The Jamesburg record., 1899-09-09
GOMEZ'S LATEST ROLE.
He Says American Intervention
Has Produced Favorable
Results in Cuba.

1t, as certain critics contend, the
writing of pronunciamentos is held
IN Spanish-speaking countries to be
one of the most essential of military
accomplishments, Maximo Gomez
must take exceptional rank among
the generals who, in recent years,
have made war according to Spanish
and Spanish-American standards.
Not that any one who has followed
General Gomez's career will be dis
posed to undervalue the harder
qualities of leadership which he has
shown in actual campaigning or to
ignore the genuine military ability
which hedisplay ed in conducting two
prolonged and exhausting Cuban in
surrections. 1t would be equally
ungracious and unjust to class the
general in chief of the disbanded
Cuban Army with the mere amateurs
at war who pose in so many Central
and South American republics as the
promoters or tranquilizers of revolu-
ton. General Gomez has earned his
1aurels with the sword. But that is
no reason why he should not also
show his true quality with the other
potent weapon of Spanish military
tradition, the pen.
Since entering Havana last Feb
ruary, with the insurgent forces,
General Gomez has employed some
of his leisure moments in preparing
a series of manifestoes which have
opened the eyes of many of his for
mer critics by their admirable breadth,
calmness and disinterestedness of
view. In the guise of familiarletters
to his wife and son in Santo Domin-
go, or of more formal deliverances to
associates in the army or to the troops
themselves, he has discussed the prob
lens of the American occupation
with a clearness and sanity which
have been approached by no other
leader, and which have been con-
spicious only by their absence in most
of the recognized organs of Cuban
opinion. Whether rebuking the
shallow and self-seeking politicians
of the Military Assembly, adjuring
the insurgent troops to disband and
resume their peaceful occupations, or
appealing to the public to let time
and patience help to solve the diff
culties of their present situation,
General Gomez has proved both
| fo- eaa;po ~or,pco110r +o The N,.Lo
people and loyal observer of all the
obligations of friendship due the
United States.
In his latest public address-an
open letter to his son-the ex-leader
Of the Cuban revolution emphasizes
the fact that the American interven-
ton has produced so far all the favor
able results which might reasonably
have been expected from it. cit is
absolutely false, he asserts, "that
great differences exist between the
Cubans and Spaniards, between the
Cubans and Americans, or among the
Cubans themselves. On the contrary,
! all is going well. More could not
have been done in so short a time.
An impatient populace does not real
ize that it is not the work of a day to
organize society. The turbulence of
high-strung minds must have time to
abate in a people thirsting for liberty.
The intervening Power will fulfill the
obligations it has incurred, and the
Cuban people, heroic and sensible,
will take the situation calmly, work
ing and waiting for the independence
which the future will surely bring.
AS to the suggestion that the inter
vening Power contemplates robbing
Cubans of their own, do not believe
it. Such a rumor is ca1umny
against an honorable people. y
These sensible and courageous
utterances offer an agreeable contrast
to what often passes for Cuban senti-
ment in the cafes of Havana. Gen
era1 Gomez has apparently no patience
or sympathy with that frothy criticism
of American methods and motives in
Cuba, behind which the self seeking
native politician is prone to hide his
impatience for Office Having put
aside his sword, the veteran cam
paigner still finds equally important
and useful work to do with his pen;
it is gratifying to note that which
ever weapon from the arsenal of the
traditional Spanish general he uses,
he strikes with equal vigor and