Congress will have the right, subject to certain restrictions imposed by the home Government, to fix the tariff duties.
The mayor and all the city officials will be elected by the people, and while the Spanish Government keeps to itself the right to the final voice in all decisions, the prospect offered the Cubans seems fair home rule.
Porto Rico, another Spanish possession in the West Indies, is to enjoy the same privileges as Cuba.
The insurgents, however, will have none of this.
Both Gomez and Garcia have published proclamations, so severe in tone, that there can be no doubt that the insurgent leaders are sincere in their declaration that they will have nothing from Spain but independence.
Here is Gomez's proclamation:
"Headquarters of the General-in-Chief of the }
Cuban Army, Sancti-Spiritus, November 15th, }
1897, Third Year of the Independence. }
"The news I have received of the establishment of autonomy in Cuba by the Spanish Government compels me to remind the military and civil leaders of the revolution once more that our only aim is independence. Therefore,
"Article 1.—Any military commander of the Cuban army accepting proposals of autonomy from the Spanish Government, or even conferring with Spanish envoys for any arrangement of peace, shall be immediately put under arrest, summarily court-martialled, and, if declared guilty of such acts, sentenced to death as a traitor to his flag.
"Article 2.—Any envoy from the Spanish Government, or from any Spanish or military commander, or from any political party favoring the Spanish dominion in Cuba, who shall approach our lines and confer or try to confer with any military or civil representative of the republic of Cuba, and propose to him the acceptance of autonomy from Spain, shall be immediately put under arrest, summarily court-martialled as a spy, and, if declared guilty, hanged according to our military laws.