Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-09-08

where reading, writing, and arithmetic could
be taught On the first morning, seven hun
dred children attended We had taken a the
atre for the purpose Of school On the second
Sunday, over two thousand were present; and
on the following day there came a decree of the
governments that Sunday schools were against
good morals; and the school was accordingly
closed, and has never since been opened.
The government of the island is pure mill.
tary despotism, The authority of the captain
general is supreme over life and death. This
authority is delegated dowpthrough subalterns
of every grade, and each underling is supreme
in his petty way. The consequence is an uni
versal system Of public robbery and bribery,
through all ranks of officials. They come over
from Spain with the object alone Of gathering
together few thousands Herewith to return
and they are careless as to how the money
comes. 1t is this state of things that has
brought about, in the minds of the people of
Cuba, an ardent desire for revolution. snsiu
. But three modes for the solution of this great
question are presented. Cuba is to be gained
by either purchase war, or revolution.
The advocates of purchase say Spain will
sell, but they greatly mistake They do not
consider what has been the fixed policy Of
Spain for all time. The cabinets of England
and France will not consent, because Of the
Importance to this country of the possession Of
Cuba as a military station. Its geographical
situation is unrivaled on the face Of the earth
True there is at present change of public men
in Spain. It is called revolution, but it is
only change of administration such as we
have occasionally. The same noise and ex-
element attends both; the same amount Of
gunpowder is burnt, with this difference, theirs
is burnt beforehand, and ours after the victory
by the successful party. Espartero, the new
Minister, is decided aboltionist, and has been
so many years. In 1910 he made a treaty with
England for the abolition of slavery in Cuba, a
treaty which was only suspended, on account
of expostulations from the island, and the GER
tainty it would produce civil war. The friends
of purchase are doomed to wait in expectancy
forever 6|2 ~ et5tt4
But say others "Let us take Cuba by
honest war;" AS far as honesty is concerned,
what difference is there between taking it by
war and by revolution? The most honest and
righteous wars are those in defiance of what
is called Divine Right. The tea party Of Bos-
ton acted in defiance of law, and so did the
rebels when they fred on the British troops at
Lexington. They acted against law and gov
eminent; but they carried that unrighteous
war to a glorious termination. The advocates
of war say: declare an honest war against
Spain, and take the island" But remember
that Mr.. Clayton has said in the United States
Senate, that Calderon de la Barca told him,
that decree emancipating every slave would
follow Immediately any declaration of war.
Place such decree once on the statute-book,
and all the conquests by all the mighty millions
of our republic could not destroy its efficacy.
If government de .facto were once to abolish
ell IF, cd, L..
the negroes slaves. The people Of Cuba do
not ask, do not want, our government to inter-
fere. The friendship of our government, they
think, would be death to them, and they are
right in thinking so.
The people there want freedom, but they
want it legtimately themselves. Freedom
cannot be bought it only has a value when
sacrifices are made to obtain it. They want
the opportunity to leave glorious name, to do
glorious deeds, that their children can refer to.
Cuba finds herself in the situation of the
United States before the revolution. 1t is re-
corded that in 1869, Patrick Henry was asked
by his friends in Virginia, will England pur-
sue her policy, and drive us into war? Must
we fght?" '.'t
Henry said, she will; we must fght.n
But said they, show can we oppose herr
We cannot succeed" y.H
True; but where are France and Spain,
with their old jealousies of England n %
And that was the foundation of the policy
afterwards carried out. Early in the revolution
Franklin and others went abroad, and asked
aid. The revolution languished until it arrived.
Every reader OF American history knows what
acclamations resounded through the land as
the intelligence spread Of the arrival Of the
French feet 1t was almost IKE only hope.
Similar is the position of the people of Cuba
They know that it will be death to them if our
government interferes, but they feel they can
succeed with the individual aid lent them by
sympathizing friends. Long and narrow, the
island of Cuba is at the mercy of the COVER
ment, unless at least 5000 armed men can.be
brought at once into the field, or the people
can pronounce" together, inevery part Of the
island. r- Tal -
The friends of Cuba in this country are try
ing, within the limits OF the law, to give aid
and encouragement to the revolutionary idea.
/ for one, hope to see it succeed. believe it
is the only movement on this subject conso-
nant with the American heart. 1t is but natu-
raj that Americans should favor ii. Under our
man has been developed in unsur-
passed yigor. As natural result, neighboring
nations contemplate this country with desire
them. From this fact have already proceeded
the revolutions in Mexico and South America;
but those revolutions failed for want of know
ledge, and want of practice in selfgovernment.
And now Cuba asks to be helped, SO that she
may more closely than they initiate our ex-
ample.
Has the mission Of the United States closed
with the peopling Of our deserts and the cul-
ture Of our wild places2 Or shall we go forth,
not as country to drive nations from their
seats, but to hold up the example of our insti-
tutons, that others may be made happy under
them? For one, j am ready to go forth to as.
sist Cubans in profting by our example, and it
shall be my endeayor so to act, that others may
say have done well.
Mr. Thrasher closed his remarks amid great
applause.
Gen. Quitman was then loudly called for by
the meeting. at
He expressed great qualification at thss be-
ing invited to give bis opinion on the great
question whether this continent was to be |
American or European; whether the power of
the white race is TO be preserved in it, or
thoro of "a L