Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-04-11
WILL GIVE NO ARMlsrIce
0ubans- gill Fight for Liberty or
Death.
No Cessation Of Hostilities Unless
Reeesnftion Of Independenee
II Granted BY Spain.

M. Quesada. representing the Cuban In
surgents at Washington. said to a Star
reporter today.
The Cubans will not enter upon an arm
istice with Spain unless it is accompanied
with the recognition by Spain of the in
dependence Of the Cuban republic. We will
continue to fight until our liberty is recog-
nized or until We are all dead.
"The Cubans will not enter into negotia-
lions nor receive a proposition to cease
hostilities except on the basis of immediate
independence. This armistice proposition
Is Spanish diplomacy, designed to make
It appear to the world that Spain wants
4 peace, and that it is not her fault that
| there Is no peace. The Cubans went into
the war to secure their independence. Any
proposition for them to stop fighting must
concede the accomplishment Of the object
! for which they have fought for three years.
1t is positively, officially and irrevocably,
| declared that the Cubans will accept no
armistice proposition until after this in
dependence Is recognized. An agent go
ing to General Gomez, unless he bore a
written document. the contents of which
ne did not know, would be subject to exc
cution as an emissary, and would almost
| surely be executed by General Gomez, no
matter who he was or what walk of life
| iie HiSHt De from. Il ne pore letter ana
did not know its contents, he would be
given safe escort to the proper point, and
| then sent back where he came from. There
can be no excuse for delay to ascertain
whether the Cubans will accept the arm
| tsttce offered. it is already rejected.
| The constitution of the Cuban republic
| and the civil law absolutely forbid the
general-in-chief, under penalty of death.
| to entertain or receive any offer from the
| Spanish lines, unless it has for it's basis
| the absolute independence Of Cuba. Who
is to carry the offer? The fate of Ruiz is a
warning of the fate which would await
such an envoy"
Senior Quesada has letter from General
| Gomez, under date of March 8, a part of
| which Is as follows:
| This province (Santa C.ara), as well as
Santiago de Cuba and Puerto Principe. is
| ours. The enemy has departed ceasing
military operations. and abandoning the
| base Of operations. Days, weeks and
| months pass without column of troops
| appearing within radius Of action,
| which is many leagues.
In the condition in which we are, it is
my opinion that what we need to end the
war quickly are cannon, and a great deal
| of dynamite, that we can expel them
by fire and steel from the towns. Notwith-
standing the opinion OF the optimists, 1
| adhere TO the idea that we will never make
Spain come to terms but in that manner,
and 1t is a loss of time and very danger
| GUS to enter into any negotiations. We
| must fight them vigorously and unceas-
insly, in order to force what we will have,
and we will surely obtain 1t in time"
The Cuban Government.
In signed statement Mr.. Quesada thus
describes the formation and establishment
of the Cuban civil government:
From the very inception of the revolu-
ton the Cubars provided for a civil power.
| The Cuban revolutionary party, which pre-
| Pared and directed the movement, was a
1 pty,h nv-1rp y,toae 81
| most Jealous in establishing the para
| mount influence of the law over the sword
| Gen. Gomez thro ughout the revolution has
shown himself DESTROYS that the civil au-
| thor1ties should have the supreme power.
When he md Marti landed their first aim
| was to constitute a provisional govern
| nient. After the meeting of Gomez, Maceo
| and Marti at Majcrana, on May T. 1895. a
call for the selection of Representatives of
| the Cuban people to form civil govern
| ment was made.
Declaration of Independence.
THE death of Marti postponed for a time
the selection of the representatives. but In
the beginning of September, 1895, the call
previously issued was complied with. Rep
| resentatives were elected to the constft-
uent assembly. which assembly soiemnly
declared the independence of Cuba and lis
| separation from the Spanish monarchy.
| and confirmed the existence of the renub,
| the world ~
On the 18th of September. 1895. officers
OF the government were elected by the con-
| stituent ass emily, and selected as delegate
pienipotentiary and general agent abroad
| Thomas Estrada Palma During the two
years or the C1sneros administration, and
up TO the present time of Maso's the civil
autnorltles of the republic have exercised
| their functions throughout the territory
controlled by the republic of Cuba, which
| Is about three fourths of the Island. there
! IS q CIVIL governor In
! Documents Before Congress-.
| Documents were filed before the Senate
committee on foreign relations last Aprtl.
which We're published as document No 10
| Fifty-Hfth Congress, first session. which
proved that the civil government leeis1at tod
| as to commerce, government workshops
| manufactures, coast inspectors most of.
| fees, that stamps have been issued nub,ic
| schools established, that the public treas.
| ury is well organized. taxes being collect
| ed, and amounting to hundreds of thous-
| ands of dollars.
| pursuant TO tie mandate contained I'm
the constitution of 1885, constituent as
| sembly was convoked to meet in October
| 1897, to revise the laws and to elect new
| omcers. The government council passed
| an electoral law, and twenty-four repre-
| sentatives were chosen from the six prov
inces; the election was untrammeled by
| the military.
| the months Of October and November DR.
| Mendez Capote. ex-professor of law in the
| Havana University, presided. A new con-
stitution was adopted on the Goth of Oc-
tober, 1897, which will be in force two
| years, unless independence Is obtained be-
! forehand, when an assembly shall be called
| to provide temporarily for the govern
| ment and administration of The republic
until definite constituent assembly shall
| meet.
Provision for Peace With Spain.
article Is of the preamble of this con-
stitution reads as follows, as one of the
rights Of the Cuban government:
Ito make treaties with other powers
choosing the commissioners who are to
celebrate them; but without being able to
| delegate in them It's final approval The
one of peace with Spain must be ratified
| by the assembly, and cannot be initiated
| but on the basis of the absolute and i'm
mediate independence of all the Island of
| Cuba
1.-The government council appointed Mai.
| Gen. Maxine Gomez general-in-chief and
Maj. Gen. Calixto Garcia as lieutenant
| general.
| But the best proof of the existence of