It is said that Don Carlos sent a very unkind reply to the Queen, and said that he should come forward just as soon as he felt that the country needed him.
It is stated that he believes that war with the United States cannot be avoided, and that he intends to wait till war is declared, and then offer to save Spain if he is made king.
His friends are all gathering at Lucerne to hold the council of which we spoke last week. The unhappy Queen Christine is waiting with much anxiety to learn what they decide to do.
In Cuba, the insurgents continue to be victorious. The Spaniards are being driven out of the inland towns, and their real strength is now only on the seaboard.
Several unsuccessful attempts have been made by the Spaniards to recapture Victoria de las Tunas, and to break the power of the insurgents in Santiago de Cuba. The Cubans have, however, gained victory after victory, and have at last driven the Spaniards over the trocha, and utterly destroyed the town of Las Tunas. They were not strong enough to fortify and hold it, so they decided to burn it to the ground.
In one of the engagements to recapture the town, General Luque, the Spanish commander, again exchanged prisoners with the Cubans, and in a letter to General Garcia, in reference to the matter, addressed him as the Commander-in-Chief of the Cuban forces in the East. The Cubans have sent this letter on to their representatives in Washington with instructions to bring it to the notice of our Government, to convince them that the Spaniards have really acknowledged the belligerent rights of the Cubans.
The indignation in Spain over the loss of Las Tunas gave rise to such very severe comment on Weyler's bad generalship that he made up his mind to offer his resignation to his Government.
The Prime Minister, General Azcarraga, however, replied to Weyler's message that he had perfect confidence in him and in his ability to bring the war to a speedy close, and would not permit him to resign.