Nebraska advertiser., 1870-01-13
CUBA.

CUBA.
Cuba lies so near us, is so completely
sympathy with our institutions by
virtue of our mutual commercial, So
cial andindustrial relations, that she
has ever desired to be like us. This
spirit has often manifested itself, but
has generally been crushed by our
authorities in refusing to lend it en-
cOuTagement and succor. Is this
right? A nation in its conduct toward
other people, is like an individual in
his relations to his fellow men. If a
man sees an incendiary about to ap-
ply the torch to his neighbors dwelling
he does not fulfill all the duties of a
citizen by folding his arms, permit
ting the injury to be Inflicted, and
quietly saying, burn no mans bull
dings, / am not my brothers. keeper"
The law of humanity, the law of the
land and the law of God, says you
are partaker in that crime, if you do
not give the alarm Immediately, pre-
vent this great wrong to your brother
and stay the work of the destroyer of
his peace. Is it the duty of nation
less imperative? Are it's obligations
more circumseribed? Cuba is strug-
Cling for freedom. HerrevOlutiOnists
have made freedom for alp their
watchwOrd. Spain is attempting to
crush this principle in colony SO near
US that our vesselssail under the shad-
Ows of her guns in their trips to and
from the ports of our States on the
Atlantic and the Gulf. For more
than a year the revolutionists have
kept the armies of their Oppressors at
bay. They hold nearly twO-thirds of
the IslOnd of Cuba, and have a large
and powerful army of brave men in
the field. Their government is repub-
Iican, as federal, as democratic as our
own. They have abolished slavery,
and this too, by no uncertain decree,
for they have never issued a decree of
emancipation, for foreign sympathy,
and a counter decree for home con-
sumption, as Hon. Charles Sumner
recently said he had been informed.
They have adopted a constitution,
elected President, formed complete
cabinet of Ministers, established
courts of justice, organized a complete
system ofpostal affairs, sent and envoy
to Washington, and in all other re-
spects established a fdctO government.
Do they not deserve the recognition of
the republic of the United States, if
we are interested in the developement
of republican institution in the West.
Greece had not accomplished one
half so much as Cuba when we sent
her our synpathies, our money, our
soldiers and our prayers. Mr.. Monroe
said "the United States considers any
attempt on the part of European pow
ers to extend their system to any pOr-
ton of this. hemisphere as dangerous
to their peace and safety" Ever
since his day our statesmen have at
tempted to negotiate for Cuba. That
Island commands the approach to the
| Gulf of Mexico, and has been thought
worth two hundred millions OfdOllars
to this government, by former admin
| istratiOns; and even a hundred mill
lions have been offered for it by this.
Ultimately, Cuba becomes ours with
out the expenditure of a dollar, by the
simple recognition of her belligeren-
cy.
Why do we hesitate? The people
! of Spain revolted and drove Isabella
from the throne. This government
made haste to recognize their indepen-
dence. But when one of the Sprnish
cOlOnies-grOUnd to the dust by tyran-
eous eXactiOns and forced into slavery
more barbarous than that imposed up
on captured Africans-attempt to lift
the yoke, we check every effort and
aid those people to be free, and stifie
every aspiration to clOthe them with
republicanism rs we, ourselves, are
clothed And whose arms do we
strengthen by this reprehensible mac
tivity? The arms of a nation seeking
to keep alive the flame of personal
seTvitude long after it has been
Qutnched in almost every other cor.
neT of the globe. From the Saracene
dominion in Spain, through the mex
tricable Onarchy when the Arags over
ran her, down through the dark days
of the InquisitiOn, even to the sensual
and barbariOus reign of Isabelle, the
Spanish government has never sem
forth one spark of light to illuminate
the darkness Ofthe world, nor a single
liberal idea to aid the people in theil
struggle for q higher life. Ferdinand
and Isabelle sent forth Columbus, bu'
he returned to those benighted re-
gions a captive, loaded with chains
That is a fair sample of the aid which
freedom has ever obtained from Spain
After wasting herself in schemes o
the maddest ambition and the. fierees
fanaticism, she sank into paralytiC
torpor, which even Prim and Ser
TanO cannot rouse her from, as indica
ted by the fact thatnO man in Europe
desires to wear her crown. Mr.. Sum
peT says we must not recognize Cuba
till we know whether she is a free 0l
slave republic. Can he, can any
body, tell US, what is the government
of Spain? We send a Minister t,
Madrid, but he has not yet learned
where or what is the government.
there ever was a beligerent, then j.
Cuba a belligerent. She lacks not ;
single essential to the rank of belli
gerent power. She sDiU be free from
Spain. This administration has il
its power to derive immense advanta
ges from the results of a perception O
that fact, and recognition of the bel
ligerence of the insurgents.-S. Joe
Herald.