Nebraska advertiser., 1870-03-24
An Appeal to Nebraska.

-, : TrSlloa
An Appeal to Nebraska.
MY HOME, SALINE COUNTY, NiB., Feb. Q, 10
Thinking that no more fitting day
could be chosen for an appeal to Lib
erty, I have selected this day, when
we of the greatest Republic celebrate
the anniversary Of the birthday of the
greatest of patriots. The sentiments
inspired by such a celebration are no
BILE, and therefore it is q proper time
for any one to ask if it is becoming,
when a people is herOically struggling
for Independence, that we should re-
fuse them helping handl
The deeds of Lafayette (internation
al laws to the contrary notWithstand
ing) are to-day recorded in letters of
gold upon the great book of History.
The hearts of all Americans beat with
admiration and love for the French
men who came over the Atlantic to.
| help Washington in his great deeds.
| We owe it to these men, to our good
fortune, and to our independence, to
land in Caba and help the patriots to
force this Spanish 80 stack arms and
retire" ws
L Vi OOu EdhEs OilG lllOEC alter IO
Liberty! What we, the mightiest
nation of the world, are kept back
from doing what is human, by fear of
European diplomacy? What! shall
we allow the last of the Cubans to
spill the last drop of his blood in vain,
when independence should be the
price of his valor? Is it possible that
Cuba will be left to bleed? Shall we
continue to insult her sufferings by a
criminal inaction, and when, upon the
cross Of Liberty, she impLOres; shall
we present her nothing butsympathy2
Ay! but when Liberty wiIlgascend
the throne of the world she will judge
the nations, and she might then say
81 have called but yOG were deaf to
my voice; return to slavery ~ nl
So many sacrifices, such deeds,
must they remain Ineffective? Upon
their country's field viii the blood of
these martyrs only produce triumph
to tyranny?
Whit do you hear in her forests Z?
THE sad murmurs of the wind brings
me the tidings of a patriot shaking has
chains.
What do you see lowering over her
plains2 Liberty, looking for one more
social monument.
| A people is not worthy of indepen-
dence if it does not more than sympa-
thize with the weak against a power
ful tyrantl
Sympathy! sympathy! It is a
query who we are sympathiZing with
the Cubans or Spanish? 4? Again /
say there is but one sort of sympathy
for us to have, and that is q helping
sympathy. Our inaction encourages
Spain, and gives the tyrant means to
strengthen his chains upon the liher-
ty of a people. I tell you, we as q
country are doing nothing else but
helping Spain in crushing the patriot
ie spirit of the Cubans.
ask again, is all this becoming?
In vain did we play the part of fool
by attempting to purchase Cuba; the
| ltyrant was not yet tired of his crual-.
ties. What we are to purchase &
people from Spain, when the peopIe
fights and dies for independence? Are
we to change his chains by the pur-
chase? A Republic like ours can
trust in the honor of the Cubans. Let
the spirit of Washington and jackson
inspire Grant--sO help us God, and
| We VIII hO1 OS SCG " SHS' Sl4ou1S VI Il
human bargain.
Cuba should be free because the Gu
bans say, 1--WE must be free or die !n
because they are besprinkling their
deeds with their blood becduSe---
why, there would be no end to theb be-
causes Suffice il to say that if Euro
pean diplomacy is opposed to the in
dependence of Cuba by fear of her an
nexatiOn to the United States, Aneri-
can diplomacy commands as to viee0a
Just erdctLy the other 1CGy. / know of
no better reason than this one-a con-
ditiOn sine qua non.
That Cuba must give way to Spain
is certain, if the patriots are not assis-
ted; for, what can five hundred thou
sand do against fifty millions? They
can die! Yes; but every day precious
lives are lost. Shall We wait to go to
Cuba until the greatest portion Of the
patriots are exterminated, so as 80 hare
e all our Otoa tVdy? Shall we run the
risk to allow some other Lafayette to
come from La Belle France fthe land
Of devotion) ond surpass us III magma
nimity? If England to-day was to
come and help Cuba, where should
| the Alabama claims be?
The public sentiment, if / am not
mistaken, is greatly in favor Of help
ing the Cubansi and why, if public
sentiment favors this, do our legisla-
tors and the Executive oppose it2 Is
the will Of the people supreme law no
longer ? Are we, too, losing our lib
erty our priyileges2 BY what right
are Americans kept from assisting the
oppressed? and by what right, again,
have the Spanish been allowed TO take
a feet Of gunboats from or docks to
more effectually blockade the unhap-
ny islaRd-the gem Of the Mexican
Oaean-the KEY 70 the Gulf OF Afexieo2
j I will not refer 10 what we have had
TO submit 20 from Spanish rule I will
not refer 70 their prOverbial tyranny.
only let me say, that the country that
has given me birth still trembles with
hate when it rem7mbers Ferdinand
and Isabella. -Four centuries have
not effaced from my native soil the
signs of Spanish terror; and many
dark subterranean dungeon did I see,
with iron hooks firmly affixed in the
arch roof where hl y country men were
4 hanged bVv the throat because they