The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-04-06

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Clay, President of the Cuban Charitable
Aid Society, to Governor Palmer, of Hi
nois:
NEW York, April l, 1870.
DEAR SIR :-Y our letter of the Both OF
| March, ulrimo, Is received. l regard it as
| al evidence of the growing popularity of
our cause that you feel the necessity of vim
dicating, by an appeal to the public, your
| refusal to act as Vice President of the Cuban
Charitable AID Society. | cannot admit the
| force of your distinction between the duties
| of Governors and private citizens here for
# Governor would be wrong in aiding al
oppressed people to recover their right Of
self government then all of US are wrong IN
| doing SO. If you are right in assuming
that we cannot aid the Cubans because our
Government is at peace with Spain, then, as
| we are at peace with all nations and people,
there is nowhere On the earth an injustice
and tyranny which you could aid In over
throwing, and France and other European
countries and subjects did wrong In aiding
our fathers in l716 against British oppres-
| SION, which was paternal and benefcent
impaired with the tyranny of Spain over
Cuba. On the contrary, i hold that every
honest man, the world over, owes every
other man his moral support and pecunisry
| aud physical aid, so far may be oonsisteu mt
! with his own self preservation, against every
| wrong of the aggressor.
| 1t is true the foreign relations of this re-
public are intrusted to the Federal officers
out those officers are themselves but the
| creatures aud representatives of the people
and are bound, in reason and III constitu-
tional law, TO carry out the well defined and
Intelligent public will. This republic is no
dlsturber Of the peace of nations or intrusive
| propagandist of its princi les. But when
an opposed people rise in arms to vindicate
the very foundation principles of our Gov
ernment, folio wing the beneficial example
| viii ch we have set them, it is not only our
| right but our dnty to refrain from aiding
and abe,ting their enemies, but also to give
them our cordial sympathy and support IL
ali legal ways That we intend to violate
no laws of Congress" we have pledged
ourselves in the circular which we made 9
part of our invitation, and you will hnd II
hard to make the American people believe
| that we are not the men who will stand truly
to our pledges.
| The noblest sentiment which our distin
guished and patriotic President ever uttered
was, "Let US have peace !" and l think you
will, on reflection, regret that you have at
tenn pied to keep alive the enmities and dis
trusts of the late unhappy rebellion by you
aliusion to the past life of General Jordan
| who is now Commander-in Chief O.
the Cuban forces. ] prefer to attribute &c
him higher purposes and the noblsst repara
,ion that can be made for his attempts Il
enslave one people in the self sacrifice he il
now making in the liberation of another.
By the Constitution of the 10th of April
1869 article twenty fourth, all the inhsbi
tants of the Rebublic of Cuba are absolutel,
lfree.H Thia Constitution has been certifet
as genuine by the the Cuba Junta here, mel
| whose honor Is sbose question; and the de
mand for the abolition of the slave trade an
of slavery itself, on the part of the CubaI
delegation to Madrid, in 1866, proves ths
this is no new thought 10 serve q frauduien
purpose. | prefer to attribute your distrus
of the Cuban purposes of emancipation
your want of knowledge of the facts in tn
case rather than to that meanst of caluu
MES, which some have resorted to, of PR
tending to believe faisehood to cover U
their own dereliction of duty. The conclr
sion of your letter leaves us to hope that 20
will yet put the nobler sentiments OF You
letter in unison. with our cause, which eeg'f
to be the cause of the whole people withot
regard to party, and which, representa-
eternal rights must under the providence
God, at last triumph.
am, sir, your obedient servant,
c. M. CLAY. President, etc.
His Excellency John N. Palmer, Cover
tor Of Illinois.