The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-05-19
Advises Them to Accept United
States Proposition.
RETURN TO THEIR HOMES
AND THUS GIVE PROOF OF
THEIR HEkoISM.
Says the Amount rendered Was Not
as Large as He Thought It Should
Be, But More Cannot Be Secured
Will Continue to Declare For
Independence.

Havana, May lS.-Ine expected HAL
ifesto of General Maxine Gomez was
/ issued this evening. 1t reviews his part
in the negotiations with General Brooke
and speaks his love for Cuba and his
sufferings in her behalf in the past.
General Gomez says:
THE hour has now arrived for me to
! raise my voice in justification of my
| course, and to describe the arduous
! work l have done since my first visit
| to General Brooke. l protested TO him
| against the sum offered by the United
States as il sufficient to accomplish the
intended end. While awaiting an an
swer to my protest l sought solu-
| ton of the question. General Brooke,
representing the chief magistrate of the
| United States, announced his inability
| to add to the sum already settled upon.
Spectators then attempted to inter-
vene, offering suggestions which We're
refused by me. They represented
proposition to the military assembly
but the scheme was frustrated by Pres
ident McKinley's refusal to recognize
that body. 1 deemed the formation of
a militia practical solution, and Gen
eral Brooke, who approved the idea,
asked me for summary of my views
on the subject. To this l replied that
10000 men were all it would be pos
SIDE TO get IrOIl Tie SuDdA
army without distinction as to race.
My answer was sent to President Nc
kinley, together with a personal let
ter, giving explicit reasons why such
course was necessary.
Conferred With Brooke.
"I had many conferences with Cen
eral Brooke in my endeavors to discover
such a plan of payment as would not
exclude the men who had never car
ried arms. General Brooke insisted
upon the surrender of arms before the
receipt OF money, and l also desired
that such arms as had already been
surrendered and such as should be sur
rendered hereafter might be delivered
to warehouses, in the care of Cuban
armorers, to be paid out of the Cuban
treasury. l do not think it a disgrace
that the Cuban soldiers should receive
from a government, which is able to
pay, sums which would relieve their
immediate needs. Special certificates
will be given to all, redeemable by the
Cuban republic, as soon as it is estab-
lished.
Il am convinced that it is compatible
with peace to have an army with arms
reserved to defend Cuba against her
enemies, and in the meantime to guard
as relics of meritorious struggle. In
my judgment. whether the arms We're
ulSpOSeu Oh 10 the 10
the armorers, it would be all the same
under the intervening government. The
Cuban commissioners. however. refused
to agree with General Brooke, and the
Americans declined to fix dates and
places where the Cuban soldiers could
deliver up arms and receive payment
from the American paymasters after
Identification by their respective
Chiefs
After further praise of General
Brooke's consideration and a declara-
ton of his own desire to correct an
error existing in Cuba with respect to
the United States, he goes on to say:
Advised to Accept.
Il did not act alone, as seems to be
popularity believed. but always con-
suited with our officers. My advice to
you now is to return to your homes
with the amounts offered by the inter-
vening government. and to work in
patience, which will be practical
proof of your heroism. In this way we
shall reconstruct most rapidly the
homes consecrated by the blood of
martyrs, blood poured out in behalf of
a purpose now attained, and thus begin
this circle of liberty with the grandest
prospects. preceded by the heralds of
future prosperity and peace.
This work is your portion. Let no
pIeltNt interfere Win the attainment
of the independent government for
which three generations of Cubans
have struggled with all sacrifice, and
which is now promised by a noble ma
ton, pledged 10 obtain for us our
rights.
Meanwhile, / shall remain, where I
am generously invited. among the Gu
! bans. l shall work without cessation
for our aspirations. and in a narrow
sphere assigned me, if necessary. And
if Il happens that all logical and just
methods shall be exhausted without
the desired result, / will go to Wash
ington and there tell of Cuba and her
sacred ideals of an independent repub-
lie, and will arbitrate the destiny of
our country. baptized with blood and
sanctified with our love of indepen-
dence and liberty, which we will never
cease demanding in tones of subtlest
diplomacy, for the sake of the nation
that is to be in the near future. al
ways asking that independence and lib
erty, which we covet. in the name of
right. civilization, justice and democ-
racy.