The New York herald., 1870-01-20
Immense Attendance Of Cuban Sympathiz.
ers-No Orators, Yet One Too Many
How Great Gathering Was De.
spoiled Of Its Enthusiasm.

SpOlIe0 Ol ltb EutuuSlaSMs
A mass meeting ON behalf OF the Cuban patriots
was held last evening In the Cooper Institute. There
was crowded attendance, there being but little
standing room when the proceedings commenced.
Tasteful ana handsome decorations gave to the hall
quite festive ana lively appearance. Appropriate
emblems and banners adorned the platform and
vicinity while beautiful wreaths OF neatly interwo
ven flowers In graceful arches depended from the
ceiling. Altogether the scene towards eight O'Clock
was very animated and was rendered not little
interesting by the presence Of number OF the Cuban
fair, many OF whom occupied seats on the platform.
The strains OF national music prepared the audience
In some measure for the stirring eloQuence that was
earnestly anticipated. UnhappiIy. however. those
announced 10 speak did not, with one or two excep-
tions put In an appearance. That misfortune might
TO some extent have been easily remcded, there being
abundance OF well known oratorlcal talent at hand;
but with an indiscretiOn not by any means TO be
overlooked the speaker who succeeded the chair
man dIved headlong into discussion quite foreign
to the subject at issue, and urged with persisency
eqnalled only by the unwillingness with which 1t
was listened to. The length OF time 80 occupied de-
barred q number Of other speakers from delivering
addresses, the consequence being that the monster
gathering suddenly dispersed.
VAN caAed the meeting to order and nominated
Horace Greeley as chairman.
Mr.. GREELEY said he would be gratHed to he
allowed to make a few remarks. He was sure there
was no fear OF any disaster or disruption. He had
O few words to say as 10 the gentlemen who eau
TONED them that this meeting was likely TO bring
tEem into collision with the government. They he'd
no such purpose. In the long struggle between the
patriots OF what was called Spanish America and
the mother country 1t was always the privilege OF
the people and the right Of the American people to
instruct their government and II might be to
instruct their government In its better purposes and
resolutions. The people told the government that it
the interest and the spirit and pleasure Of the
people that this Continent sh0nld be continued o
free republic, The people believed that they had .
right express their ideas, and they did So not in
any disrespect their government not In any hos.
tility to their government. but In furtherance OF
purpose OF their government. With regard to this
struggle TO which they were witnesses, and with
which they avowedly sympathized, ne would say
that IN the nrst place II wasa fact not TO be belitted
ana far from being denied that the struggle against
Spanish rule IN Cuba was now some eighteen months
old. In every one OF those months they had been
told that the rebels were crushed or about to be
crushed, generally alternating-now they were just
vether But il was well Hnown thai the lnsurgenis u
were not crushed out. Now, II this struggle were
taxing place on broad continent, and II there
space Of thousands OF miles, there might be some
excuse tor such statements; but they knew tnat the
warfare took place on an island scarcely larger
prolonged, proving Enthusiastically that there
stu existed state OF belllgerency there.
n Eor een ona apC hs ls o
struggle for eQnteen months showed the state OF
belgerency, and there was now going on actual ana
active WARFARE just as much so as there was At the
beginning. NOBODY could doubt that there was
actual warfare going on there, and he hoped the
government would believe and recognize IT, for it
was now high time. After alluding to the question
OF European colonization, showing that 1t was the
American idea and resolution to be no longer ruled
by European power, ne referred to the slavery at
present going on IN Cuba. 1t was almost too late to
talk about 1t. they already knew that spain dld
oil dispute. Spain had no purpose to DO 1t, because
II she had she would have done 1t long since
tam slavery and insisted upon maintaining 1t. 1t
was fact that there was convulsion going on In
Cuba. Spain would maintain slavery as part OF
her power. Slavery would 90 on In Cuba until the
Spanish nag went out, and not before. Spain in.
sisted thai labor should be subservlent to capital
and their side; the Cuban side insisted that Cuba
should sell itself and be paid for ITSELF and that
among Oiher things would be the foundation OF The
MI. Greeley introduced to the audience
MI. CAssIUS CLAY, OF Kentucky, who addressed tho
meeting and said that after eight years absence IN
more. He then referred 10 two incidents IN his per-
sonal history, on which he wished 10 make some
as tnas he was not dipomatist, ana snat it had
He explained that he was instigated to write
England had declared her views by o proclama-
ton as to belligerency. Mr.. Clay referred also
Of Of the % United States Army which he A'saI SAID
was offered to HIM by President Lincoln
@ rens re to Se az pna
ralshp subsequently, he did so only IN view or the
interests OF his native land. Passing from these
said the Cubans were la0orng under persecution
that compared with that OF our foreathers In l7l6
s S
times OF great danger to liberty Tne Cubans
were million and half OF people, and they nave
island has been the subject OF old Spain. The lber
ties OF Mexico and st. Domingo had been fought
for before the liberties Of Cuba had been thought
TWENTY-FIVE dollars per head. while spain rhe
mother country only contributed seven Yet despite
this heavy taxation there were no schools nor
asylumns, and no great expenses on behalf Of this
people. In 1885, after frequent attempts at revou-
quiescent; and their representatives were In
vitcd TO meet the Spanish government and
the removal OF the iniquites OF the Custom House,
and the Cubans intimated that that would be sulI-
cient They were dismissed by the representatives
Of the Spanish government with kind words. The
custom rates, instead OF being diminished were IN
creased and raised to fourteen per cent During the
last two centuries no people had been so yrannized
were several reasons for the apathy OF the Amer-
can people, one was the question OF the iegItL
was that they were advised mol to touch the ques-
Of beigerency because 1t jeopardized The claims
America had upon England In the question OF ''The
Alabama He wished, however, to show the peo-
pie az the United States that the question OF the bel
iigercncy had nothing whatever to do with the
claims America had against England. He held that
MIR. Seward was mistaken when he held the British
nation responsible for the declaration OF belliger-
cncy on the 10Th OF May. 1901 Upon that question
America must back down, and back down entirely;
for America could never recover q cent from Eng
land on that ground. England owed II TO herself TO
dania atQ hpli whp
certain set OF events had occurred Mr.. Clay
then urged At great length, amid NOISY demon
strations OF impatlence by the audience, that
England had so far compromised herself by direct
acts the Alabama question az to render II ineyita
BILE that sne must meet the just claims OF America.
Mr.. Clay concluded BY few hastily gathered mp
sentences on behalf OF Cuban freedom anu Brought
his speech to a very abrupt close.
Resolutions were passed synpathlzng with the
people OF Cuba VINO for more Inan a year had
carried war against Spain in vlndlca-
tion OF the lnaenaDc rights Of self-g0vern-
l aana lIisasx