Evening star., 1898-12-31

| Inc CuDanS nave n3O IL impressed upoH
| them by their leaders that the celebration Is
| not directed against the Spanish classes.
| Some of those who were in the United
| States during the insurrection and were
never in danger needed this lesson. The
| irsurgent soldiers themselves did not need
! it. In all the towns which have been evac-
| uated by the Spanish troops the Cubans
| have had their "festas'' often without the
presence of the American troops as re-
| straint or tending to revenge or vengeance
| The instances have been very rare in which
| a spirit of retaliation has been shown. Gel
| ebrations We're held in all the towns around
| Havana and in the suburbs of Cerro and
Jesus del Monte which are in reality part
! of the city. There has been an exu5erance
| of Cuban patriotism which has quickly
| spent itself. and then the communities have
\ settled back to await the Havana festival.
Some Incidents.
| In Guanabacoa, across the bay, an un-
| popular Spaniard was invited to accom-
pany the procession and declare allegiance
| to the new regime. He did it unwllingly
| but since the he has been selling his goods
to the Cubans, so there was probably no
| deep resentment on either side. At the
| same place a party of Cubans who had
never done any fighting in the brush, start
! ed out in a cab to have an individual cele-
! bration. They were shouting viva Cuba
| lbre; Anuerto, los Espanolas,' long live
| free Cuba; death to the Spaniards." An
| insurgent officer stopped them. You may
cry viva for whomevar you please he
| said, but you can't call death to the Span
| ardS or death to anybody else" This in
| surgent officer was d negro His reprimand
| was the soundest piece of advice that has
| yet been given.
| The echoes of the festivals in the country
| districts reach the city. General Davis, who
| commands the American troops in Pinar
| del Rio, was at Guanajay the other day
| looking after the camp there and getting
| acquainted with the Cubans. He had the
| r.xsiT n nj ham oil
| to their good will They had a demonstra-
| tion, a ball and a few minor incidents. The
American and Cuban flags fioated together.
| Everybody was pleased with General Da-
Wis speech. l was chiefly interested in the
! notices which were carried in the process
| sion. These banners sometimes give a hint
! of what is in the minds of the persons who
| carry them. Among the notices were noted
| the following:
| Long live free Cuba. Long live the
| American army.
GLORY to Mackinley, who has recognized
| our rights.
| The culture of Cuba salutes the most
civilized people on earth.
| The future of Cuba is in the will of its
| people.
| Long live the American nation.
Long live Labor. Long live independent
| Cuba.
May heaven compensate our sufferings
| by giving us means of work.
Gen. Maxine Gomez.
30 lney are thinking OF work IN GudnaJay,
at least, in the midst of their festivals They
will need to think of it and of some other
things in Havana. After the five days Gel
| ebration will come new responsibilities and
| lew conditions, to which both Cubans and
Spaniards must adjust themselves. A few
CT the problems are grave. Since the block
ade The attempt has been making to solve
them without The aid of the man of all men
best fitted to grapple with them. His name
is MaXlmO Gomez. During the war with
Spain the circumstances which caused the
| campaign to be fought at Santiago instead
of around Havana kept him in the back
ground. Since the protocol was signed he
has chosen TO remain i'll the background,
staying with his soldiers at u sugar planta-
ton in Santa Clara province. l do not know
how it has happened that many apparent
Sights have been put upon Gen. Gomez.
When the evacuation commission arrived
from Washington it felt the necessity of
surrounding its official dignity with a high
fence, which prevented it from officially
communicating with Gomez. The ostensible
reason WaS that the commission had sim
ply to arrange for the going away of the
Spanish troops. Actually ii had many other
things to do, one of these affairs was ID
find out the condition of the insurgent
troops. their disposition toward the Span
| iards and their feelings with reference to
American military occupancy. This was
| done by Representatives of the commission
visiting the insurgent camps. 1t was not d
difficult work. The results We're almost al
| ways satisfactory.
Gomez has been represented in an r-
| ritable frame of mind toward his subordin-
ates and reSentful toward the United
| States because of the proposed military oc
cupancy. | do not know how his staff feel
| toward him. The old general has never
been sweet-tempered. But among the in
surgent troops | have been unable to dis
cover any change in the feeling which
| caused them to give loyal obedience to his
orders during nearly four years of warfare
in the brush AS to the American occupa-
| ton his counsel to his followers has been
to accept 1t in the right spirit. The repre-
sentatives of the United States who have
sought his aid have been given hearty CO.
operation. If he thought the temporary
military control was to be shaped to compel
permanent American sovereignty he would
unquestIonably be heard from, and there
would be no hypocrisy in his utterances
Nothing justiiies that assumption and no
word Of distrust has come from the Santa
Clara camp.
Will Not be Made a Show.
General Gomez has refused to come to
Havana to be made d show of for the bene-
tit Of either the Cubans or the hero wor-
shippers. Ills position has been that the
| evacuation Of the island by the Spanish
troops is solely the affair of the United
States, and until that Is competed there is
no need OF his presence. FOR that reason
lie may not attend the celebration. But the
troops will be out of all parts of the island
heard from. There have been reports of
d.ssenslons among the insurgent leaders,
and that Gomez was not in full sympathy
with the Santa Cruz assembly which sent
! the commission to Washington to ask aid
| IN paying the lnSurgent soldiers. Probably
there is truth iii the reported dissensions
put Gomez wants the means of paying the
| troops, and that can only come through an
arrangement with the American govern
ment. L do not know whether such an ar
rangement is practicable. a plebscite
would show now, as at all times in the
| past few months, 80 per cent of all classes
Cubans and Spaniards-in favor of pledging
Inc customs revenues for that paymept
The issue whether their wishes are to re-
celve consideration must be met.
Inc feeling of other insurgent leaders to-
| ward Gomez is not of great consequence
unless the army of Cuba libre' experi-
ences change of sentiment. The old gen
eral has been stern disciplinarian His
| ragged troops accepted it. They NAV need
! MS discipline more than ever soon. Others
! of their commanders are naturally dwarf9d
| when he appears That is why they would
| like TO have him stay in the background
| But Maxine Gomez is still the comma nder-
| in-chief of the insurgent forces He is the
| man to order their disbandment The scar
| let breeches of the Spanish captain gen