The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-03-03
CUB WILL YET BE FREE
Eloquent Appeal Of Senator Vest for RecOs-
milton of the Cuban Patricia.

California continued the speech begun
by him the day before, contending
that tho question OF the recognition OF
Cuban belligerency or OF Cuban inde-
pendence was n solely within the
functions of tho executive department
of the government, and that Congress
had no right to impose its will upon
the President in such a matter. AS to
the recognition OF Cuban independence,
he said that the independence OF a new
government could not be eC0 snized
until the real vital disturbances were
practically closed, and until the cause
OF the parent COUNTRY was desperate.
Under prevailing conditions, the re-
cognition OF the independence of Cuba
would be not only contrary to all pre-
cedents, but contrary to the actual
justice OF the case.
MIR. Vest asked what would have be-
come OF the struggle for American
independence if France had acted ON
the principle advocated by the Sena-
tor from California. The American
today beenSEnglish subjects, instead
OF being free citizons OF a free country.
France, during the struggle, had re-
cognized the independence of the
United States and had gone farther
than any other country had ever gone
In a like case-exccpt from self-inter-
est. She had SEM her armies and
fleets and had put upon the people CT
the United States q de0t of undying
gratitude.
"If we mean to stand by these peo-
pie In Cuba, who are initiating US and
are e~ndeavoring to make q government
for themselves, we must help them in
their hour OF need. do not go so far |
as to say that we should do SO by arms.
That Ia not advocated by any one in
this chamber or out OF it.. We can at
least do 1t by stating to tho world that
We believe the attempt Of this mon
archy OF Spain to suppress the insur-
~rection-to crush the attempt to form
a republic in the island of Cuba-is
absolutely hopelesss and helpless, as 1
believe, under God, it is today.
81 say thero will never come an
hour when Spain can reassert her
dominion over the island Cuba. 1t is
from the great to achings of history
and experience. The course OF Spain
on this continent Is marked with
blood. There was a time when Span
ish dominion extended from the south
ern limits Of the United States TO the
most southerly point OF South Ameri-
ca. No American q ever forgot
those burning pages OF Prescott, which
describe the conquest OF Mexico and
Peru whom the Spaniards, with the
lust OF gold and the lust Of blood,
those countries. or all that dominion,
won by blood, won through torture
and fire, there remains today to that
toothless old wolf the single island
OF Cuba, and Spain today, like Giant
Despair in that wonderful picture OF
Bunyan, sits almost helpless at the
door oil the dark cave OF %despotism and
grins with impotent rage at the pro-
~cession OF splendid republics that
march on in the progress OF oiviliza-
ton and the future.
MIR. President, that wolf can never
retain that single cub. Nsvor can
Spain hold the island of Cuba after
she has lost all these South American
provinces.
"This question:" Mr.. Vest went on,
Is not whether Cuba has achieved
her independence. The question ia
Spain continue 70 hold Cuba as a pro-
vince? [ dcny IL. l say that the 10
long years of successful resistance to
Spain by Cuba shows that Cuba today
has the power to maintain and will
maintain successful resistance. This
thing a year ago was what the French
call an emeate-a mere handful OF men
called : brigands on tho east coast,
some OF whom were hung as pirates
hostes humani-today it Is an insurrec-
ton. Every Cuban is a patriot. The
Guoans have given up homes, fami-
lies, everything, through the hope OF
liberty. Tell me that a people like
that can be conquered Mover! Never!
Never! Will they be again willing
subjects to the throne of Spain?
mo instance can be found In which
a million and a half Of people, COM
binud and c~onfederated 80 unanimously
as they are, have ever been %subjugatcd
except by determination. What
American boy dOcs not remember the
burning Grafton OF Henry Clay, whom
he spoke for Greece Ia 1924, and when
he predicted that 80 long as Thermo-
pylae aud Marathon we're remembered
no Greek would lay downs his arms
before the Turkish power? We are
old that the Cuban insurrectionists
are negroes, mulattoes and Indians. So
much the more reason why We should
eympathize with them and say, God
help them In their dire extremity
Liberty lives with the poor and OPP
pressed not with the wealthy and
powerful. 1t throbs in tho breast OF
the Imprisoned bird it has gope with
martyr to tho stake, and has taken Its
Hight with his soul to God. Liberty
cannot be extinguished whom a people
are unanimous in defense OF the rights
which God had given them. And IL
these people, ignorant and poor, s.rue.
CLING against depotism, have Initiated
us, why should we intent ourselves
with u Dare expression Of sympathy
with the cause? 1t Is o nero farce
for us to do anything else than to do
clare our belief to the world that the
Spanish cause 10 hopeless in the island
of Cuba.
II deny and repudiate the doctrine
that all vestigate Of Spanish power
must be eliminated from Cuba before
we can recognize the Independence of
that people. Are we to " ait until tho
Island 10 made desolate by the fire and
sword ? Are we to stand silent and
dumb while q Spanish governor (called
q general) declares his intention to
bayonet the people of Cuba and to
butcher them into subsection to tho
Spanish queen? l cay That IL we do,
COO Will curse us. say that II we do,
and sit hero idle until a desert has
been made OF that splendid island, we
may be sure that the time will come
when there will come retribution upon
us as a people, because we have not
been true to the task assigned us by
observation-disclosures we have not
cherished the legacy Of self-goyern-
ment ~bequeated US by our fathers.n
Mr.. Vests's splendid rhetoric was