paring and calculating on a war much
easier for them to wage against the United States than against
Spain, as the United States is not expected to be so barbarous in
the treatment of their remaining women and children; and such people
can reasonably calculate on help from sympathizers, adventurers,
etc., of other countries, especially South American, and people of
kindred races and instincts. The cry of freedom and liberty is
always seductive and brings friends.

"The Cuban people now being recognized here, with rare exceptions,
had nothing to do with maintaining the insurrection, but remained
within the cities and lines of the Spanish army, pretending to be
loyal to Spain, if they were not so in fact. They were too cowardly
to fight, and too avaricious to render material aid to those in
the field. All such are under the ban of suspicion in the eyes of
the real Cuban insurgents, no matter what their pretensions may
be. Any government organized with such persons at the head will,
sooner or later, be overthrown in blood, if not otherwise. The
Cubans, like other people, desire offices, and the war-patriots of
Cuba are no exceptions, and will fight for power, and when the test
comes the mass of Cubans in and out of the cities will be with the
real insurgent leaders. Already the latter are resolving not to
take office until they are recognized and given a full share of
power.

"Ignoring such people now is easy; later they will defy our country
and be its eternal enemies, with the civilized world in sympathy
with them. The Spaniards, other foreigners, and home-staying Cuban
politicians are the people who now get a hearing, but wait and
listen for what is to come! Our people will appear to the real
Cubans as their despoilers and oppressors, instead of liberators.

"I am in favor of annexation, and the sooner the better, but the
Cuban patriots must first form a government, provisional or otherwise,
and consent to annexation. This at first would have been easy,
even now possible, to be brought about, but we are fast drifting
away from annexation or a peaceful solution of the great and
scandalous Cuban problem confronting us.

"The Cuban people are not to be despised; they are a mixed race it
is true, but they have talked of and fought for freedom too many
years not to know something of the sweet fruits of individual
liberty. They are polite and affable, but yet suspicious, as all
people are who have been oppresse