Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-11-30
"GOD, LIBERTY AND CUBA''-THE
WAR CRY OF CRITEENDEN.

| " An SAh OG S1eA4
| To the Union and American:
1t has been amusing for the past few
days to read the slang and gas about
that, to us, "Field of Naboth," Cuba,
and the insult offered to oar flag, as if
that flag was a screen for freebooters
and fihbusters, to protect them and
their abettors in any and every crime.
The truth is, the Virginius had no bus
mess to use our flag, or that Of any
other nation, to cover her illegal trade.
If she had an American register, and
a regular clearance under it, she was
not authorized to violate the laws OF
nations by carrying arms and NUM-
tons of war to insurgents fighting
against the regular authorities of a
nation at peace with us, and
one that had always respected our flag
of truce. Poor old Spain is weak in
deed; and it is very safe to spit upon
her now, but a day of retribution
comes, for God is just. Who told the
Cuban that he was down-trodden peo-
pie? Some Yankee meddlers and 9TH
ers, whose bread is in the storm, and to
whom the wild surf is harvest field
men that can't live at home. They
found the Cuban happy and content.
Why not let him remain so? have
been in Cuba often of old; never heard
of all these ''groans, tears and oppres-
sions." They were then happy, con-
tented people. A slave could only re-
ceive twelve stripes at the hand of his
masters was entitled to fair trial be-
fore ''Cor1igidor or Alcalde."
The burden of slavery was light when
compared with ours. Their masters and
owners, a light, volatile, thoughtless
race, bigoted Catholics, were content
under livyc priesthood, never think
ing or dreaming that they were oppress-
ed, were then happy, until we thrust
our sympathies upon them; until we
made them believe they were oppressed,
and became so anxious about them and
theirs. Little did they think that be-
hind all this was our national thirst for
territory and gold, that fearful curse of
bygone nations. What do we want
with Cuba, or the heterogeneous mass
es that constitute her population ? They
are Catholics. care not for that, nor
do I care about theirreligiouspr professions
or creed, or'whether they have any; but
| do care for the ignorance and de-
graded character of the working masses,
many of whom-new importations-
have hardly had time to shake the sand
of the desert from their living rags,
which still retain the odor of the slave
ship. Citizens! God keep us from fell
lowship with such. We have been
"ding-donging" about Cuba for about
thirty years. Doyou wonder the Span
iards have become irritated? Over
twenty years ago, IN the days of the
lamented Crittenden, I kept store on
College street. Hearing a drum and
fife looked and saw four large wagons
loaded with colored women, children,
invalid men and their traps
They were slaves bound South.
Behind these came sixty colored men
hand-cufed in couples along a chain ait
tie larger than trace chain. This was
here and there by a leather
thong passed around the necks of some
Of the stoutest men. Behind these came
the owners ON horse back with looks |
of iron, no line of sympathy or humanity
on their faces. They were slave dealers
or drivers;the curseof God was on them,
for they were sundering the dearest
ties Of wretched humanity. At same
time on the Eastern sidewalk, came
laundering the drum and fife behind a
small iron-rusted dirty flag, on which |
was inscribed "God, liberty and Cuba"
and following this marched |
about thirty of the meanest
looking white men l ever saw. Volun-
teers for the Emancipation of down
oppressed Cuba" Hail Column
bia Had l the pencil of Hogarth, that |
scene should be immortal. Insult to |
the fagI" Moonshine Have we for
gotten the affair on our northern bOr-
ders when an American steamer, the
Carolina, for supplying Canadian in
with arms was taken from an
port by two British launches,
commanded by McNabb, towed out in
to the current, fired and sent over the |
falls to glory Was she paid for? No |
Did John Bull apologize? No! But |
sweet Jim Ford was not there
bouncing and casing in our papers.
However it soon blew over. Old John |
Bull was too many pumpkins, and we
swallowed our spittle. We were wrong
and knew it. Our flag had been in bad |
We are so now and have
always been in the Cuba question. If
our flag is "a city of Refuge" for
thieves, go ahead and take Cuba, but
be sure the moment war cloud rises
over the Antillian seas, our private
marine will be swept from the ocean by
letters of marque and reprisal, all
nations will bleed us, even our Wall
street will own stock in these licensed
pirates for she has done worse than that.
and thus, poor old equity Spain, now
to rise from the degrading
incubus of feudal ages, will be aveng-
ed by the hand of licensed robbers. and
if we take Cuba it will cost enough to
cover every inch of its soil with Span
ish dollars.
righteousness exalteth nation; let |
us do right, we don't want Cuba. 1t be
longs to poor old Spain, and she is now
trying to burst the grave cloths of ages,
and soar aloft on the wings of eternal
liberty. A war now would destroy the
hopes of her best men and insure
reign of monarchy. Shall we be instru-
mental in that? There is no doubt |
this attack and mobs about our minis
ter's residence was the work of mon
No one can doubt this. Gen. |
Sickles must know it and should act |
accordingly, and not be fooled with his
eyes opened.
Finally, as if to intimidate, I see a |
list Of the Spanish marine force parad- |
ed in the Banner of Sunday last, and |
l beg to say, that, if our cause was
just, there is not wood and iron enough |
in all Spain and her colonies tosaveCuba. |
The modern Spaniard is no sailor, nor
will he ever be while commanded by a
set of namby PANTY cavaliers. lam
sailor and knowing what it takes to
make such ''critter," laughed at the
long list Of dry bones. Numbers with
out life or discipline are nothing. Mel
son knew this, and never asked how
many are they, but where? Read Traf-
falgar and know the weight of such
feet as Spain now boasts, while
by Spaniards.
Let Cuba alone; stay at home and