The Volcano lubricator. (Volcano, W. Va.) 1871-1879, 1873-11-25
Shall Cuba be Free9

It would take but few brief months
to decide this question in favor Of Gu
ban independ ence, "a the government
would suspend, the neutrality, laws!
There are thousand, yes, hundreds OF
thousands Of brave adventurous spirits
in this country who would then enroll
themselves under the banner Of the
republic of Cuba. In less than sixty
days an army Of more than fifty thous-
and men could be landed on the shores
ofthe "Ou ofthe Antilles," and be.
fore the coming of another spring Spa.
nish power in the island would be COM
pletely broken. The cold-blooded
massacre of the officers, crew and pas.
sengers Of the Virginius has aroused
feeling in this country that cannot be
quelled.
The planters OF Cuba are an intel.
ligent, well educated class Of men,
and it is no wonder that in course OF
time their discomfort at the tyranni-
cal rule Of Spain manifested itself in
open revolt. The present rebellion
commenced in October, 1868, and has
been carried on with varying success
from that day to this. During that pc
riod the Spaniards have conducted the
war in utter violation Of the usages Of
civilized nations. The home govern
ment organized the resident Spaniards
into volunteer army, which numbers
about forty thousand men. These vol.
unteer. have shown themselves more
cruel and bloodthirsty than the janiza.
ries formerly employed by the Turkish
sultans. The cold blooded murder Of
a number OF medical students in Hava-
ma few years ago is or ought to be,
still fresh in the memory Of American
readers. This act should have been
deemed a sufficient excuse for the in
tervention OF civilized nations in the
name of humanity. Our Government
should have interfered at the time DR..
Houard, an American citizen, was seiz.
ed imprisoned, sentenced TO years Of
servitude in 4 Spanish penal colony,
and conveyed to Spain, all the while
kept in irons, and finally released when
his health was broken down. Our
Government went down on its knees
to Spain to implore DR.. Houard's re.
lease. instead Of demanding it and
backing up the demand with sufficient
force 10 compel compliance with it.
This victim Of Spanish cruelty was
stripped Of all his earthly possessions,
and returned to this country an old man
broken in health and spirits, and utter
~ impoverished. The American go
vernment failed to do its duty in his
case, and all because the son-in-law Of
Hamilton Fish, Grants premier, is
employed BY the Spanish government
at a princely salary. as its agent in this
country We have no faith that even
now, in view Of the coldblooded muir
der Of the American citizens captured
on the Virginius, the government will
do anything 10 vindicate its stained
honor. Ifirobeyed the voice Of the peo-
pie it would at once put itself in posi-
ton to'ch.s,ise siiese Cas,illian BUTCH
ers. The time for apology on the
part of Spain is past. Upon the as.
sembling Of Congress, war should be
declared against that country. In the
meantime let the President suspend
the neutrality laws by proclamation.
and the government would have very
little to do after the declaration fwar
to drive the Spaniards from the soil Of
Cuba. The work would be we'll nigh
accomplished before a regiment OF
United States soldiers could be landed
there. The blood Of the American
people isup. Only per'Ajt the repub-
lie Of Cuba to open recruiting Offices
in our large cities north and south. and
permit Cuban transports to take these
armed volunteers to Cuba. without
molestation. and the work would be
nearly accomplished before the gov
ernment would get ready to move.