o strongly, that the
Prime Minister cabled a message assuring him of his confidence in him, and
the matter was allowed to drop.

At the time of these accusations Weyler assured the Government that he had
160,000 men in his army.

When the Carlist and Philippine troubles began to be serious, the Spanish
Government decided to take 20,000 men from Cuba, and send them on to the
Philippines, at the same time issuing a call to the loyal Spaniards in
Cuba to take up arms and fill the places of the men drafted to the other
war.

The plan was a good one, and would have worked well enough, if Weyler had
spoken the truth about the number of men under his command.

The fact was that his statement was altogether false.

His force in Cuba consisted of but 100,000 men. The other 60,000 had
either been killed by the Cubans, or were lying sick in hospitals.

Weyler had no 20,000 men to spare, but he did not dare tell the truth lest
the facts of his knavery might come out.

He made up his mind to send the troops, and then if things went wrong in
Cuba, to declare that the withdrawal of the soldiers had paralyzed him,
and cost him Cuba.

Some one, however, sent word to Senor Canovas of the true state of
affairs, and some very plain messages have been passing between Spain and
Cuba.

The men are to go anyhow; but with only a force of 80,000 men left behind,
Spain has little hope of pacifying Cuba.

The insurgents have, or will have when the Spanish troops are sent away,
as many men at their command as the Spaniards have, and they feel very
confident of success, because the men under them are well fed, healthy,
and hopeful, while the poor Spanish soldiers are hungry, sick, and
despairing.

[Illustration: GEN. WEYLER and COL. FONDEVIELLA, Gen. Weyler's Chief
Assistant.]

It seems as if the Cubans have now a better chance of winning their
freedom than they have ever had, and if they fail, it will be their own
fault.

A pleasant piece of news in connection with all the rest, is that the
infamous Fondeviella has been removed from the command in Guanabacoa. His
resignation has been asked for from Madrid, and another officer has been
appointed in his place.

Fondeviella is the bloodthirsty Spanish soldier who, while acting as Mayor
of Guanabacoa, caused the murder of so many innocent persons, Dr. Ruiz
among the number.

This savage man is declared to have said that for every account of Spanish
cruelty published in American new