The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-12-04
FREEDOMS BATTLE.
A Telling Speech by Constant Friend of
Struggling Cuba.

Cuba's patriots was the topic of a big
mass meeting held in the hall o
Cooper Union last night. The meet
ing was under the auspices of the Jos
Marti club, composed of Cuoans.
Mr.. Henry Lincoln Winter intro
duced the Hon. Charles A. Dana, wht
was a personal friend of Marti, a!
chairman of the meeting. He eulogizet
Mr.. Dana as the undying friend o.
Cuban liberty.
Mr.. Dana was received with veri
table whirlwind of applause, the en-
tire audience rising and cheering
again and again.
When quiet had been restored, Mr.
Dana spoke as follows, his address be
ing frequently interrupted with ap
plause:
"My friends, Cubans, Americans
The warmth of your reception over
whelms me. 1 feel that have done
nothing to earn such enthusiasm and
such sympathy. know that it is not
a personal feeling. That every flash
of each eye that I see before me ex
presses the spirit of liberty and the
hope of independence for the fairest
isle of the earth. And all enthusiasm,
delightful as it is, and the soul in
which it is founded upon the great
principle, liberty for all, order and the
opportunity for every man on Gods
footstool to work out the end to which
nature and providence have directed
him.
"My friends, it was one of the pieces
of the very good fortune that have
marked career not short, that I knew
Jose Marti. l knew him Intimately,
I worked with him, side by side, and
gathered inspiration from the ideas
that flashed from his unquenchable
soul. He was man Of conviction, he
was a man whose sympathies went
over the whole range of humanity and
sought for all the full opportunities Of
life. He died worthy. He died in the
cause dearest to his heart and we who
came here tonight to recall his lovely
character, to admire his great qualities
and to feel that man was consecrated
wherever he went, may well be con:
tent to gaze upon his grave and to feel
that he did not perish in vain.. Nc
man perishes who follows ideas such
as he followed.
" For freedoms battle once begun,
Bequeathed by bleeding sire to son,
Though bafled oft, is ever won. ,"
There was great cheering at this
point ard Mr.. Dana had to pause few
till the applause ceased.
"And that grave of Marti," he re-
though it seems to mark the
failure and disappointment of his
greatest aspirations, is in itself mon
ument on the roadside which Cuba
marches to her great destiny OF uni
versal happiness, progress, light and
freedom. For my part can say that
wherever liberty is sought for, there Il
my country, and wherever hand is
raised or blow struck to secure the
freedom of people, there is my heart
and all that can give shall be rem
dered as long as live.
1.-The freedom of Cuba is a cause
that interests all mankind and it is 6
cause that specially interests all Amer
leans. It is on the American CONT
nent, the last foothold of rnediaeva
despotism. 1t is the last dungeon in
which the sort is perpetuated to I'M
prison the human mind and repress
the energy of man. .
81 cannot share that animosity
against Spain which so many of my
friends feel and which I know they
feel Justly, because that Spain did mo-
make herself; she inherited the. dun
geons and the institutions; she ha!
Inherited the despotic practices arc
what is more, she has inherited pov
erty.
"Where does she 60 for the treasure
that is necessary to maintain her agi
tated system. She cannot draw it from
the pockets of Spanish peasants; sht
must draw it from the rich fields arc
the divine sky of Cuba. But that ex
cuse can not justify the oppression
the tyranny and the wholesale plum
der Of that great and beautiful island
from which Spain is to supply he1
own interests.
80 Cuba must be Free" The EN-
thusiasm reached fever heat and thu
audience seemed to have lost contro
of themselves under the spell of Mr.
Dana's oratory. Hats were flung II
the air and the women waved. theil
handerchiefs in their enthusiasm"
$50 Cuba must be free," continued
Mr.. Dana, land Spain must be reduced
to system of forced economy. My
friends, I will not detain you longer
There are some letters to be read anc
after you will hear speeches from mer
whose hearts are fired with the inspi.
ration of freedom, and who will u.;t
words which will correspond to thu
spirit of freedom that pervades al
hearts here tonight"
At the conclusion of Mr.. Dana!
speech letters of regret were read from
Gen. Russell A. Alger of Michigan
Albert w. Mcintyre, governor oi
Colorado, Governor Culberson O.
Texas, Congressman Amos ]. Cum
mings, Gen. Martin T. McMahan, Gen
Daniel Butterfield, Hon. Patrick Egan
Governor Allen Of North Dakota, Sen
ator VIM. E. Chandler of New Hamp
shire, Governor Upham of Wisconsin
Andrew Carnegie and Augustus w
Peters.
Congressman VIM. .Sulzer was the
next speaker, and he received an en-
thusiastic greeting. He said in part:
''In the present crisis in Cuba my
sympathies are all with the heroic anC
patriotic Cubans and I sincerely hope
L llaa-- Ill o,,annnI ~, E,r