Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1852-12-22
Indiana State Sentinel.
Cuba.

There lies opposite the entrance of
the Gulf of Mexico, an Island stretch
ing from south least to north !
through a space of nearly 700 miles,
varying in breadth from 70 to 1870
miles, and containing an area oil
about $4,000 square miles. A ridge |
of mountains runs through it, entire
length and divides into two nearly |
equal parts. From these mountains
numerous rivers descend, and more
than one hundred are said to pour
their chrystal floods over its plains
into the sea. IT. soil is fertile to the
last degree, while its mineral wealth
Is almost exhaustless. Within its
limits salt may be manufactured sui-
ticent for the wants Of the world.---
There, all that we are won't to attach
to tropic cline as beautltulor valu-
able, have been layished with an I'M
sparing hand. As though nature
had determined to dover this Island
with all the most enhancing gifts
in he. store house, she has bestow-
ci upon it all that may crafty
! the palate or minister to the wants
of man, while she has adorned
1nsith all that is most beautiful In
Dand in Vegetation. There,
comes close in the foot
:s Ill Slmmer that never dies.
i Here, Oriental verdure and troPic
Ybloon smile perennially under the
rays Of southern sun. There
"Stl-lge bright birds on their golden wings
Bear the rich hues of all glorious things
and the animal, with the vegetable
kingdom, partakes the lulncss of a
glorious life. That Island is Cuba.
We read that of the old wiles oithc
serpant made Eaden desolate, and
to the shame of the new world be it
spoken, the slime Of an equally ac-
cursed reptile is upon the soil OF
Cuba. The air Of her mountains Is
pure but is not free: the breath Of her
citron- groves is laden with the faint
OF despoisn--- the hiss Of the serpents
is hearl amid her orange bowers
the Queen of the Antilles is in chains;
nor has she since the dawn of her
civilization known one hour Of Free
dom. For three centuries and more
she has worn the letters of Spain.
The footsteps of the Spaniard are
heard no more on his once broad
North American domain----South
America cast off his sovereignty long
ago---Cuba said her sister Islands
nre all that is left of that magni
ticient empire, which he purchased
with rivers of blood and long years
Of untold barbarity. As possessions
after possessions have glided from his
sway, his tyrant grasp has frightened
\ more and more upon unhappy Cuba.
md he to-day holds her with a more
han miser clutch. And well he
pay, for through ages Of oppression,
has reapod from her harvest Of
Counted wealth.
But the hour Of her liberation is at
)hand--- the dawn of the morning of
/ Freedom brightens in the horizon of
Cuba. The death knell of the hoary
despotism which has so long crushed
her energies and dwarleI her prog.
ress has been sounded. That glo
rious nission---to work out her re-
demption and regeneration is ours.
1t isours by position, ours from the
very nature of our institutions, ours
by destiny. 1t is not so much that
we have need OF Cuba, as that Cuba
has need Of us. How her rcGemp-
ton is to be worked out, it matters
not to indicate---let us hope it may
be peaceful. Those mole-eyed poll
ticians who contend that we have
territory enough, may as well make
up their minds to it soon as Late
DG52 wN be ours, and that at no dis
lent day. God grant we be not cal
I'd upon to be her avengers, or terri
tie &ll be her retribulon.
luTrsvgLLE, Nov. 26lh, 1872.
}. b. L.