The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-03-22

and the Spanish staff officers OF high
rank and many radical members OF the
autonomy government felt sure that
the proposition, being the best ever Of
fered, and as securing practical inde-
pendence, would be accepted, that the
rebellion would he declared at an end, !
and that, consequently all excuse for
the intervention by the United States
would be ended.
Such views. however, were not held
when this dispatch was sent by those
best acquainted with General Gomez
and his chiefs, nor by the Spanish Gu
ban merchants, bankers, editors or law
yers-the best class in Havana. The
latter We're sure that nothing but the
proposition of Monte Cristo (the grant
ing of an indemnity to Spain, but alb
solute independence for Cuba,) would
ever be considered by General Gomez
or any of his principal followers. In
support of the latter view, it is Off
cially announced that after all the .ef
forts near Manzanillo, only two
privates of Salvador RuiZ's band sur
rendered. 1t is known beside, that
General Pando, in order to advance his
plans for the proposed campaign in
Santiago de Cuba, greatly weakened
all the trochas, taking from them sew
eral thousand men and much artillery.
1t is regarded as certain, in we'll in
formed circles here, that Generals
Gomez and Garcia, after refusing to
confer with General Pando, or if they
do confer, after refusing the terms Of
fered, will take sufficient CATTLE and
provisions from the comparatively well
stocked ranches Immediately west and
then inaugurate a raid upon the prov
inces of Matanzas, Havana and prob
ably Pinar del Rio, appearing near
here within fifteen or eighteen days,
I which is considered possible.
Letters received here from prominent
autonomists in the provinces of Santa
Clara and Puerto Principe have been
shown to this correspondent. The
writers are not favorable to the United
States; they will cling to the theory of
autonomy and class as false the asser-
| tions that the Spanish soldiers are 'tun-
paid and unfed and living in towns,
| while their officers are conspiring
against the autonomist government
| and refuse to take the field, either de-
nying the presence of the insurgents or
| saying let the troops who are in favor
| of autonomy fight it's battles Other
| letters from the same sources insist
| that all the plans laid to secure the
surrender of the insurgents have been
| badly conceived and poorly executed.
| These letters add that only in isolated
instances have any of the insurgents
laid down their arms, and the inSur
gent leader Masso who surrendered, it
| is still further asserted, was prescribed
| by General Gomez and was liable to be
| tried by court martial, while of the 100
insurgents who surrendered with him
| at FOmento more than half were back
with the insurgents within a fortnight.
| The general opinion seems to be that
| the PandO conference will in any event
| be the end of autonomy and the most
sanguine assert that it will make the
| intervention of the United States i'm
perative. Those who have this view
| claim that the intervention OF the
| United States will be necessary to pre-
| vent outrages which will disgrace
| civilization and also protect American
| citizens in Cuba.
| Under the circumstances, news from
| the scene of the conference is awaited
here with the gratest anxiety.
| In spite of official and other denials
| it is believed that serious troubles for
| Spain in Porto Rico are imminent and
it is asserted (though the report can
not be verified at presently that the
Spanish cruiser Vizcaya, when she
| leaves Havana, will go to Porto Rico,
in order to strengthen the hands of the
| government officials there.
| New York March 19.-Special dis
| patches under date of Key West today
| report that General Pando, Of the Span
ish army, has been captured by Cen
| eral Garcia, the inSurgent commander.
| AT the headquarters of the Cuban junta
| in this city nothing had been heard of
the reported capture. There was a dis
position to discredit the story and to
ascribe it's origin to some enthusiastic
but irresponsible person.
| Havana, March 19.-MisS Clara Bar
ton, after calling upon Captain General
Blanco, at his suggestion visited the
heads of the colonial government. The
autonomists treated her with such dis
| tfnguished courtesy that she broached
to them the subject Of the allotmen ent
of lands to poor Cubans, engaging to
furnish their houses from America and
also ito superintend any colonies thus
formed. Miss Barton was told that the
matter would be carefully considered.
After she had left the officials said:
| 'fWe are Spanish, does she think she
can make yankees of us? Her desire
must be to Americanize the Creoles.' %
SPAIN SEEKING FUNDS FROM
HER OFFICERS.
| AT a meeting held at the palace yes
terday of the committee appointed to
secure funds for the Spanish navy
Captain General Blanco was elected
president. He said he would use all OF
! his influence to induce the officials
| military, civil and municipal, to make
monthly contributions to augment the
| naval fund. The function in aid OF
the navy which takes place tonight al
the Tacon theare will, it is believed
realize more than 100000 in gold. Fol
| a single admission to the gallery cigar
manufacturer of Havana paid s., 200
The smallest price for general admis'
| sion lis $40 in gold.
| News of the result of the intervieW
between General Pando and other dele.
| gates and General Calixto Garcia
Senior Masso. president of the Cubar
republic, and other insurgent leader:
is anxiously awaiting here. There i:
| no change in the belief held by the bes
| posted men that all the proposition:
looking to the laying down Of thei1
arms by the insurgents were rejected
There is no doubt that a conference
| was held.
The report circulated here that Gen
eral Pando had been captured by th'