The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-03-18

Well-to-do CuDan, over the SpanlarQ Tn the matter of education. Among those in good circumstances there can be no doubt that the Cubans are far superior in this respect. They have been edu- cated in England, France or in this country, while the Spaniards have only such education as their own country furnishes. The colored people seem to be quite the equal mentally and physi- cally of the race in this country. Phys ically they are by far the larger and stronger race on the island. There is little or no race prejudice.
 The spanish Soldiers.
 It is said that about 6O,O00 Spanish soldiers are fit for duty out of over 200- 900 that have been sent there. The rest have died, been sent home sick, are in hospitals or have been killed. Many of them are very young. They are quiet and obedient and, if well drilled and led, I believe would fight fairly well, but not at all equal to our soldiers. Many persons told me that they had never seen the soldiers drill The Span ish troops live in barracks in the towns and are seldom out for more than a day, returning to town at night. The Dividing Hines.
 | Having called on Captain General | Blanco and received his courteous call in return, I could not seek information | from the insurgents. I was sought out by an insurgent field officer, who gave me the best information received as to the insurgent force. He claimed that the Cubans had about 30000 men now in the field, mostly in the two eastern provinces and eastern Santa Clara. The insurgents were well armed, but poor | ly supplied with ammunition. About one third of the Cuban army are color | ed. This field officer, an American from a southern state, spoke in the highest terms of these colored soldiers.
 The dividing lines between parties in 1 Cuba are the most straight and clear cut that have ever come to my knoWl- edge It is practically the entire Gu | ban population on one side and the | Spanish army and the Spanish citizens on the other. There is no doubt that General Blanco is acting in good faith, | that he desires to give the Cubans @ fair measure of autonomy, but the ar- my and Spanish citizens do not want | genuine aulOuOIlEyJ lOI llle IllGotiS SON- ernment by the Cuban people. I in | quired in regard to autonomy of men of wealth and men as prominent in business as any in the cities of Hava- na, Matanzas and Sagua, bankers, merchants, lawyers and autonom1st of- f1cials, some of them Spanish born, but Cuban bred, one prominent English man. several of them known as auton- omists and several of them telling me they were believers in autonomy if practically, but without exception they replied that it was Ito late'' for that
 Some favored United States pro- tectorate, some annexation, some free Cuba. They were business men and wanted peace, but said it was too late for peace under Spanish sovereignty
 They characterized Weyler's order in far stronger terms than I can. I have l endeavored to state in no intemperate mood what I saw and heard and to make no argument thereon, but leave everyone to draw his own conclusions. To me the strongest appeal is not the
 barbarity practiced by Weyler, nor the
 loss of the Maine, if our worst fears should prove true, but the spectacle of a million and half of people, the en-
 tire native population of Cuba, strug- gling for freedom and deliverance from
 the west misgovernment ever I had
 knowledge. I am not in favor of an-
 nexation because it is not wise policy
 to take in people of foreign tongue
 and training. The fear that if free the
 people of Cuba would be revolutionary | oJI pa,, 1aI I. l.,a
 posed. The large number of educated
 and patriotic men, the peaeeabIe tenn
 perament of the people, the wonderful
 prosperity that would come with peace
 and good home rule, the large influx
 of Americans and English immigration
 and money would all be strong factors
 for stable institutions.
 ] merely speak of the symptoms as
 I saw them, but do not undertake to
 prescribe. Such remedial steps as may
 be required may freely be left to an
 American president and the American
 people.
 Throughout the delivery of the ad-
 dress there was not an interruption With the closest attention every person within hearing listened to the state. ment. At it's conclusion there was nc l demonstration, either on the floor or 1T the galleries, although senators here } and there about the chamber turned one to another with such unusual re. } marks in the senate floor as "a re. markable statement" ia simple Z straightforward statement of a horrible condition of affairs" "a most effective } and convincing statement" "a temper ) ate and timely utterance," and similar r comments.
 l MT. Proctor left the senate chamber soon after he had finished his address but not before he had been heartily congratulated by many of his col