Friday Dec 31^st 1897

 

Well I dont know that I have much to write about my dear Nell but I thought I would get a few lines off to you tomorrow. I am writing in my room between coffee & breakfast hours for as you know I do not leave the hotel until after breakfast, about half past eleven, doing much of my public work here where I can be free of interruption, for as soon as I go down to the office I am besieged. You know I had charge of the 50,000 dollar Congressional Relief Fund about 30,000 of which has already been expended in aid of destitute Americans & now I have to receive distribute &c. everything that will come here from Shermans [sic] recent proclamation to the reconcentrados, so my hands are very very full. I need a stenographer dreadfully. My mail is too large outside of official matters. Everyone who wants to anything about [?] war or this war or anything else writes me & my desk is filled up with letters. Tosca is the only one who can help me much & he is busy generally with the official mail & now there is no one left but old Sanchez Doltz a good man but old & as deaf as post & Drane who has the shipping matters to attend to. Springer is still on leave & Mr. Rockwell. the latter will not come back & I am glad of it. he was gentlemanly & nice but a source of trouble to me more or less all the time. Inquire how Jack Pleasant is doing now & what & how is behaving himself? In many respects he was the most satisfactory man I ever had. Of course if I could a stenographer who understood Spanish too, it would be that much better, but that seems impossible.

Blanco Congosto & Co are going to try & ram autonomy down the throats of these people, being sent here for that purpose & Sagasta being called to the head of the Spanish ministry for that purpose, there is nothing left but for them to try it. It is the last card to play in the Spanish pack but will not prove a trump card. Excepting the authorities before mentioned & some who want to hold the autonomistic offices I do not find anybody else who believes in or wants it. The Cubans in arms for whose benefit it was framed will not accept it, but shunt any man who comes to talk about it. the great mass of the Spaniards dont want because genuine autonomy means Cuban rule in local matters, the Cubans having a majority of the votes, but would rather than have such an autonomy, as in annexation to the U.S., they would like to go back to the Weyler policy & exterminate the Cubans by murder & starvation, but the U.S. would not permit any return to Weylerism & the civilized world would be shocked. Already over 200,000 old men women & children of the rural population have died from starvation as a result of Weylers orders. In meantime the American fleet of war vessels are gathering around at Key West, Dry Tortugas Port au Prince to stay to just east of this Island & when autonomy goes up they will be on hand for the next step, viz. ambition between Spain and the U.S. Of course if the Spaniards were like any other people, they would see that the Island is lost & get what money—say 3 or 4 hundred millions first & an assumption on the part of Cuba guaranteed by the U.S. of their debt (Cuban) in part. From the sale of the Island & the clearance of said debt they could come out pretty well financially, but should they declare war, they will lose everything & be held responsible by their foreign bondholders for every cent of the 500 000 000 dollars they owe. Now I have written all this that you may talk intelligently of the situation as you will doubtless have many inquiries on the subject, but do not quote me but let it go as the summing up of your great mind.

 

Tonight I am invited to go to [?] at 11 P.M. to see the old year out but I do not think I will go. it involves eating a midnight supper &c. Tomorrow night the 1^st Jan 1898 I dine with Mrs Dalgado. I met her on the street the other day & we went around with her maid to chaperone us, to some of the stores to look in &c. I saw some beautiful china and silver [?] tea sets, & lots of pretty silver. the latter can be bought for one dollar an ounce—Spanish or silver money—or say less than 80 cts an ounce in our money (workmanship thrown in) Ask some jeweler what silver is worth an ounce as nuggets. There was no key to Ellie's watch but I doubt if it would keep good time. Some jeweler could tell her & then if necessary she could get a key. It is very old. Have you ever claimed the Confederate things? I think that parole is still at the soldiers home, though I gave Mrs M^cGuire an order for it. it had better be looked into or we mit never get it. It could be put in the hall somewhere on a wooden support & my battle flag too ought to be hung "on the outer wall" & the rug ought to be painted & put in front & all that—

 

            Jan 1^st 1898!

                        Just returned from the palace, whereby in due time I witnessed the swearing in of the autonomistic ministers who are to put autonomy in force!!

 

A perfect farce!

 

Your letter written Xmas Eve just at hand. Thank you for it.

 

Am so glad you like the present.

                                                F. [?]

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