Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-02-06


by the Cuban Anti-slavery Committee of
New York city:
To tie Citizens Of tie United States
The interest of freedom, humanity and
Christian civilization demand your atten-
ton. The existence of slavery in the
Island of Cuba and the suffering condi-
ton of more than five hundred thousand
human beings has undoubtedly attracted
the attention and enlisted the sympathy
of large portion of the American peo-
pie The unsettled condition of affairs
in our own land since the close of the re-
belliOn, settling questions of great mag
nitude both in regard to our foreign re
lations and internal improvements, has
diverted the attention of a large portion
of our citizens from the war that has
been carried on during the past four
years between the Cuban patriots and
the Spanish government. We believe
that the time has come when an express
sion of sentiment on the part of our pco-
pie on the affairs of Cuba is demanded
in behalf of liberty and right
A respectable number of men of that
race who have been 50 recently invested
with the rights of freemen in our own
Republic, and from their past condition
are particularly able to sympatbize with
the oppressed and down-trodden in every
land, have taken action in order to bring
this subject before the people and gov
eminent OF The United States.
For our own discnthralment and en-
francbisemcnt we are truly grateful, but
we cannot rest while slavery and the
slave trade exist at our very doors. We
regret exceedingly the inhuman traffic
carried on under a foreign government.
and that the question of emancipation ia
linked with that of n particular party,
but as in our own land during our late
war there were two parties. 50 there are
two parties in Cuba-the one endeaynT-
ing TO establish freedom and equality
and the other to establish slavery and
the slave trade. Under these circum-
stances the question of liberty is insepa-
rahly connected with the cause of one of
said parties, and as in this country all
lovers of liberty and equality were
obliged to support the army of the Union.
So in Cuba, we are obliged to sympa-
thize with the army of the Cuban patri-
OTIS. They in the commencement Of
their struggle inscribed upon their BAN
ners CELEBRITY and equality TO all the in
habitants," while the army of Spain has
made itself conspicuous only for the
energy with which it has endeayored to
peTpetuate the institution of slavery, and
has committed barbarities that are foul
blot upon the nations history and a
shame to the century in which we live.
The patriot army has now struggled
more than four years under disadvan-
tagcs to which a less brave and deter
mined people would have succumbed,
and, though the cause of liberty has
often been imperilled, they stand to-day
strong and united, and ask nothing of
the world but an equal chance with that
of their oppressors, in order to secure
their final triumph.
1t Is for the people of America to de
eide whether or not our sympathy shall
be extended and an equal chance given
to freedom with slavery and the slave
trade Citizens of the Republic, and in
particular the 1000 900 who have so re-
Gently partaBen of the fruits of freedom
the voice of 500,0 900 fellow men, bent
beneath the iron hand Of slavery, I'M
dergoing hardships in many cases exceed
ing the horrible practices in our own
land in days gone by, appeals to you for
aid 1t is sincerely hoped You will not
be deaf to their appeal.
The following petition will be sent to
all who are willing to assist in securing
signatures, to be presented to our govern
ment at an early day:
To General Ulysses s. Grant, President
of the U11jted States
We, the petitioners, citizens of the
United States, duly grateful for our own
disenthralment and enfranchisement,
fully comprehend the genius of free gov
eminent, and heartily sympathizing with
the oppressed in every land, have the
honor TO call your attention to the eX
istence of slavery in the island of Cuba,
and the suffering condition of more than
five hundred thousand of our race in
consequence thereof. The repeated and
fragrant violations of the most sacred
treaty obligations and broken faith of
the Spanish government in regard to
slavery in Cuba, running through a
period of more than twenty years, IS
sufficient evidence that slavery and the
slave trade will be perpetually continued
in event of the triumph of the Spanish
arms in the war now going on in that
island. We respectfully submit that we
have the fullest assurances that in event
of the triumph of the Cuban patriots
the benefit of freedom will be secured to
our enslaved brethren. We would there
fore pray that the government of the
United States accord to the Cuban patri-
OTIS that favorable recognition to which
four years gallant struggle in the in
terests of freedom justly entities them
The present movement, which is the
shirt of our national constitution, is not
confined to race, color or previous con-
difion of carvitIlda and therefore it is
earnestly hoped that all classes of the
friends of freedom in the United States
will cooperate with US in the work of
arousing the indignation of the Christian
world against Cuban slavery, so that It's
destruction may be speedy and complete.
r. s. SCOTTRON, Chairman.
HENRY HIGHLAND GARNET, Sec'y.
One mouse catcher at Aarburg, III
Switzerland, caught 1881 mice in the
oct tbrao months of 1872. for which he