Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-18

X
Others have described their condition far
oe''ei than l can. IL is not within the
"o,oW units of my vocabulary 10 Ge-
oCripe H. But not few cases of starva-
u"n ana suffering had Inspired and sim
S'",'u the press correspondents and they
hap gwen free play TO strong. natural
ana highly-cultivated Imagination.
l nave seen leafet published by the
poaId OF Missions showing cuts of cases
~ ~ tne hospitals, and took IL with me
SIinhihS these were sUeciai cases. But
ttoill my own observations later, | found
me cases were not uncommon. Within q
lew months past from actual starvation
ollV diseases caused by insufficient ana
improper food, large numbers have died
MY Inquiries were made of our nnedi-
C',i or1cers, OF our consuls, of city alclades
NNd!orsl, OF relief committees. and
VI ieadlng merchants and bankers
ihysicians, and lawyers Several of my
nlofmants were Spanish-born. but every
ume the answer was that the case had
not been overstated.
General Blanco's order OF November
18th last, somewhat modifes the Weyler
order, but is of little practical benefit
It's application Is limited to farms. pro-
perry defended and the owners are
Obliged to build centres OF defence It's
N-NNN "'''H ~ N'ulHltltlN III the ulScTetfOn
OF the local military authorities. and they
know the terrible military efficiency Of
Neyler's order In stripping the country
OF all possible shelter. food. or source Of
information for the insurgents. In fact,
though the order vas issued four months
ago. | saw no beneficent results from il
worth mentioning"
THE CUBAN POPULATION.
Speaking Of the Cuban population. the
Senator said: There are. or were be-
fore the war, about 600 eco Cubans on the
island, 100000 Spaniards (Which means
those born in SPAIN, and less than half
million of negroes and persons of mixed
blood. The percentage of cOlored to
white has been steadily diminishing for
more than fifty years, and is not now over
p per cent. of the total In fact the
number Of colored people has been ac-
tually diminishing for nearly that time.
'One thing that was new to me was 10
learn the superiority of the well-to-do
Cuban over the Spaniard. i'm the matter
of education Among those in good cir
cumstances, there can be no doubt that
the Cuban is far superior in this respect.
1T is said that there are about 6J,OOJ
Spanish soldiers now in Cuba. fit for duty
cut Of over 100000 that have been sent
there. The rest have died, been sent
hCme sick. are in the hospitals; and some
have been killed. Notwithstanding the offl-
cial reports.
THE INSURGENT STRENGTH.
Having called on Governor and Cap
tain-General Blanco, and received MS
courteous call i'm return, | could not with
piOpriety seek communication with the
Insurgents. ] had plenty Of offers OF sdIe
conduct TO GOmez's camp, ana was told
that if ] would write him, an answer
would be returned safely within ten days
at most. | saw several who had visited
the insurgent camps, and was sought out
by an !nsurgent field officer, who gave me
the bast information received as 10 lhe
insurgent force. His statements were
moderate. and | was crediby informed
that he was entirely reliable. He claim
el that the Cubans had about 10000 men
now I'm the field. some in every province,
but mostly in the two eastern provinces
and eastern Santa Clara, and this state
rent was corroborated from other good
sources.
'Thev have a force all the time in Ha-
hama province itself organized as four
small brigades. and operating in small
bodies. Ruiz was taken, tried, and shot
within about "A mile and half of the
railroad. and about fifteen miles out OF
Habana, on the road TO Matanzas, "a ROAD
more travelled than any other.
"Aranguren was killed about three
miles the other side of the road, and
about the same distance fifteen or twen-
ty miles from Habana.
sThe insurgents are well armed, but
very poorly supplied with ammunition
They are not allowed to carry many
cartridges: sometimes not more than one
or two The infantry, especially, are
poorly clad"
AUTONOMY.
Senator Proctor said the army and
Spanish citizens do not want autonomy
for that meant government by the Cuban
people AS for the Cubans, they say
that the offer of it comes too late. If
1t succeeds it can only be by armed
force.
81 could not but conclude" said the
speaker, that you do not have TO scratch
an Autonomist very deep to find Cuban.
There is soon TO be an election, but every
polnng-place must be inside a fortihed
town.
Il have endeavored to state in not
intenperate mood what | saw and heard,
and to make no argument thereon, but
leave every one to draw his own conclu-
sions. 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, terrible as are
both of these Incidents. but the spectacle
of a million and a half Of people, the
entire native population Of Cuba, strug-
cling fer freedom and deliyerance from
tho worst misgoverned land of which
ever had knowledge. The fear that II
free the people of Cuba would be revo-
lufionarv is not so well founded as Eas
neon supposed and the conditions for
good self-goveTnment are far more taNor-
able. .,,.. H..
"Rut II is not my purpose at this time,
nor do l consider ii my province 10 suS-
gest any plan. / merely speak OF the
symptoms as / saw them, but do not
undertake to prescribe such remeulal
steps as may be required. This may
safely be left to an American president
and the American people.
NATIONAL QUARANTINE.
At the conclusion Of Mr.. Proctor's
statement, Mr.. Mallory, of Florida, de-
liyered an extended speech in opposition
10 the national quarantine bill. lie
held strongly that the National Govern
ment ought not TO trench upon the limits
of the Constitution by invading the rights
of the States TO establish their own
quarantine regulations He advocated
the national maritime
quarantine.
Mr.. Bacon, of Georgia, maintained that
he matter of quarantine was not sec
tional question, all parts Of the United
states being liable 10 epidemicS.
81 favor" said he, "all the aid the gov
,,.rrnent can give in the prevention OF