The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-01-07
CHE HeU Grleaas egqested.
THURSDAY MORNING. JANUARY !. 1869.
Address of the X. volutfonary Committee OF
the Western Department. of Cuba 60 the
InhabunRts Thereof.

ddreas of the X volutiOnary Committee OF
the Western Department of Cuba 60 the
Inhabftaats Thereof.
FELLOW CITIZENs-Pay no heed to the deceitful
voice of an imDotent and timor government.
Convinced OF their want of the moral and material
resources necessary to suppress the revolution
started in our country, the Spanish authorities, be.
fore being convnlsed by the agonies OF defeat, are
making lasting effort, and are using the weapons
of cslumDy, In the hope thereby to deprive our
holy cause OF your valuable moral and personal
aid They pirate increasingly of numerous face
victories, while their soldiers retreat all sides
and seek shelter within Notifications. They charge
that our armed brothers are formed into bands Of
sssassins and spoilers, that they carry wherever
they go, ruin end desolstion, devastating fields,
burning towns, villages, and hamlets,i and COM
hitting violence &c defenseless persons. This they
must say with q full consciousness of its untruth,
ana with deliberate purpose of deceiving and
misleading the opinion Of those who, like your
selves, are yet ignorant of the full signifca.
ton and true tendencies OF the sacred work
b. gun in the memorable fields of Yara. The
flag that symbolizes the independence, ma
uonaiy and happiness of our island can never
stain itself, has never been stained. and God abid
ing, shall never be stained with excuses of any
kind. The published order OF General Cespedss,
our military cbieftaiD, punish with severity all
Outrages against person or property. The cham
pions of Cuban liberty all know full wei that roo
berry rspo, violence and incendlarism are punish
ed with death. For none Of them is IL a mystery
such crimes referred to by the Diario de la
Marina and the Prensa, the salaried organs OF the
government, their authors must have been either
Spanish soldiers or island volunteers, paid at vile
prices and recruited principally from prisons
and warehouses;. These are the Infamous mer.
cenai les that carry in their hands the des ructye
torch, and in their hearts hatred and envy of our
people.
Believe not word, fellow citizens, of what the
government says Of its Wanted trumphs and sup
posed victories. Always have baggadocio and
misrepresentation been characteristics OF des-
pots. Always have these called their enemies
weak and cowardly, while at the same time fleeing
ign, mniously from before them. Daring the war
with Santo Domingo constantly did the Spanish
leaders, in their official reports, claim victories
and announce the fields of battle as covered with
the enemy's dead, only an occasional spaniard
getting killed. To-day you lsow aud the whole
world knows, that each one Of the supposed vic
tories defeat, and that the seifreported con-
queTOTs had TO abandon the country, leaving more
than twenty thousand men OF their army Sc pul.
chTed within Dominican soil. Thus, too, they
acted and Jared in Mexico inVenezuela in Peru and
the other Spanish American States. And thus
they will fare in this island, from the moment
that the cry OF liberty given at Yara shall meet
with enthusiastic responses from your valiant
hearts.
Not weak end sickly, ss the govern meni would
have you believe but strong and vigorous was our
cause burn. To the support Of he flag flung TO
the breeze at Ysra already thirty thous and pa
iriots have rallied. BayamO, HOlqun, Las tn las ,
MsnzaDillo, uaBianamO, Cuba, Remedies, Santa
EspiTitu, Puerto Principe and Moron have arisen
to sever our chains. The men of these districts
to-day are struggling nobly for the freedom of
our island, and on many occasions, with scarcely
other arms than mOcteteS, they have knOTn how
10 triumph over toldiery possessed of guns,
bByoLets ard csInOns.
No less glorious should your actions be. If
within your breasts burn the sacred fire OF pari.
otism snd the love of freedom, likewise will
you raise your arms TO defend your country
that country whose liberty must be you
also, and 10 whose happiness you will shsre-.hat
country that, 10 exchange for little blood, offers
you for the future prosperity and richness, secu-
Tity for your property, and order Tor all men
that country that will not suuander in useless pa
rades and military shows the energies required by
tie agricultural interests of tine island-ttst will
not ask you for a greater portion OF your crops
and earnings than she will employ for your ben
eft. The cause OF our country, remember well,
ia the of order, individual guarantees, aud
OF security to property. in Cuba, and Cuba
alone, should there be solved for u.s. VINO are the
ones truly and solely interested, the difficult ques
tious sppertaining 10 our interior existence. Ia
Cuba. end in Cuba alone, should there be fixed
the amount and nature of our con ributions, be-
csuse in Cuba, and In Cuba alone, should thsy be
expended.
why should il ever be otherwisel Why should
we noisten our sol with the sweat of our brows
in order that rs productions should be taken TO
maintain the vices and dissipatiO1s OF that swarm
of il soent Spanish officials no make their DO )ty
among Us the same as 10 a conquered land! Why
should we sustain those corrupt functiOneries who
encourage bahdism TO prosper from it IN the high
ways with the purse of the traveller, and in the
towns with the harvest of contributions? No, fell
! low citizens, let Us no longer put up with de-
Rrsded and degrading government. Let Us no
longer be the victims OF its tyranny and its decep-
| lions Do you know what i s premises are worth!
Ignore you that even the one lately made by Cap
| tain-GeDeral Lersundi TO exempt our people OF a
years direct territorial contributions has been DIS
approved and annulled by the government OF Spain!
But had this been other wise was not the offer OF
little gold TO have you convert yourselves for such
price into the eXecutoners OF your brothers aud tie
assassLs Of your honor and liberty, an insult TO
| your manhood Cuuld there have been greater
| Cfense given you? Could there have been shown
| YOU a greater mark of depreciation? But the
| government thinks itself authorized to do aly-
| thing and every thing. EmbOldened by our tOler-
snce Of three centuries duration, ii dsres all and
| is detained nothing. High time it is that its
| insults and depTedsuOns ehOuld cease High
| time that our OppressOrs, who hide their fears
| beneath the mask Of deceVing arrogance, shOud
| he taught that our goodness did not proceed from
| fear that in our country there are noble hearts
| that feel the necessity of freedom; clear iutei
geuce thai uudtr stand cur rights. aud brave souls
| well resolved, that can and shall maintain them.
| Fellow citizens No more useless armies Nc
| more contributions No more veXat)us perse'
cGtiOns No more tyranny! No more authorities
| chosen through foreign favor, and maintained IN
| power by foTce No more the rule of the sword
and the reign Of terror Let US all be soldiers
while the country is in danger; aud this over, lei
US live by our lsbOTs in the midst of our familie'
| Let us pay 10 the state Only what our means CT.
| able Us TO do ana let the state ask o3y what il
| absolutely requires. Let the wicked trem0le be
fore the sword of the law. Let the good realize
that justice shields them! Let as ourselve,
choose fer the Offices Of the government
those irom amongst US whose virtues
abilities and patriotism shall commend
them 10 public confidence Thus act free
men-thus Daiions become great. These are the
immediate results aimed at by the revolution
Will you hesitate in giving your support? Car
| You possibly prefer the AFFECTION and misery o
your present condition TO so noble and brilliant
future Will you deny yOnr services TO the lead
ere of the cause of human Independence, nation
atty, glory and progress? No. Let there CONT
from your bosoms Of all a single Responses Wig
orous and sublime negative.
To arms, then To arm worthy inhabitants o
our leland Let us all hurry to the combst bear
ing in cur hands the axes of revolution, wit
which to hew down to earth the three-umes secu
lar tree Of Spanish tyranny