Arizona republican., 1898-03-16
He Believes the Spaniards Con-
 mitted Another Crime
WHEN THE MAINE SANK
A Nation Whose RepreSenta-
 tive was Butcher Weyler
Would not Hesitate at the Massacre of Two Hundred Brave American Sailors. What the investigation Will Reveal.

New York, March 15.-The Sun prints the following extracts from letter written by General Maxine Gomez, the Cuban commander-in- chief, in relation to the disaster to the Maine:
 ''I shall not venture an opinion yet, says General Gomez, "as to the causes more restrained if my words are to be published in the United States, as gen. orally happens with my letters. I can only express at present my deep horror in the face of this awful calam- ity, and my profound sympathy for the victims and the American people,
 But am not surprised at the gen era1 belief in Cuba that a new crime has been committed by Spain. We know too well what Spain is capable of doing to destroy foe. Our ranks have been deprived of great leaders and patriots, murdered in the most cowardly manner by the cruel hate of the Spaniards. Personally I feel
 
 down in the dark with a Spanish sti- letto in my back as I am to be hit in battle by Spanish bullet
 "A people capable of sending to Cuba as captain general at the end of the nineteenth century such a man as Weyler and of honoring him after his criminal deeds as national hero is capable of anything. It would not shrink from the idea of massacreing 200 American sailors in the harbor of Havana, after it had killed by starva- tion 100000 defenseless women, chill dren and old men, and had extermi- mated 100000 more non-combatants by fire and sword or by the utter destruc- tion of their homes and the inhuman spreading of famine. More even than that, it cannot have any pity for the fate of 200 American sailors, regarded by Spain, with or without reason, as her enemies, when it has had no pity for it's own 100000 soldiers, poor and ignorant Spanish peasants, driven from their homes in Spain by proud, ra- pacious and murderous government, and sent to certain death in Cuba from the bullets of a hostile army and the ravages of a hostile climate, in a vain endeavor to conquer a country which is fighting for it's freedom. Yes, we know all these facts well, and per haps this knowledge we have acquired in our long experience of Spanish bar parity may lead us now to belief in a crime which, if it has been commit ted, will fill one of the most shame ful pages in the whole history of Scain
 T think that the American govern ment will investigate the cause of the disaster and act manfully in the mat ter. I cannot avoid the sad reflection that if my letters, addressed to Presi- dent Cleveland and President McKin- ley, and the reports of the Cuban gov ernment to the American government through our representative, Tomas Es- trada Palma, had been needed by the United States, that nation would not have suffered the loss of $500, COG, 900
 
 noyance due to the danger of foreign complications and the present loss of it's cherished sailors and of one of its best men-of-war, besides all the trou- bles that may result from this terrible incident; and Cuba, poor Cuba, the heroic island that is fighting alone, without resources, without navy, against a European power, would not have been the prey of a Weyler and now the victim of the hypocrisy of Blanco.
 But one of the saddest disappoint- ments of my life is the knowledge that there are in the United States persons who believe that our Just representa- tions, asking only for the recognition which we have the right to request, were made for the purpose of involving the United States in war with Spain because we could not cope alone with the Spaniards. We had fought the Spaniards ten years. Now we have been fighting them three years more, and no honest man can doubt after what we have done that we are re solved to die rather than surrender. have been thirteen years in the saddle, and Spain has sent against me, across the Atlantic, 100000 men. I have needed no help to do that much, for with me were the 10000 Cubans who died in the last war, and today the whole Cuban army is ready to die for the principle we maintain.
 'tIt is a gross injustice, therefore, to charge us with hypocritical and dis sembled intentions when wo ask lne