun-
cil as the supreme authority of the revo-
luton has inspired all of its acts in the
aim of sustaining and aiding the policy
of the American government
"As soon as hostilities began between the
United States and Spain it directed the
leaders of the Cuban forces to cooperate
in the campaign of the American forces.
And after the hostilities were suspended it
has ordered the Cuban army to suspend
operations also.
I'VE are now face to face with series
of problems entailing the final pacifcation
of the islaEd and the establishment of
government chosen by the will of all the
CubanS
I'VE believe 1t our duty to lay before the
American government the conduct we are
to follow.
ing been broken and Spanish rule being
denied by and ignored by the United
States, while ours is respected and remains
in force we have resolved to maintain 1t
and strengthen 1t so that it shall consti-
tute the nucleus around which all the liv-
ing forces of the country shall concentrate
in order that it shall be the legal start
irg point for the future development of
Cuban politics.
Complying with our constitution, the
only legal laws which today in Cuba have
force, we have called for an assembly of
representatives to meet on the 10th of Oc-
tober so that the urgent questions dealing
with the present and future of Cuba shall
be discussed and determined.
THE reason of our resolution can be
easily understood. When the representa-
tives of the Cuban people in arms assem-
bed at Jimaguayu, in September 1895, they
agreed upon and voted a constitution in
conformity to the necessities of the war;
this constitution was to last for two years,
unless the war ended before. These two
years having terminated. the assembly met
again and decreed the present constitution
organizing the present government accord
ing to the exigencies of the revolutionary
period. This constitution states that when
the independence of Cuba shall have been
attained a .,ew assembly of representatives
shall be called to provide for the pro-