New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-03-27
The Cuban Anti.sIavery Commit.
tee

Spain and the establishment az n rpnrbl;ran
form Of government has served to create a
doubt in the minds Of many as to the pro-
pretty OF further vigorously Prosecuting the
recent movement inaugurated By the Cuban
/ Anti-Slavery Committee in favor of securing
the recognition of belligerent rights TO the
Cuban revolutionists. Believing that such
doubt and consequent apathy may be caused
/ by want Of fuller Information of the exact
! condition of the Spanish Republic and of the
Cuban Instruction and it, object We he,
leave to submit to the American people this
review Of the Spanish-Cuban question and of
our duty under the circumstances.
| After many years OF oppression, unjust
taxation,
| AND TYRANSICAL RULE by THE SPANISH
GOVERNMENT
in the Island of CUBA tyranny not ex-
ceeded by that which forced the American
| people to take up arms against the mother
Countrywide native Cubans in October.
| 1868, rose in defense of their rights, and
| commenced war having for its object Cuban
independence and liberty to the slaves.
! Certainly no citizen of our own country. bay-
ing imbibed the spirit of liberty as handed
down from our forefathers, will question the
/ right Of our people to rebel against wrong,
and, in defense of human liberty, Americans
are, by the very nature of our ms titutions and
surroundings, sympathIzers with all such peo-
pie, and we believe we can truthfully say
that the great heart Of the American people
beats in full sympathy and accord with the
struggling Cubans, particularly since they
have made their cause the cause of
FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND ENsLAvED FEI-
LOW-MEN.
In this respect the Cuban patriots have a
claim upon the sympathies of the world
which was wanting in the American Revolu-
ton, for we established a Republic which
recognized the right OF property in man, and
which for eighty years maintained an nstitu-
ton which was in opposition and a contradic
ton to our own Declaration of Independence,
which affirmed that ''all men are created
equal and endowed with certain inalenable
rights, among which are life, liberty, and the
pursuit Of happiness But the evil day is
passed, and the people have recognized the
fact that human slavery is Incompatible with
the spirit of said Declaration and we believe
that our committee but reflects the feelings
of the whole people Of the United States
when we endeavor to have our Government
recognize the right of all men to secure the
precious boon of freedom, and to be treated
according to the usagcs of warfare among
Christian peoples that our Government. the
first among modern frccdom-loving and re-
publican peoples, which aims at bringing the
world up to its own standard of liberty and
justice, shall not be tardy in according an
equal chance
TO THE CUBAN PATRIOTS, Fi6HTIN6 FOR
LIBERTY,
with that accorded to their oppressors.
The establishment Of the Spanish Republic
is undoubtedly a subject for our congratula-
ton. In our endeavors to secure to the pa
trlots belligercnt rights we are not influenced
by any desire to interfere in the complete es-
| Enlistment of the Spanish Republic, our po-
sition being taken not because we love the
Republic less, but because we love liberty
more. We have at no time doubted the eX-
istence OF very large party in Spain favor
| able to emancipation. Indeed, it il with
pleasure that we mention the names of
BENOT, QUINTERO, CASTELAR,, AND SAL
MERON,
heading, as they do, powerful party in ia
vor of emancipation for the fact is patent
that, under the reign Of King Amadeus these
statesmen did all they could to secure eman-
cipaton, as they will, no doubt, now do I'M
der the Republic. We arc, however, sensible
of the fact that the power Of these men to eff
feet emancipation was greater during the eX-
istence Of the monarchy than it is now for
the party of freedom was strengthened by the
king, whom it was well known favored imme-
| date liberty to the slaves. The chances of
securing freedom have unfortunately dimin.
ished with the recent change from Monarchy
to Republic.
THE SPANISH GOVERNMENT, As EARLY AS
1869,
passed bill for gradual emancipation, but
the Government has not been able to intro
duce any such measures into the island Of
Cuba, the prO-slavery party in that island be-
ing sufficiently able to resist the power of the
home government by sending back the Cap
tains General who have endeavored to carry
out the laws. The Republic is less able to
introduce reform measures than was the mon
archy; and we hold the cause of freedom and
humanity first, and high above simple form,
OF government.
Fellow-citizens, in the island of Cuba,
within one hundred miles Of our own shores
indc?1, so close that we can almost descry
the :. cen hills in the distance-are toiling
five hundred thousand human beings, with
No HOPE OF ESCAPE But IN THE GRAVE.
there is not for them, as there was for our
own oppressed and enslaved brethren, Dor.
der free State, and beyond that Canada
where many thousands first breathed Gods
free air. The north star, which guided SC
many in our own land, brings no hope for
comfort to the half million in Cuba sur.
rounded by an impossible ocean and without
single inch of free soil to which the slave
may escape, he tolls on and on through life
without ray of hope that he shall ever en-.
joy the blessings of freedom. The groans Of
the toiling and tortured captives and the
blood Of fifty thousand slain in defense Of
liberty appeal to us for aid, for some action
which shall strengthen them in this their houl
Of affection. What signifies it to them
WHETHER THEIR GovERNMESr BE RE
PUBLIC OR a MONARCHY?
Their suff'erings are the same every momen,
they are held as slaves by either is robbery
of their just right to immediate and uncondi
tional freedom. 1t is with feelings of deer
concern that We notice a disposition on the
part of a few persons to stay the hand Of free
dom; that we might await 4 sign from the
Republic, as if republics were always favor.
able to liberty! While it is possible that suci
r persons may be actuated by the best of mo
, tives, we cannot help concluding that they
are mistaken when they place the form of
government before the cause of liberty ant
: justice. The simple fact presented US is, il
g the War that has been going on in the Islant
of Cuba for the past four years only one part,
1. promis es immediate and unconditional free
ION 10 the slaves. The Cuban insurgent
: disting uished themselves at the outset of tn,
n rebellion by adopting into their constitution