The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-07
The Army of Liberation" Will Fight
the Soldiers of This Country If
They Land in Cuba.
ALLEGED SECRET COMPACT
BETWEEN PRESIDENT slkINLEY
AND THE sAGAsTA CABINET.
Quesada and Palma Said TO Be Not
in Accord with Rubens-views
OF Members of Congress.

through It's counsel, HOratio $. Rubens,
made ain important statement to-day. 1t
declared in the most unequivocal language
that the Cuban provisional government and
the Cuban army would reject absolutely in
tervention by the United States, unless it
should be preceded by recognition of the
Independence of the Cuban republic; that
If the United States persisted in intervening
without recognizing Cuban independence
the Cuban government and military forces
would refuse to cooperate; and that if
United States troops should be sent to Cuba
on the basis of intervention without recogni-
ton the Cuban army would, in the last
resort, turn it's arms against the United
States. The statement made by Mr.. Rubens
was preceded by the following:
The declaration am about to make Is
official for l am the legal representative of
the Junto, and l know their unalterable
convictions and position. 1t is in line with
the utterances of the delegate of the Cuban
provisional government to the United States,
Thomas Estrada Palma, when suggestion
was made that this government counsel the
Cubans and, if necessary, coerce them to
an acceptance of autonomy"
After quoting from the address to the peo-
ple of the United States issued by Mr..
Palma on March IL, Mr.. Ruebens says: I'm
the face of the present proposal of inter
vention without previous recognition, it is
necessary for us to go step farther and
say that we must and will regard such in
prevention as nothing less than a declara-
tion of war by the United States against the
Cuban revolutionists. If Intervention shall
take place en- that basis and the United
States shall land an armed force on Cuban
soil we shall treat that force as an enemy
to be opposed and IL possible, expelled so
long as the recognition of a free Cuban
republic is withheld. do not mean to say
that the Cuban army will assemble OH tho
coast to resist the landing of federal troops.
but that 1t will remain in the interior. re-
fusing to cooperate, declining to acknowl-
edge any American authority and ignoring
and rejecting the intervention to every
possible extent. Should the United States
troops succeed in expelling the Spanish; ;
should the United States then declare a
protectorate over the island, however pro-
visional or tentative, and seek to extend it's
authority over the government of Cuba and
the army of liberation, we would resist with
force of arms as bitterly and tenaciously
as We have fought the armies of Spain.
HAS INSIDE INFORMATION.
1T was / who, yesterday from the most
trustworthy private sources of information,
conveyed to the newspaper reporters the
forecast of the burden of the Presidents
message-intervention without recognition
Of independence. The forecast has been con-
firmed by subsequent public advices, and
the accuracy of any information in this
particular should give authority to the in
formation. even more important which l
am now to divulge. 1t has been in my pos
tated between my duty as an American
citizen on the one hand and on the other
as the legal representative of the Cuban
Junto, but 1 regard the time as now ar
: rived when I must make these facts known.
I have it from a Spanish authority high
In financial circles that the whole course
now proposed by the President is in pur-
suance of an understanding between Wash
ington and Madrid the object of which is
to secure peace in Cuba through Cuban ac-
eeptaace of Spanish autonomy, without the
shedding of drop of American blood or
the expenditure OF another dollar of Ameri-
can money. See how perfectly the pro-
posals with this light upon them, are
adapted to work out that end. The intrin-
sic evidence alone us almost sufficient to
prove the accuracy of my information,
which runs thus:
TT has been agreed between Spain and
the United States that this government.
while declaring for intervention, shall re-
fuse to recognize the independence of Cuba.
IT is mutually hoped by the two govern
ments that the Cubans will then be con-
WINGED that the object for which they have
been fighting all these neutrality-suspicious.
cannot be obtained, and that they will ac-
cept. perforce, first, an armistice. and
eventually autonomy under the Spanish
flag. A part of the programme is that Con-
gress shall empower the President to inter-
vene, out shall not direct him TO do so. The
object of this will be 10 gain ample time in
which 10 persuade the Cubans to make
terms directly with Spain.
Il assert again that this information is
trustworthy, and it explains what has
seemed inexplicable-the optimistic tone
still observable among prominent officials.
both at Washington and Madrid, despite
the strong sentiment for forcible interven-
ton prevailing both throughout the Nation
and Congress. incidentally, also, II ac-
counts for the tone of the stock market
both here and abroad, and the apparent
frmness of Spanish securities.
NOTHING BUT INDEPENDENCE.
'sIshe Cubans are already fairly informed
OF this entente between the Spanish and
American governments, yelled, as 1t is, by
every semblance of an open rupture; and l
speak with full authority in saying that the
Cubans in the field can be relied on to resist
all overtures OF peace unaccompanied by
complete independence The Cubans will
not trust the United States first TO obtain
possession, and then 10 grant Cuban inde-
pendence. The very fact that recognition
Is expressly withheld now implies the pos
sibiIity that II may be permanently with
held. In fact, we more than half know what
TO expect In the event of the United States
becoming master of the island. A plebiscite
would follow; the people would be permitted
10 choose between allegiance to spain. under
form OF autonomy, independence and an