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ENRIQUE DUPUY DE LOME
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. . . The situation here continues unchanged. Everything
depends on the political and military success in Cuba. The prologue of this
second method of warfare will end the day that the Colonial Cabinet shall be
appointed , and it relieves us in the eyes of this country of a part of the
responsibility for what happens there, and they must cast the
responsibility upon the Cubans, whom they believe to be so immaculate.
Until then we will not be able to see clearly, and
I consider it to be a loss of time and an advance by the wrong road - the
sending of emissaries to the rebel field, the negotiations with the
Autonomists not yet declared to be legally constituted, and the discovery of
the intentions and purpose of this government. The exiles will return one by
one, and when they return, will come walking into the sheepfold, and the
chiefs will gradually return. Neither of these had the courage to leave en
masse, and they will not have the courage thus to return.
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The message has undeceived the insurgents who expected
something else, and has paralyzed the action of Congress, but I consider
it bad.
Besides the natural and inevitable coarseness with
which he repeats all that the press and public opinion of Spain has said of
Weyler, it shows once more what McKinley is: weak and
catering to the rabble, and, besides, a low politician, who desires to leave a
door open to me and to stand well with the jingoes of his party.
Nevertheless, as a matter of fact, it will only depend
on ourselves whether he proves bad and adverse to us. I agree entirely
with you; without a military success nothing will be accomplished there, and
without military and political success, there is here always danger that
the insurgents will be encouraged, if not by the government, at least by part of
the public opinion.
I do not believe you pay enough attention to the role
of England. Nearly all that newspaper canaille which swarms in your hotel
are English, and at the same time are correspondents of the Journal, they
are also correspondents of the best newspapers and reviews of England. Thus it has been since the beginning. To my mind the only object of England is
that the Americans should occupy themselves with us and leave her in
peace, and if there is a war, so much the better; that would further remove
what is threatening her - although that will never happen.
It would be most important that you should agitate the
question of commercial relations, even though it would be only for
effect, and that you should send here a man of importance in order that I
might use him to make a propaganda among the senators and others in
opposition to the Junta and win over exiles.
There goes Amblard. I believe he comes deeply taken up
with little political matters, and there must be something very great or
we shall lose.
Adela returns your salutations, and we wish you in the
new year to be a messenger of peace and take this New Year's present to
poor Spain.
Always you attentive friend and servant, who kisses
your hands.
ENRIQUE
DUPUY DE LOME