The Portland daily press., 1869-03-29
No AunexatIeu.

Ihick and fast come important events in the
war for the independence of Cuba-thick and
fast in the island itself, in the United States
and in Spain. In Cuba the insurgents eman-
cipate the slaves, begin warfare of "devasts-
tion by fire and sword" as means of prevent
ing the export of sugar and other products to
the advantage of the Captain Generals treas
ury, organize provisional governments, issue
appeals to the world and especially to the
United States. send elnissaries to Washing-
ton-do all that becomes brave ana intelN-
gent people striving for Independence. In
the United States great meetings are held at
central points to express the sympathy of the
country for the patriot cause, the foreign COM
mittee of the House of Representatives brings
forward resolutions favorable to the insur-
uents, the Cuban ambassador has arrived, but
gets no formal interview with the authorities,
expeditions are fitted out to go to the rescue
Of those who have revolted against despotism
and annexation is talked about with the char
acteristc American hunger for more land. In
Spain there is ne abandonment on the part of
the Cortes or the government of Serrano of
the idea of holding the Cubans to their allegi-
ance. Although the Spanish boast that they
already have seventy thousand troopsin Cuba,
new conscription act has been passed by the
Cortes at the risk of SO increasing popular
discomfort as to induce a counter revolution.
Spain liberalized has no more idea of giving
up the island than Spain under Isabella had.
With all the rumors of battles and sieges,
of proclamations, manifestoes, ARRAYS and
general "uupleasantness in Cuba" the metro
poltan press Is strangely remiss in giving
fresh and accurate details OF the progress of
events. The "reliable gentleman" the same
one that used to furnish news from the South
during the rebellion-is the grand purveyor of
Cuban news. His latest dispatch is an inter-
esting and plausible one. He says that the in
surgents no longer speak OF annexation to the
United States and that Cespedes, the leader
of the revolutionary movement, and the
Central Committee have issued an order
threatening with death those who pro-
pose it. This narrows the issue down to
Cuban independence, where it ought to be-
The island is large enough for an independent
nation and we cannot afford to have new
disturbing element in our own politics and f.
nances arising from Cuban annexation. Our
people are now too little homogeneous to per-
NIT entire confidence in the perpetuity of do
mestic quiet. 1t would not take years, but
centuries, to make Cuba an American State
in spirit as well as in law. With the island
for friendly nelghbor we should be in a far
happier situation than with it incorporated as
an indigestible morsel into the body polite
Atthe Cuban meeting in Steinway Hall,
New York, Thursday night, Henry Ward
Beecher delivered fiery Cuban speech in
which he argued that we should view the Gu
ban struggle in disinterested spirit, as friends
Of the human race, and not as those who
watch for some advantage to themselves from
the calamities of their neighbors. We apperd
q short extract from his eloquent speech in
which he touches this point:
This meeting is not called to set forth any
i1-will or unkind feeling toward the Spaniard
and Spain in their own proper sphere and do
minion. So far from that we not only do not
meet to say to the Spaniards and especially to
that patriotic class of the citizens of Spain
who have encouraged and so far achieved the
revolution, we are your enemies" but we say
we ate their friends, and desire to become more
friendly. While we see them waking from
the sleep of ages we hope they will ere long
forget the bad lessons which ages of tyranny
have taught them. We are not disposed to
look with jealous eye on all parts Of their
cUuuuCt. L trust buat tue Oiu spanish DlOOn
has not yet lost its strength and purity, and
that he Spanish people are destined for glo-
rious future. She has heard the trumpet of
liberty sounding in her ears. 1t is sounding
now, and her people are arousing from their
lethargy. Freedom Of religion is the watch
word of Spain to-day. Knowledge indepen-
dence, honor, hope, virtue and patriotism
these are the feelings that predominant. o
Spainl that which makes US love you to-day
is that which we demand of you for Cuba to-
day. Let not the greatest bigot the most vir-
ulent partisan, be able to send word to Mad
rid that this meeting was hostile to Spain
Let them and us send this message to SPAIN
'As long as you are for freedom, for intelli-
gence, for patriotism, for virtue, so long you
have our hearts and our affections" 1 would
not have the force of this meeting broken by
having it supposed that it is a meeting of self
interests, masked with patriotism and love
for liberty Not at all. The motive which
has brought me here o-night and which am
confident drew us all together, is not that by
and-5y Cuba may be annexed to United States.
! hope she will be left free to do that which
her own interests require her to do. Freedom
and independence are almost analogous, and
If she should be free on that point, she should
be independent as well as free. If it is best
that she should have a government modified
one way or another, and desires to join the
United States, she is at perfect liberty to make
appl cation; but it is not through a desire ia
drag her from under the Spanish colors, and
bring her under the American that stand
here before you this night. 1t is not, in other \
words, masked selfshnes that leads me to adj
dress you.