The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-06
A BRUSH WITH SPAN|AROS

Continued from Page One.)
eminent. and General Blanco's adju-
tant. Following the captain generals
carriage were many officers on horse
back. and after them came a detach-
ment of the civil guard. A force of
cavalry wound up the procession,
which passed through Obispo street to
the Parque Isabel Catolica. to the ORA
zones t~horoughfare and to the halls of
congress. At the hall the members of
the autonomous government were
awaiting. and when the captain gener-
al made his arrival there at 2:15 p. m.
another salute OF Is guns was fired
from the fortress.
Assembled I'm the hall. in addition to
the members of congress-, the colonial
secretaries. etc, were Admiral Manter-
ola, General Losado, the civil and mil
itary authorities, the bishops. the for
eign consuls and the commanders and
the officers of the British cruiser Tai
bot and the French cruiser Fulton,
both of whom are in port. Besides the
officers and officials. there were present
many representatives of the Spanish
nobility. the leading politicians of Ha-
vana and the representatives OF the
local and some of the foreign news
papers. There were also many ladies
present.
The captain general was received
with the greatest respect as he entered
the hall, which was finely decorated.
In the center of the hall on a platform
was a big presidential table under a
canopy, and right and left of 1T were
portraits of the little king of Spain
and his mother. the queen regent. Gen
eral Blanco took up a position behind
this table. At his right were the mem
bers of the colonial government n the
secretary general of Cuba. on his left
- 81
When all participants in the ceremony
were i'm their places the captain general
saluted. military fashion. and rea his
message to congress.
He said. in~substance: II take great
pleasure in seeing the representatives
of this island united here for the first
time. In spite of the fact that the
United States has tried to impede the
re-establishment of peace. Spain has
fulfilled her promises of introducing re-
forms in Cuba. and was approaching a
reconciliation and an ending of the war.
But the United States, though speaking
of peace and autonomy, has tried to
prevent us from bringing them about.
IF the declaration OF the United
States had been sincere, its guns ought
to he saluting to-day the first Cuban
parliament instead of threatening the
lives of its members. Spain has given
the island all she Is authorized to do
for the purpose of restoring peace and
without any conditions. The autono-
mist form of government established Is
as ample as that Of the British colo
MES. and Spain has declared hat II will
he made more ample still IL such a
course is judged to be necessary by the
members of the congress.
Rigid customs and other rules were
abolished I'm order to help the
trados, the victims of the fight sus-
tanned by the United States. We ad-
mitted free Of duties the help sent from
America for the purpose OF increas-
ing the existing discords. In short.
nothing has been left undone which
might satisfy the aspirations of the peo-
pie. IL compatible with the national
honor.
ION the petition of his holiness. the
pope. and the European powers hostili.
ties were suspended In order TO treat for
peace when. ignoring all this. the presi.
dent of the United States declared that
the autonomous form of government had
turned out to be a failure when parlia
ment had not even assembled, and tbs
patriots OF the United States were cx
cited by the declaration that Spaniard.
caused the Maine catastrophe. forget
ting the generous hospitality her sailors
received here. And now the United
States is taking up arms to mpcse it,
domination. Before such an outrage
S%paniards and Cubans must unite {,
defend the fatherland. and the reconcile.
alton will he all the more sacred "a
view Of the actual circumstances in tn,
case. The defenders of Spain and a
the autonomy OF Cuba all have Span
ish blood in their veins or were borr
on this soil"
Continuing, the captain general said
All the new laws must he put in fore
on July I. Preference should be givei
tn the measures providing for publl
security and the maintenance of the ma
tional honor Of Spain. the only cJuntr.
which can protect the development q
this colony and bring about the forma
ton 81 n great country united to the ol'
Castilian nation and at the same tim
he the mediator i'm the new world be
tween both continents"
When he had finished reading hi
message Csptain Genera Blanco shout
q "Vive EspGna." which cheer was re
sponded to with considerable enthusi
assn. The captain general then declaret
the Cuban ongre open and admins
tered the oath To the deputies. He aske,
all Of them IL they swore to always de
lerd Spain. and was answered with
Spontaneous Yes"
At about 2:30 p. m. a third salute q
rs guns from the fortress announce
the departure of the captain genera