The Republican journal., 1898-05-12
The Future Capital of the Cuban Re-
public.

Matanzas De San Carlos San Seyerino. A
visit to the Ancient Forts which our Guns
Demolished.
Especial Correspondence of The Journal
May 3, 1898. The old city of Matanzas-
with tour centuries behind it and a vet more
orliilant history ahead-has long been called
"a nest of rebellion" by Spanish officials and
1.-THE birth place of patriotism by the patri
OTIS themselves 1t is Cuba's second citv in
population, wealth and commercial impor-
tance-perhaps first in beauty and healthful-
ness, and it is destined to become of greater
interest in the near future as the capital of
the Cuban Republic. Its population, of about
$1,000 IN time of peace, was largely made up
of the descendants of titled grandees from
Old CASTLE; yet its sudden decline to half
those figures was due to the fact that thou
sands OF its best citizens, including profess
slonal men, merchants and sons of wealthy
families, went to join the Insurgent army
The Vice President of the embryo republic
and his Secretary of State-Senors Mendez
de Capote and Moreno de la Torre-were
both born in Matanzas; also the Guiteras
brothers, Jose NJ Galvoz, Alberto Ortez,
and many other prominent revolutionists
Gomez forces are already at the door of
their new capital, so to speak, being en-
camped within the province,-prepared
soon as our troops are landed, To establish
headquarters here and transfer their seat of
government from Cubitas. They might
have done so long ago, had the times been
ripe for holding the easy conquest. OF
course Matanzas can be more readily taken
than Havana, and what is equally to the
purpose, will be retained with less difficulty,
in spite of any force which Spain may bring
by land OF sea. Havana will doubtless be the
ultimate capital of the reconstructed coun-
try, on account of its superior natural adj
vantages, larger harbor and handsome public
buildings-but not for years to come. A long
time Will be needed to make it habitable ac-
cording to modern ideas, after this cruel war
is over Think OF the hundreds of thousands
who have died in it during the last three
years, of starvation and disease, in the TEEN
ing hospitals and prisons at Los Fossos-to
say nothing of the numbers killed in battle ;
graves, from which they are speedily evicted
to the charnel yard. Think of the absence
of sewerage and other sanitary regulations
in populous city amid all these horrors,
and the eternal presence of smallpox and
yellow-fever; and you cease to wonder why
the broad bay washing its shores so reeks
with impurities that no fish can live il it. If
ever thorough 'house-cleaning'' was re-
quired, after 400 years of neglect and no
scavengers but the carrion birds, it is in Hs.-
vana
Meanwhile MatanZas, 90 miles to the east
ward, on another broad and beautiful bay,
will do we'll for temporary capital as Phil
adelpha served us before Washington was
ready. Its shallow harbor is sheltered with
in an amphitaatre of hills, and may be strong
lv fortitied--if Uncle Samuel will furnish
his ward the money. At present It has only
the old Castle of San Severino and another
stone walled fort of equally ancient date, at
the entrance of the harbor, several miles
from the city, and the remains Of the new
earthworks which our guns destroyed the
other day. By the way, the report of Cap
tain General Blanco TO his government, con-
corning 1.-The bombardment of Matanzas, -
a fair sample of Spanish bombast Both
the forts and the earthworks are 40 far frorn
the city that the latter was in no danger, and
not single shell struck within three miles
of it.
Late last March l spent several days in
Matanzas,-a guest in the palace Of Senior
Don de Armos, the new Autonomist COVER
nor of the province. This gave me a fine
inside view of things in the city which will
presently figure in our news columns as the
seat of the Cuban Republic. The so-called
"palace,' on the Plaza d Armas, is a. very
large two-storied, flat-roofed casa of stone.
stucco and adobe, faced by covered arch
ways, or ''portales," as they are called.
According to Spanish custom, the ground
noor is given up to offices, store rooms,
quarters for soldiers and police, stab les
kitchens, etc, while the upper story IS the
official residence of the rulers of Cuba's
richest province. A wide flight of stone
steps, worn into deep hollows by the pass
ing feet of 800 years, leads to enormous
rooms, each like a town-hall. In the vast,
echoing saas, with their marble fl DOTS and
long lines of crystal chandeliers, m ore fortu-
nate governors than the present encumbent
have given splendid receptions to the beauty
and chivalry of Matanzas. The state dining
room, where ceremonious banquets of many
courses solemnly partaken, is so big that
telephone service between host and guests
would be an Improvement In the great
sleeping apartments, the high posted brass
bedsteads, with crowns atop-brought from
Barcelona generations ago, all canopied
curtained, be-ribboned and be-ruffled in the
gorgeous style of the mother country-are
set exactly in the center of the bare expanse
of marble flooring, and look like an oasis
in the DESERT speck in the ocean. In
truth, the most attractive part of this
medieval palace is outside of it - in
views from its balconies. On one side
of the casa you have an Incompatible
picture of the beautiful bay blue as the