The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1895-11-27
BELLIGEREnT RIGHTS TO CUBA
Ringing Address of Congress-
man Sulzer, of New Work,
At the Immen,e and Enthusiastic Meeting
OF Friends of Cuba at Cooper Union
Last NiRht-Charles A. Dana's Speech.
Letters of Sympathy From Governors,
ConEressmen and ~Others-strong Reso.
lutions Adopted.

was crowded with q large aud enthu-
siastic audience Tonight by sympa-
thizers with the Cuban insurgents. The
stage was decorated with flags of various
South American republics and the stars
and stripes. In the confer of the stage
and back OF the chairman was q marble
bust OF Jose MART, the dead Cuban
patriot surrounded by potted plants and
palm leaves. The mass meeting was
similar to the meetings recently held
In Chicago, Boston and Washington.
Charles a. Dana presided, and made
the opening address, eulogizing the late
Jose Marti, md expressing strong sym
pathy with the Cuban vause. DR.. Win
tiers, who acted as secretary of The
meeting, read letters OF regret from
CONGRESSMAN Amos Cummings, Cover
nors Mcintyre, Of Colorado; Culberson,
OF Texas; Clarence King, Ethan Allen,
Martin t. McMahone, Rev. Rainsford,
William f. Ball, mayor of Fargo, OAK.
ex-Gov. r. a. Alger, of Michigan; Cow
ernor Roger Ellen, of North Dakota:
United States Senator Chandler, Gov
ernor Upham. of Wisconsion; Patrick
Egan and Andrew Carnegie.
All the letters expressed sympathy
with b cause Of Cuba. After the
secretary had finished reading the let
tiers he introduced Congressman VIM.
Sulzer, who, he said, was among the
greatest sympathizers in behalf of
Cuba's independence, and q man who
stood ready to champion her cause
even in the Congress Of the United
States. Mr.. Suffers remarks we're
frequently interrupted with d~eafeninx
applause. .
He said in part: "Let me gay, first of
all, That l welcome this opportunity to
express my sentiments regarding the
OF Cuba, the cause Of the Cuban
patriots and the position on the question
this government should take. What ]
say here l say from deep convictions,
after mature elaboration, and as an
American citizen, and all that 1 saw
here l will stand by in the halla OF Con-
gress as an American representative.
"In the present crisis in Cuba nv
sympathles are all with the heroic and
patriotic Cubans and I sincerely hope
and believe that they will succeed.
CUBA must and will be free and indie
pendent and in my judgment the end is
near, the result IL inevitable and the
Cuban republic will soon take its stand
among the nations of the world. There
is more than insurrection in Cuba. 1t
Is q revolution. Revolutions ALWAYS
accomplish something for the uplifting
OF humanity and the smeiioration Of
the human race. I believe in revolu-
lions when oppression can no longer be
endured.
"Spain denies that war exists in
Cuba. yet she has sent a hundred thous.
and men there to put 1t down. Her
greatest general has taken personal
command and ssys thai he cannot sue
coed unless he receives a reinforcement
OF q hundred and fifty Thousand more.
Spain never did and never will admit
the truth about Cuba. She will not
permit the world to know what is going
on on the island and the probability is
that she Is not carrying on q civilized
mode of warfare.
There seems to be very little differ
ence between Captain General Valma-
ceda and Captain General Csmpos, and
the message of President Grant. through
his Secretary of State, In 1869, crying
out in the interest of Christian %civiliza }.
ton and common humanity against the
mode of warfare in Cuba by the Spanish
government, is no doubt as true TODAY
as 1t was then.
"Spain cannot win. She cannot again
subiugate Cuba. Her greatest general
meets with defeat in every important
engagement, and her resources arc
drained to a condition OF national bank.
ruptcy. She snnos carry on the war
much longer and must soon admit her
inability to quell the revolution. From
what | can ascertain and learn from the
hpQt and pnut 20 t{1 y
know the Cubsns will accept no terms
but the freedom of the island.
Cuba lies at our very door and be-.
longs to us by right. Some day she
will be ours. But 1t will never come by
purchase. Cuba will come to us in her
" GOOD time, but when she comes che
will come in her pride and her glory of
her W accord, as q free and indepen-
dent State, a possession rich beyond
dreams Of avarice and essential to our
control of the Gulf Of Mexico, our CON-
tinental supremacy and our national
destiny,
THE time has come when, as people
OF the great republic, we must declare
our honest views and true convictions
and declare them in no weak, vacilli-
tating or mistaken tones. To remain
silent much longer would subject US t O
the ridicule and the condemnation of
every nation Of the western hemis-
phere. Our duty is plain, yea, in my
humble judgment, is imperative. We
should recognize the Cuban patriots as
belligerents, with all tho rights and
privileges that implies and that it af-
fords in modern warfare. In this mat
ter in Congress l will follow where any
man may dare to lead, and will lead
where any man dare to follow.
81 cannot speak for the dministra-
.iop ~ WaehtnokoD. T oan avail ~,