The record-union., 1898-02-05
Fails to Come Up to Expectations
Raised at Madrid.
Autonomy Makes No Progress. Neither Does
the Spanish Army.
Frank Judgment of Competent Mil
itarv Judges That the Spanish
Troops in the Island Are In
Worse Condition Than the In
surgentz-pando's Campaign in
Santiago a Failure.

Santiago Failure.
NEW YORK, Feb. "A dispatch to
the Tribune from Havana says:
General Blanco has returned from a
trip to the eastern provinces, which,
put IN the best possible light, has fail
ed to come up to the expectations raised
in Madrid. The Sagasta Ministry can
not longer delude itself with the false
hope that the adhesion Of few minor
insurgent chiefs is evidence that the
instruction is disintegrating from
within. Its powers of resistance is
shown by the fact that in such mill
tary operations as have taken place
during the last fortnight the advantage
has been with the insurgents. Briefly,
the situation, which by this time must
be understood by the Ministry, is that
persuasion has failed to win the insIr-
gents to autonomy, and the army has
had no better success.
The intransigeants have their rem
edy They are not making threatening
demonstrations against the Captain
General and telling him that the SIT
uation is insupportable, and that Inc
only practicable solution is for him 10
go home. For the present they are con-
tentipg themselves with advising Mad
rid of these facts. What action they
will take later in the form of dissatis-
faction cannot be foretold. Though
WeyIer has many partisanS, they don't
look for him to return to Cuba in COM
mand They realize that the recall of
Blanco would be a confession that the
policy he was sent out to indorse is a
failure They do not expect that the
Sagasta Ministry will confess itself out
of office in this manner. They talk
vaguely that the army must be matte
supreme in enforcing peace, as though
the amy had not been supreme for
years.
1t is the frank judgment of compe-
tent military judges that the Spanish
troops in Cuba to-day are in worse
condition than the insurgents, though
both the strength and the resources of
the latter may be exaggerated. Weyler
failed in his campaign in Santiago
Pando criticised Weyler, but he mas
done no better. In two months the
sole achievement of his forces has been
to rescue the survivors of the garrison
of Guiana
That General Luque should be driv
into Holguin from one direction, ana
General Linares should seek refuge IN
the town from another direction, mai
Gates a fair degree of activity on The
part of the insurgents in Santiago UNI
der the command of Calixto Garcia
and Rabi. General Pando has had the
extra ammunition he asked for. Every
thing was done that the authorities
could do for the soldiers. Nevertheless,
the sickness is great. General Blanco s
time at ManZanillo and Santiago de
Cuba was taken up with inspection Of
hospitals. AS the season advances the
fevers will grow worse.
The probability of a successful cam
paign in the Orient this year is now
eliminated from the events which
might help TO bring the instruction 10
an end and secure the acceptance of au-
tonomy. This has some importance,
when the programme of placing greater
dependence on the army is broadened.
As for the presentados, they cannot be
magnified into Importance enough to
have pronounced influence of weaken
ing the military part of the insurgents.
A few officers, some ranking as high
as Colopels do not constitute the back
bone of the instruction, and the num-
Der of followers they have been able
to bring in cannot be said to have les
sened materially its strength.
1t is not TO be expected that General
Blanco will permit disappointment to
be manifest in his actions. The i'm
plantation of autonomy will go forward
so far as official proceedings can make
ii appear to do so. Preparations for
the elections will continue in the leis-
urely manner that has heretofore
marked them.
The Conservatives are charging that
the Government, in it's anxiety to pre-
vent the election of a Congress hostile
TO autonomy, is tampering with the
electoral list. The representatives of
the Government say that it is not true,
and if it We're the Conservatives would
have no reason for complaint. because
they did the same thing when they
were in power This is an exact state
ment 1t is also to be feared that the
charge of the Conservatives that the
present lists are tempered with is an
exact statement. The authorities do
not feel that they can trust autonomy
as a civil policy TO the hands of its
enemies so they take means to insure
ZIG tEtAAASAAS AtSAsNsAsc2 lsiN "a slO4C ~ tA'S
Government
The Marquis Apezteguia continues his
efforts TO enlist the younger Conserva-
tives on the side of policy OF mod
Grafton. and to detach from the Rad
icals 10 the intransigeants. He does
not seem TO make Roadway.
a BIG COLONY FOR CUBA.
MINNEAPOLIS Mimi, Feb. f. A
special 10 the Journal from Aberdeen,
s. D., says:
John Patterson of Minneapolis, who
Is Well known throughout the North
west IS working quietly but persistent
ny upon a scheme to take 100 900 men
to Cuba and land them there on the
Fourth OF July He says he is backed
by syndicate Of Americans who have
large land interests in the islands, and
claims these Americans are anxious to
cut up their large holdings and dispose
of small plantations to able bodied
men. They cash down. and. all the
money the intended purchaser needs is
enough TO pay his expenses to Cuba,
which. as Patterson says. will be NOM
snal. He says there will be enough
steamers at New Orleans on July 4th
to carry the 100000 excursionists TO
Havana and other ports on the island
where they can land
The company guarantees protection
from Spanish interference from New
Orleans to Cuba. and when the men
arrive they will be such a formida BILE
body that Spain win not dare 10 inter-
fere with the peaceful pursuits the inn
migrants intend to pursue. If an at
tempt should be made 10 interfere, the