New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-02-16
THE RECOGNITION OF CUBA.

total public indifference at the oOutn, anu
especially in this great gulf port, to the
struggle now going on in Cuba for the
establishment Of republican government.
This public apathy is as remarkable as
its existence is mysterious. Why should
republicans, who have liberated all the
slaves in their own country, manifest SO
little sympa thy for human beings in
bondage? Why should o country which
recognized the independence Of Texas
within six months after her secession from
Mexico, take no interest in the
independence Of Cuba, after nearly six
years of successful resistance to Spain?
Why should republic which has hest
tated to interfere with the republic of
Spain in an attempt to prevent the seces-
sion Of colony, in which it had pro-
claimed emanc ipation, maintain its in
difference when Spain has again king,
and when there has been no actual eman-
cipation executed? We speak not of in
tervention in the affairs Of Others, but OF
the right, which any nation may ex-
ercise ct its own discretion, to say
| when it thinks civil war has attained
the dignity of public war, when it should
be waged according to the rules Of civiliZa-
ton, and when people have demonstrated
| their title to be acknowledged as belliger-
ents. This period has surely come for the
Independent republicans Of Cuba, and the
world may well wonder what restraints
the republic of the United States from
saying what she has the FIRST right to say,
that Cuba is, and Of right ought to be,
an independent republic.
Not only has the argument Of sympathy
for ''republi can" Spain been refuted, but
the delay caused by the pending of the
American demand for indemnity from
England has been exhausted by the de-
cision Of that demand. Indeed, that recla- |
nation was not because of the mere recog- !
milton of the Confederate war, but because |
England had violated her treaty and neu-
trail engagements by permitting the pre-
paration and departure of enemy vessels |
from her workshops and ports.
1t is fact we'll known to fremen and
sailors that a fire can not be extinguished
by preventing the escape of smoke. Close
the doors and windows, batten down the
matches, and the internal flames still
glow and consume. Spain may try to
conceal the existence of the Cuban war;
official dispatches may announce compro-
mise, surrender, and proclaim the order
of reinforcements, which either never
leave Spain or are swept and swallowed
in the vortex in which SO many other
thousands of royal troops have already
persisted. Such palpeble falsehoods are
contradicted by the fact. that more
troops are needed. Were the war the in
significant conflict represented by Spain,
what need of more troops? It would
have been long since ended by the fu-
SHADE and the garrote. But the war is
far from having ended in the triumph of
An intelligent refugee tells
us that the Republican army has broken
through the defenses erected by the Span
sh Cover nment across the island and had 6
approached within less than thirty miles ,
IF Havana He added with delight they ! I
have recently burned nineteen sugar +
as if the probable rise in |
sugar would please the planting interests I
IF Louisiana. SO this war is still fragrant c
md may 60 on until it will cost the people y
# the United States a good deal more to '
'ay for the short crop Of sugar than it \
las done when all was peace, order f
nd industry. No; the war has not
nded. Has humanity-has commerce
10 interest in the termination of this bar s
'arous war? 1t is known that pbilanthro- t
lists assemble at Brussels to recommend q
he peaceable adjustment of all inter- Q
ational conflicts. They met to prevent v
uture wars. Why is no effort made to a
rrest the present slaughters which dis e
race the age.
The nnual expenditure of more than n
evenly mil lions in specie for Cuban o
roducts sho uld interest the nation in re- Q
toring the industrial activity of Cuba. fl
he enormous war tax on Western provI- "
ons should attract the attention of West Il
IN statesmen to the importance Of the "
notification or repeal of these taxes. Q
he cities Of st. Louis, Cincinnati, Chi r.
and New Orleans require that direct II
nd uno bstructed trade should be tt
pened through this port with Cuba and a
Their southern countries; and last, the s.
nterests of the Republican party demand t.
ome affirmative act Of the government to
hich the people can be referred for proof b
usefulness. Let the government give n
S some substantial measure of domestic 6
evelopment or foreign commerce, and il
le people Of Louisiana and the West, ii
lstead of quarrelling over the abstract P
Official questions which have now become d
ationa], will give the people something Il
etter to do in the prosecution of their Il
WI active and practical interests. Sc
mong such measures most needed ana 1t
lost efficacious, would be the immediate
of the belligerent rights
the Cuban Republicans to be followed -,
y some commercial treaty with Spain by u
hch the United States would be relieved a
ON the cost Of supporting the civil war x
Spain and the shame of maintaining IL
frican slavery in almost its last foothold ~