Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-06-07
CUBAN PATRIOT UTTERs WORDS OF
WISDOM.
PLEA FOR PATIENCE AND PEACE
PEOPLE MUST DEVOTE THEMSELVES
TO PACIFIC LABORs.
Soldiers No Longer Needed, but Men
for the Maintenance of Order, So
That the Boon of Se1f-Gov-
ernment VIII Soon Be
Forthcoming.

HAVANA, June -6-MaXimo Gomez, the
former commander-in-chief of the Cuban
army, issued his farewell manifesto to-
day. In substance it says:
THE mission l have been intrusted with
is nearly concluded. / have attempted to
find solution of questions concerning the
army which 1 commanded during the blood
lest war known in America. / am now
leaving, regretfully, to attend to necessary
private business.
"a parting word to the people for whom
have sacrificed thirty years of my life,
and to my friends in the army just dis
banded, which action should have been
taken instantly after the removal of the
bloody weight of Spain's merciless regime:
We armed ourselves, and therefore we no
longer want soldiers, but men for the
maintenance of peace and order, which are
the basis of Cubas future welfare.
1T is necessary to understand that the
nation in this epoch, an epoch most diff
cult and unequaled in history, should
avail itself of the opportunity to show it
possesses virtues in spite of the vices
caused by colonial government and the
harshness of warlike life. We wanted
and depended upon foreign Intervention to
terminate the war.
This occurred at the most terrible mo-
ment of our contest, and resulted in Spains
defeat. But none of us thought this eX-
traordinary event would be followed by a
military occupation of the country by our
allies who treat us a people incapable
of acting for ourselves and who have re.
duced us to obedience, to submission and
to the tutelage imposed by force of cir
cumstances. This cannot be our ultimate
fate after the years of struggle and we
should aid by every peaceful method in
finishing the work of organizing. which the
Americans accepted in the protocol and
which is as disagreable for them as for
| ourselves. This aid will prove useless with
| out concord among all the islanders. There
| fore, it is necessary to forget past dis.
| agreements, to completely unite all ele.
ments and to organize a political party
which is needed in any country.
1T is always said that countries have
| the government which they merit and Gu
| ba will have that which her heroism en-.
titled her to-, To-day, she can only, have
obtaining the aspiratio of years.
| we must devote ourselves to pacific la
bors; gain the respect of the world and
| show that though our war was honorable
our peace must be more so.
| we must make useless by our behavior
the presence of strange power in the
| complete the honorable mission they have
been compelled to assume by force of cir
| cumStanceS
This work was not sought by those rich
| Northerners, owners of a continent l think
doubts and suspicious are unjust We must
| form Immediately committee or a club
| to be a nucleus of government. This will
serve Cuban interests purely and act as
| an aid to the intervenors
| Il, one of the first CubanS, although
| one of our last old soldiers and not far
| from the grave, without passion ambi-
| ton, call on you with the sincerity of a
| father and urge a cessation of the super
| fiuous discussions and the creations of par
| ties of all kinds, which disturb the coun-
| try and tend to cause anarchy.
| In this country there should not be one
| man whom we consider a stranger. To-day
we no longer have Autonomists or Conserv-
| atists, but only CubanS.
| My mission having ended, will absent
| myself temporarily to embrace my family.
| but l will return shortly to Cuba, which
| love as much as my own land.
| My last words for my soldiers are that,
| as always, where my tent is the Cubans
| have a friend"