The herald., 1898-04-23
PRESENTS SENT GOMEZ
FAIL TO PRODUCE THE EFFECT
DESIRED
The Insurgent Chief Believes Victory
Is Near and the Freedom
Of Cuba Assured

| NEW YORK, April 23.-Tomas Estrada
Palma of the Cuban junta has received a
letter from Gen. Maxine Gomez contain
| ing the following:
| Great things have been done. The es-
sential thing now is to triumph, which will
| be great glory to the victor who. like
| David Of biblical fame, destroyed Goliath
with only his sling and stone.
"Blanco and Pando have sent me ennis
saries with presents. The presents
burned before their eyes and told them
that If they should ever return I would
hang them. The poor men were most
astonished, and have since learned that
they refused to come back a second time
unless they would be permitted to remain
with my army.
II hasten to tell you this so you can
know the infamy of the spaniards. One
year ago there was no clemency, no quar-
| ter Women, mothers and children, wore
made victims of by the Spanish. The SOL
diers of Weyler were taking with them
everywhere deso1ation and ruin. BY
means of the heliograph the Spanish gen.
erals sent soldiers everywhere through
the island.
Gen. Luque, Gen. Ruiz and others de-
stroyed cattle, horses and even palm trees.
The 100000 men then in this island dis
puted for the privilege of who should kill
the most. Not one peace commissioner
came then.
But all to no purpose. We made their
troops useless, the heliograph an enemy's
cannon of no account. All our fields have
given US bountiful fruits, while hunger
reigns in the cities. We don't know where
the Spanish army has gone.
II was then mentioned as the 'so-called.'
Today they address me as distinguished
Adversary
"Why this change? The answer is SIM
Pile. 1t is that the Spaniards see that their
cause is lost and they are trying to gain
time to postpone the inevitable. I shall
continue to fight with the same energy as
in the past Victory will crown my ef-
forts.''
Fears for the Oregon
NEW YORK, April ga special to the
Times from Washington says:
Commodore Schley will probably sail
Saturday with his flying squadron, bound
perhaps to the south. He will, 1t is said
go in search of the battleship Oregon and
the gunboat Marietta, about which the
navy department is deeply concerned. The
department mas peen considering the plan
of dispatching this squadron to the east
ern coast of South America to meet the
two ships that have been coming from the
Pacific for the last month, and whose ex-
act whereabouts is not known at this time.
1t is feared that the Spaniards are look
ing for them, and that the torpedo gum
boat Temerario is watching for the Amer
lean ships somewhere in southern waters.
The Oregon was ordered to go to Magellan
and join the Marietta there. The gun
boat was several days in advance Of the
big battleship, and it is quite probable
that both of them are now on this side of
the Horn, on their way to Montevideo,
their next coaling station. Together they
would make a formidable fighting force,
and 1t would take the Pelayo and good
armored cruiser to defeat them.
1t seems more than probable Spain will
not forego this opportunity to strike a
telling blow against this country, and
that she has already dispatched several
vessels to look after the Oregon and Ma
rietta. If the flying squadron is to take
care of them, it will have to move very
quickly, as the Spaniards at the Cape
Verde islands are practically between the
American ships Of the squadron and the
two voyagers from the Pacific.